Negotiating dependency: Brazil- United States military relations at the beginning of the Cold War

Abstract

During the Cold War, the links established between the United States armed forces and allied military forces in different regions of the world were an important element of both the anticommunist strategy of Washington and the projection of this country in areas hitherto influenced by European powers. The article argues that Brazil was a case in this process, in which despite the deep dependence and alignment, these military relations were neither linear nor devoid of conflicts. The instrumental character conferred by Brazil to these relations and the partial coincidence of objectives between the two countries has meant that, on certain occasions, the Brazilian military sought to renegotiate dependence. The political impact of this interaction led to the creation of clusters of ideological formulation and policy activism within officers and polarized them around issues like oil exploration and participation in the Korean War, which strengthened provisions for role in domestic politics.