On August 19, 1879, Rio de Janeiro, the capital of Brazil, fell into chaos due to a sudden military coup. The city defense army, the Royal Guards, the armed gendarmerie, and several Brazilian armies of different systems were mixed together, and they were at a loss.
They were running back and forth in the city.
Only a few core members knew about the military coup plotted by Fonseca and others. Most of the middle- and lower-level officers and soldiers just mechanically obeyed the orders of their superiors and gathered from their respective camps into the city of Rio de Janeiro.
More than ten important institutions including the Imperial Cabinet Building, the Royal Palace, the Royal Army General Staff, the National Information Bureau, and the Central Bank were attacked by coup soldiers, military police who did not know the truth, and some loyal guards loyal to the imperial government.
They followed various agencies and started a fierce exchange of fire with the soldiers pouring out of the city.
At 1:18 p.m., coup soldiers successively occupied the National Information Office and the Post Office. All external communication and propaganda channels in Rio de Janeiro fell into the control of Fonseca and others. They shot and killed several news editors who refused to cooperate in public. Fonseca and
Peshoto led an army to support the battles in the direction of the Royal Palace and the Cabinet Building, while Morais sat in the Press Bureau and announced the decisive victory of the Republican Revolution in the name of the leader of the republic. Pedro II and a few royalists
The party army has been surrounded by the coup army, and the corrupt and incompetent imperial government is about to collapse. The army in Rio de Janeiro and across Brazil should obey the instructions of the republican government and expel and arrest the stubborn royalist elements.
Temporarily printed newspapers and leaflets were widely distributed through Republicans and democrats, causing the guards and soldiers scattered in various government agencies to gradually give up their resistance. One government agency after another fell into the hands of the coup army. At this time, most of them tended to
The democratic republic and officials who were disappointed with Pedro II's incompetent rule were quickly drawn to the side of the coup by Morais. Then, these officials who had only verbally declared their allegiance to the republican government were immediately reinstated to their original posts, and even
He was promoted several levels and was involved in controlling the administrative operations of Rio de Janeiro.
At 3:27 p.m., the advantage of Fonseca and other coup parties became more and more obvious. Atreno Tower noticed the change in the situation and immediately announced that the Rio de Janeiro city defense army would accept the leadership of the republican government. 4,000 city defense troops joined the coup army and took the oath.
Crusade against the royalist army.
The defection of 4,000 city defense troops caused a subversive change in the balance of military power in Rio de Janeiro. More than 2,000 Brazilian troops who were hastily summoned by General Garcia were unable to defeat the resistance of the coup army, and were unable to break into the palace line and dispersed throughout the city.
Because they were unable to restore contact with Pedro II, the royalist military forces were defeated one by one by the defecting city defense forces.
Outside the palace walls, troops from the coup side were stationed in every direction. When the last Guards still loyal to the Brazilian Empire escorted Pedro II and Baron Muritba to the back gate of the garden, they faced
There are more than 3,000 coup troops who are ready for the coup.
Most of the two armies inside and outside the palace were comrades-in-arms and friends who originally belonged to the same battle order. However, they became opposing enemies due to the political differences of their superior officers and their own political beliefs.
The back gate of the garden is the closest passage to the palace. In order to break out of the encirclement of the coup army, Baron Muritba personally directed his troops to attack.
With the sound of gunfire and fighting, the Guards loyal to Pedro II shouted and rushed towards the city gate. Row after row of soldiers fell on the open space outside the city gate, passing through the victims.
After breaking through the defense line, the Guards soldiers in the garden stepped forward desperately and started a face-to-face charge with the coup troops at the foot of the city gate.
The narrow back door was filled with corpses of the fallen. The blood gathered along the thin drainage channel and flowed into the garden full of golden tulips, leaving streaks of strange blood red on the roots of the noble and elegant tulips.
The soldiers guarding Pedro II were mobilized one after another to attack the back door defense line. When Baron Moulibat personally led the army to launch the fourth attack, there were less than 700 surviving Guards soldiers.
The soldiers on the other side were fighting less and less, and when they heard the fierce fighting coming from the back door of the garden, more and more coup soldiers rushed to the direction of Pedro II. The enemy's defense line showed no signs of slackening and collapsed. The stubborn attack continued, and the remaining soldiers
The 700 tons of people below will soon be exhausted.
Baron Muribate, who had no hope of breaking out, told Pedro II painfully about the difficulties they faced.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, to tell you the unfortunate news that the rebels occupied the wall at the back gate of the garden, and our troops failed to break through the rebel defense lines."
"Where are the city defense troops? Why didn't General Atreñota lead the city defense troops to reinforce the palace?"
Pedro II panicked.
"Atrenotta betrayed His Majesty. He has led the city defense troops to defect to the rebels. The first ones to rush to the defense line at the back gate of the garden to reinforce the rebels were his city defense troops!"
A Guards officer said angrily.
"General Garcia? Yes, General Garcia is a famous general in the empire. He will definitely be able to defeat the rebels!"
"Your Majesty, there is no hope. The rebels outside are saying that General Garcia was shot and killed while commanding the army to fight in order to rescue Your Majesty!"
"How could General Garcia die? No one in the Imperial Army can defeat General Garcia!"
Pedro II was like a poor drowning man, clinging to the last straw, unable to accept the cruel fact for a while.
"General Garcia cannot be defeated by the rebels so easily, and there are many generals and officials loyal to the empire in Rio de Janeiro. They know that His Majesty is surrounded by rebels in the palace, and they will definitely rescue His Majesty at any cost!"
Baron Moulibat decisively spoke out to stop the frustration spreading among the remnants of the army, encouraging: "Lieutenant Colonel Eber, Duke Forbert, the Prime Minister of the Empire, and the Minister of Finance are all loyal servants of the Empire, and they will not watch the rebellion launch.
The coup was indifferent."
"Yes, yes!" Pedro II's frustrated eyes suddenly showed a glimmer of hope. "The nobles and central government officials have the power and wealth bestowed by the empire, and they will not allow the empire to be divided and destroyed by the rebels!
"
After Baron Muribate's persuasion, Pedro II plucked up the courage and led the last 700 or so Guards soldiers to retreat to the only palace in the palace that was not occupied by the rebels - the Santo Cosford Palace, preparing to attack
It held there until the arrival of the Royalist troops.
As night fell slowly, the gunfire in the city of Rio de Janeiro gradually subsided. After all, the royalist reinforcements that Pedro II had been waiting for could not arrive at the palace to join them.
The rebels outside sent many members of the former Imperial Parliament and military representatives into the Palace of Santo Cosford to persuade Pedro II to give up resistance and surrender.
"Your Majesty, for the future of Mother Brazil, and for the glory of you and your family, please accept the will of the people, give up resistance, and stop this senseless bloodshed and sacrifice with the noble dignity of the Emperor of Brazil."
"Must the empire be destroyed? If I agree to abdicate, can you allow Isabella to take over the throne of the Brazilian Empire?"
Pedro II was disheartened and made his last effort unwillingly: "Isabella is a kind and sincere crown prince. The Brazilian Empire needs a kind and excellent queen to heal the wounds of the war. I pray to you.
Give Isabella a chance and she will make a good emperor who will be supported by Brazilians."
"You are the last emperor of Brazil. From today on, Brazil will not have any more emperors. Your Majesty, you don't have much time. If you don't give a clear answer, in 10 minutes, the outside army will forcefully invade.
At that time the safety of you and your family will not be guaranteed by a republican government."
The Republican representatives were aggressive and did not give Pedro II a chance to compromise. Time passed by and ten minutes were about to pass. When the Republican representatives turned around and were about to walk out of the palace, Pedro II compromised.
For the sake of his own life and that of his family, he chose to give up the title of Emperor of the Brazilian Empire and signed his name on the last edict bearing the coat of arms of the Brazilian Empire. Since then, the legacy has been passed down to two generations for fifty-seven years.
The Brazilian Empire has officially come to an end.
