THE Military dictatorship it was a period of authoritarian rule in Brazil that lasted from 1964 to 1985.
Due to its political and economic importance, it is one of the most demanded subjects in Enem and university entrance exams across the country.
Therefore, we selected 15 questions that address various moments and aspects of the Military Dictatorship in Brazil for you to review the content and rock your test!
Good study!
question 1
(Unisc/2014) In 2014 it will complete 50 years of the coup that deposed the government of João Goulart and installed the Military Regime in Brazil. The Dictatorship remained for more than twenty years not allowing free elections for president and very closely controlling the unions, social movements and other groups that questioned the lack of democracy and the brutality of the regime through the apparatus of repression.
About this period, it is INCORRECT to state that
a) multipartyism was abolished in Institutional Act n. 2 that allowed only two parties – ARENA and MDB.
b) Institutional Act n. 5 further limited political rights in Brazil by removing politicians considered by the regime as subversive.
c) censorship was imposed right after the Military Coup and had the National Information Service (SNI) as its most active body.
d) the pro-military regime propaganda used slogans like Brazil – love it or leave it.
e) the last military president, Costa e Silva, promised a slow and gradual political opening to democracy.
Correct alternative: e) the last military president, Costa e Silva, promised a slow and gradual political opening to democracy.
The alternative "e)" is incorrect because Costa e Silva was not the last president of the military regime. After his term, three more generals would pass through the executive branch.
question 2
(Unitau/2018) On the headline of Jornal do Brasil, on December 14, 1968, it was written: “Black time. Stifling temperature. The air is unbreathable. The country is being swept by strong winds. Max: 38th in Brasília, Min: 5th in Laranjeiras”.
What fact does this text refer to?
a) Approval of Institutional Act No. 5, which drastically limited freedom of expression and instituted measures that increased the repression of opponents of the military government.
b) Approval of Institutional Act No. 2, approved by the National Congress, which increased the fear of communist danger.
c) Approval of the Federal Censorship Law, of Institutional Act No. 1, which prohibited films, plays theater, books, songs, but that did not make it to the newspaper and, therefore, the review was published in first page.
d) Approval of institutional acts, which had great support from the country's political classes, expanding various individual guarantees and conferring broad powers on the President of the Republic.
e) Approval of bipartisanship, through Institutional Act No. 1, which eliminated all forms of institutional opposition to the military regime.
Correct alternative: a) Approval of Institutional Act No. 5, which drastically limited freedom of expression and instituted measures that increased the repression of opponents of the military government.
AI-5 was approved in 1968 and triggered a more severe crackdown on civil society by the government.
The other options are not correct because they mention laws that were enacted before 1968.
question 3
(UPE/2013) The Brazilian Military Regime (1964-1988) was marked by a bipolarization in the realm of politics and art, between those who supported and those who criticized the regime.
Within the second group, stood out the musicians who produced protest songs, some of which came wrapped in metaphors, in addition to other stylistic resources, in order to hide its message from Censorship subliminal.
Among these songs, one can identify Geraldo Vandré's “Canção da farewell” in the following excerpt:
“I'm already leaving, but I know I'm coming back / Love doesn't cry, if I come back it's to stay / Love doesn't cry, it's time to leave / Love now, forever he to stay. // I wanted to stay here, but I couldn't / My way to you didn't lead / A badly crowned king, / I didn't want to / His reigning love / Well I knew it / It wouldn't be beloved... ”
Based on the criticism portrayed by the lyrics of the song, it is CORRECT to state that
a) in the scope of art, the criticism of this Regime was restricted to the musical sphere.
b) that period seemed like a fairy tale, with stories of kings and impossible loves.
c) the difficult experience of forced exile was experienced during this period.
d) Geraldo Vandré used to set his love disappointments to music.
e) the tranquility experienced by society allowed the composition of love songs.
Correct alternative: c) the difficult experience of forced exile was experienced during this period.
The song speaks of farewells, something that happened to those who went into exile voluntarily or obliged.
Other options are not correct. All other art forms, from dramaturgy to plastic art, were also critical of the government. The other alternatives appeal to fanciful facts to describe the period and are incorrect.
question 4
(Enem/2010)
Institutional Act No. 5
Art. 10 - The guarantee of habeas corpus is suspended, in cases of political crimes, against national security, the economic and social order and the popular economy.
Art. 11 – All acts performed in accordance with this Institutional Act and its Complementary Acts, as well as their respective effects, are excluded from any judicial review.
Available in: http://www.senado.gov.br. Accessed on: July 29 2010.
In selected AI-5 articles, the military government sought to limit the role of the judiciary, because that meant
a) the replacement of the 1967 Constitution
b) the beginning of the political distension process
c) the legal guarantee for the authoritarianism of judges
d) the expansion of powers in the hands of the Executive
e) the revocation of the legal instruments implemented during the 1964 military regime
Correct alternative: d) the expansion of powers in the hands of the Executive.
The AI-5 represented "the coup within the coup", because the Executive Power increased its influence, instituting censorship and attributing functions proper to the Judiciary Power.
Alternative a) "the replacement of the 1967 Constitution" is incorrect as AI-5 was not intended to replace the Magna Carta. Alternative b) "the beginning of the process of political distension" is false, as the distension would only take place at the end of the Geisel government.
Option c) "the legal guarantee for the authoritarianism of judges" does not express the reality because, in fact, AI-5 took power away from the judges. Alternative e) "the revocation of the legal instruments implemented during the 1964 military regime" is also not certain, because this fact did not happen.
question 5
(Unimontes/2015) “During the Medici government, the armed struggle was crushed.” Among the examples that prove this statement, it is INCORRECT to list:
a) The shooting of the communist militant Carlos Mariguella, in November 1969, in São Paulo.
b) The persecution and murder of the guerrilla militant Carlos Lamarca, in the backlands of Bahia.
c) The combat and dismantling of the Guerrilha do Araguaia, in the State of Pará, between 1970 and 1974.
d) The dismantling, in 1971, of the Vanguarda Negra communist cell, whose leaders were Uspinians.
Correct alternative: d) The dismantling, in 1971, of the Vanguarda Negra communist cell, whose leaders were Uspinians.
This option is incorrect because there was no communist cell called the Black Vanguard.
question 6
(UFMG) The Distension Policy, carried out by General Ernesto Geisel, aimed at
a) to calm the political tension between the Government and the Opposition.
b) expand the Government's support base with the Armed Forces.
c) annul the political actions of its predecessor, General Médici.
d) guarantee the survival of the Economic Miracle.
e) resume strategic decisions defined by the Military Board.
Correct alternative: a) to calm the political tension between the Government and the Opposition.
Ernesto Geisel inaugurated a new era within the military regime. As the urban and rural guerrilla movement had already been crushed, Geisel started to promote policies that ensured an orderly exit of the military from the political scene. In this way it aimed to please both the military and the opposition sectors.
Other options are not correct. They make reference to facts that are not realistic, such as the survival of the Economic Miracle and the annulment of the Medici government's policies.
question 7
(Enem/2014) The National Truth Commission (CNV) brought together representatives of state and various institutions to present a balance of the work done and sign terms of cooperation with four organizations. The coordinator of the CNV estimates that, so far, the commission has examined, "from below", around 30 million pages of documents and carried out hundreds of interviews.
Available at: www.jb.com.br. Accessed on: 2 mar. 2013 (adapted).
The news describes an initiative of the State that resulted from the action of several social movements in Brazil in face of events that took place between 1964 and 1988. The purpose of this initiative is
a) annul the amnesty granted to military leaders.
b) review the judicial convictions of political prisoners.
c) pardon the crimes attributed to leftist militants.
d) prove society's support for the anti-communist coup plotters.
e) clarify the circumstances of human rights violations.
Correct alternative: e) clarify the circumstances of human rights violations.
The National Truth Commission (CNV) aimed to investigate those who disappeared during the military regime.
The other options are incorrect as the CNV never intended to review leftist convictions, nullify the amnesty or pardon the crimes attributed to leftist militants.
question 8
(FURG/2006) The "Diretas-Já" Campaign was a remarkable episode that took place in the 1980s, constituting one of the significant moments in the Brazilian historical process known as:
a) republicanization
b) coalition
c) redemocratization
d) militarization
e) conciliation
Correct alternative: c) redemocratization.
The campaign for Diretas-Já had the objective of direct and free elections for the presidency of the Republic. Despite all the campaigning in the streets, the amendment was rejected and the new Head of Government was indirectly chosen.
The other alternatives are not correct. Option a) "republicanization" is not true, as Brazil was already a Republic. Option b) "coalition" does not make sense, because there is no movement with that name in this period.
Alternative d) "militarization" is wrong, because it was the opposite movement to militarism. As well as the alternative e) "conciliation", which portrays something that did not happen at the end of the Brazilian military dictatorship.
question 9
(Fuvest) Brazil's victory at the 1970 World Cup
a) had no repercussions in the political field, as it was a strictly sporting event.
b) encouraged the work of oppositions that highlighted the ability of the Brazilian people to perform great feats.
c) provided a propaganda operation by the Medici government, trying to associate the conquest with the authoritarian regime.
d) favored General Geisel's project of opening up, by creating a climate of optimism about the government's achievements.
e) it achieved very limited repercussion, as the means of communication were not as effective as they are today.
Correct alternative: c) provided a propaganda operation by the Medici government, trying to associate the conquest with the authoritarian regime.
The victory of the men's soccer team ended up becoming a source of propaganda for the Medici government, which compared the achievements achieved with the government's actions.
The other options are not correct, as they do not correspond to the reality at that moment, such as letter a) or e).
question 10
(ESPM/2014) In authoritarian Brazil, clear signs of crisis. General Figueiredo's presidential term was coming to an end and it was feared that once again the president would be chosen by an electoral college, which should, as always, endorse the name indicated by those in power.
To change this perspective, the opposition presented a constitutional amendment that intended to introduce direct elections. The Dante de Oliveira amendment, named after the PMDB deputy, for Mato Grosso, who presented it, was voted on under great popular expectations, after widespread popular mobilization in the DIRETAS - JÁ campaign.
The decision of the National Congress, at the time of the vote (25/04/1984) in the Chamber of Deputies, was:
a) rejection, as the amendment required 2/3 of the members of Congress and 22 votes were needed to reach this mark.
b) approval, a result that guaranteed the victory of Tancredo Neves, the opposition candidate, in the direct elections for the presidency in 1985.
c) approval, however the direct election for president would not be valid for the 1985 election and would only be valid in the following election.
d) approval, however the intervention of the Armed Forces prevented the holding of the election.
e) rejection, with the interference of the Armed Forces imposing the election of José Sarney, the government's candidate.
Correct alternative: a) rejection, as the amendment needed 2/3 of the members of Congress and 22 votes were needed to reach such mark.
Despite all the popular mobilization, the Dante Oliveira amendment was rejected by Congress in a close vote. Thus we can discard alternatives b), c) and d), as these claim that the law would have been passed.
On the other hand, alternative e) "rejection, with the interference of the Armed Forces having imposed the election of José Sarney, the government's candidate", is not correct. The Armed Forces did not directly interfere in the vote and who was chosen was Tancredo Neves with Sarney as vice.
question 11
[The politician] Francisco Dornelles watched the Central do Brasil rally on March 13, 1964 on television in France. Jango decreed the nationalization of oil refineries, the freezing of rent prices and the expropriation of land along federal highways for agrarian reform. “The communist revolution in Brazil started today,” said a colleague of Dornelles, a member of the Communist Party in Bulgaria. “He announced things that, in Bulgaria, it took us years to achieve. Opponents will finish him off.”
13 Questions about the Dictatorship in Brazil, Adapted from Época Magazine, 03/31/2014. Accessed on 07.17.20.
As we can read in the text, what would be the main reason for the military to have applied the coup in 1964?
a) The fear of a communist revolution in Brazil, within the context of the Cold War, which united right-wing, military and American politicians.
b) The fear of a military invasion of Brazil by Eastern European bloc countries such as Bulgaria.
c) Jango's foreign policy, which favored south-south relations to the detriment of exchanges with the so-called developed countries.
d) The interference of the Soviet Union in Brazilian internal affairs that frightened the nationalist sectors.
Correct alternative: a) The fear of a communist revolution in Brazil, within the context of the Cold War, which united right-wing, military and American politicians.
As we can read from the text, by announcing the basic reforms, Jango would arouse fear in the elite of making a communist revolution. The Bulgarian colleague's prophetic observation, for that's exactly what happened.
question 12
Although much is said about the “Economic Miracle”, it only lasted six or seven years, in a period of 21. External debt was multiplied by 30, but major infrastructure works were built under the military.
13 Questions about the Dictatorship in Brazil, Adapted from Época Magazine, 03/31/2014. Accessed on 07.17.20.
What infrastructure work was built during the military dictatorship?
a) National Library (RJ)
b) Belo Monte Hydroelectric (PA)
c) Rio-Niterói Bridge (RJ)
d) The railroad of Tubarão (SC)
Correct alternative: c) Rio-Niterói Bridge (RJ)
The Rio-Niterói bridge, officially the Presidente Costa e Silva bridge, was built from 1969 to 1974, during the military dictatorship.
The national library was established in 1810, the Belo Monte hydroelectric plant was inaugurated in 2016 and the Tubarão railway in 1884.
question 13
Read the text below:
“We Chileans, like all peoples of the West, are fighting the dictatorships of 'isms' and foreign agents that threaten our country. We must fight them with all our strength, having as our main weapon the cooperation between the police forces of all America.”
The Nightmare of Operation Condor, Pierre Abramovici, 1 May 2001. Le Monde Diplomatique. Accessed on 07.17.20.
Operation Condor consisted of:
a) In a political coordination of Latin American military dictatorships to promote development in their countries.
b) In the interference of the United States in the internal politics of the Latin American nations that were under military regime.
c) In the exchange of information about opposition movements and even the kidnapping of people considered subversive in the countries of the Southern Cone.
d) An attempt by Chileans to dominate South America during the military mandate of General Augusto Pinochet.
Correct alternative: c) In the exchange of information about opposition movements and even the kidnapping of people considered subversive in the countries of the Southern Cone.
Police in the Southern Cone countries - Argentina, Brazil and Chile - have established an information network with each other in order to exchange data and capture people who were accused of crimes in the respective countries. Paraguay and Bolivia also collaborated in Operation Condor.
question 14
"The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) in São Paulo informed today (17) that it denounced six accused of the death of journalist Vladimir Herzog, which occurred in 1975, during the period of the regime military. (...) In October 1975, Herzog was found dead on the premises of the Information Operations Detachment (DOI/Codi) after being arrested by the military when he spontaneously presented himself."
MPF denounces six for the death of journalist Vladimir Herzog, published on 03/17/2020. André Richter, Agência Brasil. Accessed on 07.17.20.
The death of Vladimir Herzog triggered a wave of protests in the midst of the military dictatorship. Check the INCORRECT alternative on the facts that followed after his death:
a) The São Paulo journalists' union formally requested the investigation of the facts.
b) An ecumenical event in the Cathedral of São Paulo that brought together thousands of people.
c) Rabbi Henry Sobel's refusal to bury him in the suicide wing of the Jewish cemetery, contrary to the official police report.
d) The dismissal of the police officers who guarded the arrest of Vladimir Herzog.
Correct alternative: d) The dismissal of the police officers who guarded the arrest of Vladimir Herzog.
Despite popular and religious mobilization, the police who were responsible for monitoring the journalist in prison were not punished in any way.
question 15
In 1974, the singer Elis Regina recorded the song “O Mestre-sala dos Mares”, whose original title was “O Almirante Negro”, by the composer duo João Bosco and Aldir Blanc. However, the road to releasing the song was long because:
a) The first version used terms inappropriate according to the prevailing morals at the time.
b) Both composers were targeted by the dictatorship for their involvement with the Communist party.
c) The censorship did not release the lyrics, as they used terms such as “admiral” and “sailor”, which were considered inappropriate.
d) The censors implicated the fact that a black man was honored by two exponents of Brazilian Popular Music (MPB).
Correct alternative: c) The current censorship did not release the lyrics, as they used terms such as “admiral” and “sailor”, which were considered inappropriate.
The censors at the time asked that the terms "admiral" and "sailor" be removed, as they referred to the Armed Forces. Thus, they replaced it with "navigator" and "sorcerer", respectively, to circumvent censorship.
Want to know more about the Military Dictatorship? Consult these texts and continue your studies:
- Araguaia Guerrilla
- 1967 Constitution
- Condor Operation
- Questions about social movements
- questions about socialism
- Questions about globalization
- Industrial Revolution Questions
- History Questions in Enem
- Questions about the First World War
- World War II Questions
- Brazilian History Questions in Enem