Uploaded September 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In the aftermath of the 1930 revolution, Miguel Costa organized the "Legião Revolucionária" pictured in the video, a paramilitary militia to protect the revolution in São Paulo. This force was not similar to the far right or far left militias in europe, but something akin to the german democratic Reichsbanner, exposing Costa's "National Liberal" ideology that expressed a wish to turn Brazil into a democratic, free and modern republic, free from the shackles of oligarchy and despotism. This dream came close to realization when the "Partido Popular Paulista" was created in 1931 and soon became the second largest party in São Paulo, just behind the oligarchic "Frente Única Paulista".
Their numbers are unknown for the moment, in a letter in 1931 Costa claimed 17 000 soldiers at arms, while in another one in mid 1932 he claimed that the last conference had over 300 000 people present. As the paulista oligarchy plotted against Vargas in 1932, Costa approached them offering support to overthrow the provisory government that had been ruling Brazil since the 1930 revolution, but on a grotesque error by the conspirators they ordered a massive demonstration against the provisory government that resulted in mob attacking the headquarters of the Partido Popular Paulista, resulting into a fight that led five men dead. Costa was arrested during it even tough he was favourable to the movement, leading the militia and the party to dissolve and join the provisory government, reducing even more the strengh of the constitutionalist rebels.
In the aftermath of the 1930 revolution, Miguel Costa organized the "Legião Revolucionária" pictured in the video, a paramilitary militia to protect the revolution in São Paulo. This force was not similar to the far right or far left militias in europe, but something akin to the german democratic Reichsbanner, exposing Costa's "National Liberal" ideology that expressed a wish to turn Brazil into a democratic, free and modern republic, free from the shackles of oligarchy and despotism. This dream came close to realization when the "Partido Popular Paulista" was created in 1931 and soon became the second largest party in São Paulo, just behind the oligarchic "Frente Única Paulista".
Their numbers are unknown for the moment, in a letter in 1931 Costa claimed 17 000 soldiers at arms, while in another one in mid 1932 he claimed that the last conference had over 300 000 people present. As the paulista oligarchy plotted against Vargas in 1932, Costa approached them offering support to overthrow the provisory government that had been ruling Brazil since the 1930 revolution, but on a grotesque error by the conspirators they ordered a massive demonstration against the provisory government that resulted in mob attacking the headquarters of the Partido Popular Paulista, resulting into a fight that led five men dead. Costa was arrested during it even tough he was favourable to the movement, leading the militia and the party to dissolve and join the provisory government, reducing even more the strengh of the constitutionalist rebels.
