Overview Brazil’s participation in WWII was the completion of a foreign embassy point of emphasis/priority which first began in 1902. During that year, Brazil’s Foreign Minister Rio Branco put Brazil on course in order to establish close relations with the United States. Bronco believed that fighting alongside a blemishing world power would provide “international prestige” in The Latin American region. In the 1930’s, a Brazilian revolution resulted in the rise of new Brazilian leader Getulio Dornelles. The balance of the relationship between The United States and Germany was caused through closer ties with The Axis Powers of Nazi Germany. Soon Germany became the biggest cotton buyer from Brazil, and also its main supplier of weapons.
Declared War: 1941
Which side: Brazil was on the Allies side as Bronco (leader of Brazil at that time) believed that fighting alongside an emerging world power would provide “international prestige” in The Latin American region.
Reason for Entering War
At first, Brazil alongside The United States decided to stay neutral as the war broke out through Europe (1939). However, the United States feared a likely German attack on The Northern Hemisphere should Britain have been defeated, figuring that this was the most likely route for Germany to go. Therefore, in 1941 Brazil agreed to invest in and enlarge American air bases in Brazil. In 1941, the U.S alongside Brazil, officially entered the war as the U.S navy was given permission to use Brazilian ports in the “anti-submarine campaign.” These air bases became an essential part of the Allied air transport system, which was a stopover for planes heading to areas in Africa and other points.