1942: Brazil and Its Almost Forgotten War - Book Review

In college I took a World War II course. On the first day of class the professor asked, “By raise of hands, how many of you have ever studied World War II from the side of the United States?” Every hand in class went up. “Okay,” she continued. “Raise your hand if you have ever studied WW2 from the viewpoint of Germany?” Only a slight gasp shuttered into the air. “Russia?” A pause full of silence. “Japan?” Not a hand in the air. World War II was the largest globalized war in the history of mankind. There was not a corner of the earth that was not affected in some way. More nations than ever truly make it into the history books were involved. More lives shattered than can ever be comprehended. More stories silenced by time than the world will ever know. Which is why this book “1942: Brazil and its Almost Forgotten War” is so aptly named.

Not only was Brazil involved in World War 2, but it felt the effects of war along its coastline, it sent some of its bravest men into the hell of battle, and after decades the part they played is largely unspoken and unknown today.

Axis or Allies

“Wait, wait, wait. Before you being,” you say. “The article title is in english, but the image of the book cover is in Portuguese.” That is correct. This book is available in Portuguese; there is not an english translation that I am aware of. If you don’t speak Portuguese, you will not read this book, but this review may help you know a little more about a piece of World War II that you may not have known about.

Brazil was caught between two major powers seeking to gain a foothold in the early onset of the war. Germany wanted to gain support in Latin America and looked toward Brazil’s dictator Getúlio Vargas as a stepping stone into that effort. The United States wanting to curb the influence, power, and presence of Germany was simultaneously in communication with Brazil to get their backing against Germany. A lot of politics transpired. Secret messages were sent. The looming question as to which way would Brazil lean.

Then in 1942, boom, boom, boom. A series of Brazilian ships were targeted and sunk by a U-Boat along the long coast of the country. This tipped Brazil to engage fully with the United States, joining the Allie effort against the Axis powers. Brazil received, supplies, support, and training for the United States to help build its military capabilities. The Força Expedicionária Brasileira (FEB) or Brazilian Expeditionary Force was created and transported across the Atlantic and helped support battle fronts across Italy.

Complexities of History

Brazil’s physical involvement in the war was in smaller theaters of battle, thus not areas that find themselves into mainstream history books. After all those books focus on the bigger operations, logistics, and areas of amassed troops. Nevertheless, their campaigns, the soldier’s stories, their bravery, and efforts should be shared, remembered, and known. And not only theirs, but the stories of every group who fought to extinguish the evil advocated by the Axis.

History is messy. There is never one side. There is always a broad spectrum of individual intent. Emotions, perceptions, moral judgment, and the stories people tell themselves play a major role in decisions and action. Because of the complexity of history generalized themes, applied across entire armies and nations, are told in an effort to simplify what occurred and to fit the events into a digestible format. Which is why the more experiences we learn about, the broader our understanding of a subject becomes.

An eternal thank you goes out to my college professor who instead of having us study World War 2 from the perspective of the Allies, directed our focus to that of the Axis powers and a large emphasis on the German-Russian front. Some of our required literature included:

• “Japan At War: An Oral History” a thorough compilation of memoirs of Japanese citizens across all military branches, scientific researchers, prisoner of war wardens, factory workers & the civilian population (everyone should read this book);

• “Frontsoldaten: The German Soldier in World War II” largely a compilation of German foot soldier memoirs which focused on the front with Russia, but includes pieces from Italy, Africa, and western Europe as well (everyone should read this book);

• “When Titans Clashed” an in-depth, and very dry, look at the war front between Germany and Russia (goodnight, what a nightmare).

Which is one of the reasons I picked up “1942: Brazil and its Almost Forgotten War”, I wanted to see the war through a different lens, get a new perspective, and broaden my understanding of the complexity of World War 2.

My Review of1942: Brazil and its Almost Forgotten War

The Political Dance of Powers

The scope of the book is intended to provide a broad understanding of how and why Brazil ended up participating in World War II by putting boots on the ground in Italy, planes in the air, and committing its navy to the effort as well. As a result the first third of the book is dedicated to the political dance that occurred between Brazil, Germany, and the United States. Though politics, to me, is less interesting than the movement of men, it is integral into the reasons behind why military forces were mobilized. It is also an interesting form of battle field: talk, letters, messages, meetings, conducted by few but determining the fate of many. This was a small political battlefront in regards to the total scale of World War 2, but one that was important enough for two of the biggest powers of the conflict to go head to head politically through Brazil. That effort is worth, a least, a third of a book.

Honestly, if the coin had fallen the other way and Brazil had sided with Germany, I’m not sure if much would have come of it. Germany had spread itself so thin that I doubt they would have been able to supply Brazil with the materials & training necessary to make them into a significant force to sway the tide of the war. Even looking at the amount of effort the US pumped into Brazil, it reveals that it produced a relatively small force (again compared to larger areas of focus) capable of effectively fighting side by side with US & British troops. Yet, I loved how author João Barone infused within the book the feelings, emotions, sentiment, concern, and dedication of the Brazilian people once the decision was may to side with the Allies to give it their best effort, despite very disorganized, politically corrupt, and slow commencement to the process.

The Spirit of Brazil

When I think of Brazil I imagine Samba, flip flops, a relaxed easy going way of life, always on the lookout for a way to celebrate & have a party, cake freshly baked just in case visitors stop by, of course soccer and volleyball. I also couple in the history of capoeira, a very complex racial dilemma, slow politics, but also brutal politics. These images come from my own experience of living in Brazil. But these aspects of Brazilian life were sixty years after the decade of the 1940s. Nevertheless, I was delighted to see aspects of the Brazilian spirit from the 40’s mirroring what I experienced over a half century later. Brazil is not only a country, but it is a way of life. The flare, vibrancy, and spirit of Brazil added its distinct fingerprint to the conflict of World War 2.

Brazilian Forces Worthy of Honor

That fingerprint is laden with stories of bravery, heroism, and rising to the call of duty. It was unknown if the FEB would provide any value on the front lines and there was an effort to keep them in support, or to “leave the fighting to the real soldiers.” The FEB turned the other cheek for a while, doing the behind the lines grunt work for a while, which in truth is to some extent the life blood to keep the front line moving forward. Eventually the FEB got their chance and they proved themselves to not only be capable but a force to be trusted and relied upon, a force that would bravely step forward when others shied away. They have experiences that movies are made about. They gave their all. They gave their lives. They moved the lines forward. They made a difference where they were given the chance to do so. The big battles that go down in history are oft times enabled by the little ones where just as much courage is found, just as much fear confronted, and just as much duty executed. That is what I learned most from this book.

To Whom We Owe Respect

So whether a solder who landed on the beaches of normandy, flew in the skies over England, sailed on a supply ship across the Atlantic, trudged through the winters of Russia, confronted the sands of Africa, crawled through the jungles of the Philippines, or ascended a hill in Italy, all who fought to extinguish the evils propagated by the Axis deserve to be remembered and honored. PS I include in that group of people who should be remembered and honored, those who were citizens of Axis powers who fought against what those powers stood for, citizens of occupied countries who worked to protect others, and even those who were originally won over to the propaganda of the Axis but then realized that was was going on was not right and sought at least to make things better for the “enemies” they confronted. There is always a broad spectrum of individual intent and you often find great individuals in the most unlikely places.

If you are a pursuer of World War 2 history, what books would you recommend and why?