"Estadão" Commemorates 70th Anniversary of Brazil's Entry In WWII

Brazilian troops on board the USS General Meigs,
the ship that took them to Italy in 1944

On August 22, 1942, Brazil declared war against Germany and Italy. "Estadão" is commemorating the 70th anniversary of this event with a special section called "O Brasil Em Armas."

It includes articles, photographs, video clips, and even some songs recorded by Brazilian troops while serving in Italy.

The US had been concerned that the Brazilian dictator Getúlio Vargas might be sympathetic to the Axis leaders, since many viewed Vargas himself to be somewhat fascistic. 

After the US declared war in December, 1941, Brazil maintained its neutrality, but in January, 1942, it broke diplomatic ties with Germany, Italy, and Japan. Under pressure from the US, Brazil agreed to allow the construction of American air bases in the northeast. This led Germany to begin attacking Brazilian ships in the Atlantic. In August, 1942, German U-boats sunk several Brazilian ships near its coast, killing over 500 people, most of them civilians. Public outrage in Brazil led the Brazilian government to declare war.

Brazil's "Força Expedicionária Brasileira" (FEB) consisted of 25,000 soldiers who fought alongside the US 5th Army in Italy until the end of the war.  Brazil was the only Latin American country to send combat troops overseas during the war.  The Brazilian Navy and Air Force also took part in the hostilities in the Atlantic Ocean.