The dreadnought policy: naval diplomacy for Brazil's international integration during the 1900s

Abstract

This work aims to understand the role of the 1904 Naval Reform, particularly the acquisition of dreadnought battleships, as an instrument of foreign policy and international insertion for Brazil during the First Republic. The article employs a hypothetical-deductive method and a historical case study approach, covering the period from 1904 to 1910. The first section analyzes the fragility of the Brazilian Armed Forces, especially the Navy, at the beginning of the 20th century; the second examines the conception and implementation process of the 1904 Naval Reform; and the third investigates how this modernization was used by Chancellor Barão do Rio Branco as a tool of "naval diplomacy" to project Brazilian power on the international stage, particularly in the Southern Cone. The research is based on primary sources such as ministerial reports, congressional annals, and period newspapers, engaging with authors like Alves (2017), Martins Filho (2010), and Cervo & Bueno (2002). It concludes that naval modernization was a central and strategic element for expanding the scope and capacity of Brazilian foreign policy, allowing the country to assert itself as a regional power.