At the on June 11th, Brazilian Navy Day is celebrated, which constitutes one of the three main military institutions that make up the Brazilian Armed Forces, alongside the Army and the Air Force. But why was this day chosen for such a celebration? What was special on that date? The choice of this date is related to the ambience of the Paraguay War, the biggest war ever in the South America, in which Brazil participated.
Read too: November 19 – Flag Day
Origin of Brazilian Navy Day
In day June 11, 1865, the Brazilian war squadron fought a battle on the bed of the Riachuelo river against Paraguayan ships. The main Brazilian commander of this battle was Francisco Manuel Barroso, better known as Almirante Barroso, who had already fought in other naval battles, such as those of the War against the Cisplatin Provinces, at the time when Dom Pedro I was emperor.
On the Paraguayan side, commander of the squadron was commander Ignacio Meza, who was one of the main soldiers of Paraguayan dictator Solano Lopez.
Admiral Barroso's victory brought the Brazil the domain of river communications and full control over adjacent rivers such as Paraná and Paraguay. This control was important because, at the same time, it limited the actions of the dictator Solano Lopez and guaranteed Brazil an economic future linked to the flow of products through rivers.![Naval Battle of Riachuelo – work based on the painting by Victor Meirelles.[1]](/f/f673d2c46f437a001ca3525cab1d1c81.jpg)
THE Battle of the Riachuelo, as it became known, resulted in a series of unforeseen events and major strategic maneuvers and affirmed the Brazilian Navy as a important power in South America, having been created in the 18th century, specifically in the year 1736, by King João V, of Portugal. The impact of this battle became even more popular in the late 19th century, due to the painting carried out by Victor Meirelles, an artist who, by the way, also painted other episodes of the Brazilian history that became emblematic on his canvases, such as the Battle of Avaí (also fought during the War of the Paraguay).
With the advent of the Republic in 1889, the combatants of the Paraguayan War, such as Osório, Duque de Caxias and Almirante Barroso himself, became heroes of the nation and military institutions gained notoriety and a day for their celebration, always associated with some milestone of memory. The day reserved for the Navy is June 11, in memory of the event of 1856.
Image credit
[1] Oscar Pereira da Silva / commons
By Me. Cláudio Fernandes
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/datas-comemorativas/dia-da-marinha-brasileira.htm