Venceslau Brás Pereira Gomes (; 26 February 1868 – 15 May 1966) was a Brazilian
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
who served as ninth
president of Brazil
The president of Brazil ( pt, Presidente do Brasil), officially the president of the Federative Republic of Brazil ( pt, Presidente da República Federativa do Brasil) or simply the ''President of the Republic'', is the head of state and head o ...
between 1914 and 1918, during the
First Brazilian Republic
The First Brazilian Republic, also referred to as the Old Republic ( pt, República Velha ), officially the Republic of the United States of Brazil, refers to the period of Brazilian history from 1889 to 1930. The Old Republic began with the de ...
. Brás was born in
Brasópolis (formerly São Caetano da Vargem Grande),
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...
State. He became governor of that state in 1909, and in 1910 he was elected vice-president under
Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca. As the sixth
vice president of Brazil
The Vice President of Brazil ( pt, Vice-Presidente do Brasil), officially the Vice President of the Federative Republic of Brazil (''Vice-Presidente da República Federativa do Brasil''), or simply the ''Vice President of the Republic'' (''Vice-P ...
, he also served as the
President of the Senate
President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the speaker in some other assemblies.
The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's succession for its top executive office: for e ...
.
He was elected president in 1914 and served until 1918. His government declared war on the
Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
in October 1917 during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. He was the longest-lived Brazilian president, reaching 98 years of age.
Spelling of name
Throughout his life Brás spelled his name ''Wenceslau Braz'', although there exist postage stamps with the spelling ''Wenceslao'' as well. The 1943
reform of Portuguese orthography stipulates that the names of deceased persons must be spelled according to standard Portuguese spelling rules. All Portuguese-language texts about Brás published after 1966 must therefore spell his name ''Venceslau Brás''.
Legacy
*
Presidente Venceslau
Presidente Venceslau is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population is 39,583 (2020 est.) in an area of 755 km². The elevation is 422 m. The municipality was named after Venceslau Brás, former president of Brazil.
The m ...
, a municipality in the state of São Paulo
Venceslau Brás e seu ministério.jpg, President Venceslau Brás and his cabinet in 1915: Marshal José Caetano de Faria
José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ).
In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...
(War), Augusto Tavares de Lima
Augusto is an Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish given name or surname. Notable people with the name include:
*Augusto Aníbal
*Augusto dos Anjos
* Augusto Arbizo
*Augusto Barbera (born 1938), Italian law professor, politician and judge
*Augusto Ben ...
(Transportation), Lauro Müller
Lauro Severiano Müller (8 November 1863 – 30 July 1926) was a Brazilian politician, diplomat, and military engineer. Responsible for the transition of Santa Catarina from a province to a state, he is also recognised as one of those who helped ...
(Foreign Affairs) and Admiral Alexandrino de Faria Alencar (Navy). Around him, senators, congressmen and journalists.
Venceslau Brás declara guerra 1917.jpg, President Brás signs a declaration of war against the Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
in October 1917. At his side, the former president and then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nilo Peçanha
Nilo Procópio Peçanha (; 2 October 1867 – 31 March 1924) was a Brazilian politician who served as seventh president of Brazil. He was governor of Rio de Janeiro (1903–1906), then elected the fifth vice president of Brazil in 1906. He assu ...
, and the governor of Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...
and future president of the Republic, Delfim Moreira
Delfim Moreira da Costa Ribeiro (; 7 November 1868 – 1 July 1920) was a Brazilian politician who served as tenth president of Brazil.
Biography
He was born in Minas Gerais state to a Portuguese father and to a Portuguese Brazilian mother wh ...
.
See also
Brazil during World War I
References
External links
* Rafael Pinheiro de Araujo
Brás, Venceslau in
1868 births
1966 deaths
Presidents of Brazil
Vice presidents of Brazil
Presidents of the Federal Senate (Brazil)
University of São Paulo alumni
Mayors of Belo Horizonte
Governors of Minas Gerais
{{Brazil-politician-stub
Republican Party of Minas Gerais politicians
Coffee with milk politics politicians
Candidates for Vice President of Brazil