Balancing Power and Influence: U.S.-Brazil Foreign Relations in the 20th Century

Authors

Thais Russo Goncalves, Kennesaw State UniversityFollow

Name of Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Silke Zoller

Faculty Sponsor Email

szoller@kennesaw.edu

Author Bio(s)

My name is Thais Russo Goncalves, and I am an undergrad international student from Brazil. I am a history major and plan to get a job in the archival or research field after getting my masters degree. My love for history stems from reading and collecting books. I aspired to use historical research to ensure forgotten histories and voices are heard.

Publication Date

6-2025

Abstract

This paper explores the intricate dynamics of U.S. foreign policies directed toward Brazil during the 20th century. The paper examines Brazil’s unique role in Latin America as the only country in the region to actively participate in both World Wars, which led to its emergence as a key ally of the United States. This partnership influenced U.S. foreign policy, particularly in economic and military aid, fostering Brazil’s dependency on the U.S. while simultaneously granting it regional significance. The paper acknowledges four schools of thought: exclusion, reactionary, parental, and economic-political, to analyze the motivations and implications of U.S. policies. The exclusion school highlights the lack of acknowledgment of U.S. interference in Brazilian politics, while the reactionary school addresses how U.S. policies responded to global events. The parental school discusses the paternalistic relationship between the two nations, and the economic-political school emphasizes Brazil’s dependency and crises as consequences of U.S. influence. Key arguments demonstrate that U.S. policies were not only reactionary but often calculated moves to assert dominance in Latin America. These strategies peaked during the Cold War, particularly with U.S. involvement in Brazil’s 1964 military coup, reinforcing Brazil’s economic and political reliance on the United States. However, the latter decades of the 20th century saw a gradual decline in U.S. influence as Brazil pursued more independent policies and emerged as a regional power. This paper concludes that Brazil’s alignment with the U.S. was shaped by its strategic contributions during global conflicts and Brazil's political and economic vulnerabilities. These factors established Brazil as a pivotal ally while also making the country a focal point for U.S. policies aimed at countering communism and expanding influence in Latin America.