The early republican government was nothing more than a military dictatorship, with army dominating affairs both at Rio de Janeiro and in the states. Freedom of the press disappeared and elections were controlled by those in power.[97] Only in 1894, following the unfoldings of two severe crises, an economic along with a military one, the civilians rose to power staying there until October, 1930.[98][99][100]
If in relation to its foreign policy, the country in this first republican period maintained a relative balance characterized by a success in resolving border disputes with neighboring countries,[101] only broken by the Acre War (1899–1902) and its involvement in World War I (1914–1918),[102][103][104] followed by a failed attempt to exert a prominent role in the League of Nations;[105] Internally, from the crisis of Encilhamento[106][107][108] and the Armada Revolts,[109] a prolonged cycle of financial, political and social instability began Until the 1920s, keeping the country besieged by various rebellions, both civilia
