Getúlio Vargas, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 14th President of Brazil (b. 1882)
Getúlio Dornelles Vargas (Brazilian Portuguese: [ʒeˈtulju doɾˈnɛliz ˈvaɾɡɐs]; 19 April 1882 – 24 August 1954), also known by his initials GV and nicknamed "the Father of the Poor", was a Brazilian lawyer and politician who served as the 14th and 17th president of Brazil, from 1930 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1954.
Born in São Borja, Rio Grande do Sul to a powerful local family, Vargas had a short stint in the Army before entering law school. He began his political career as district attorney, soon becoming a state deputy prior to an interim period. He entered national politics as a member of the Chamber of Deputies, then served as Minister of Finance under president Washington Luís before departing to head Rio Grande do Sul as state president.
In 1930, after losing the presidential election, Vargas rose to power under a provisional presidency following an armed revolution, remaining until 1934 when he was elected president under a new constitution. Three years later he seized powers under the pretext of a potential communist insurrection, beginning the eight-year long Estado Novo dictatorship. In 1942, he led Brazil into World War II on the side of the Allies after being sandwiched between Nazi Germany and the United States. Though there was notable opposition to his government, the major revolts – the 1932 Constitutionalist Revolution and the Communist uprising of 1935 in his constitutional presidency, and the Brazilian Integralist Action's putsch in his dictatorship – were all successfully suppressed, though the methods Vargas used in quelling his opposition ranged from light peace terms to jailing political opponents.
Though he was ousted in 1945 after fifteen years in power, Vargas returned to the presidency democratically after winning the 1950 presidential election. However, a growing political crisis led to his suicide in 1954, prematurely ending his second presidency. Historians consider Vargas as the most influential Brazilian politician of the 20th century. He is also one of a number of populists who arose during the 1930s in Latin America, including Lázaro Cárdenas and Juan Perón, who promoted nationalism and pursued social reform.