A percepção dos oficiais da marinha sobre a Guerra do Paraguai: uma análise de conteúdo a partir da revista Navigator

Abstract

The Paraguayan War (1865-1870) was a conflict between the Triple Alliance (Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay) and Paraguay, crucial for the territorial consolidation of the countries involved and for the order in the Río de la Plata. For the Brazilian Armed Forces, the conflict marked the beginning of a political claim in society, especially by the Army, which after the war, gained significant political strength, influencing the fall of D. Pedro II and the establishment of the Republic. The Navy, with its aristocratic history and prestige, was the most important force during the imperial period. Thus, the question is: what is the perception of Brazilian Navy officers about the Paraguayan War, presented in their articles published in the Navigator Magazine in the 1970-1985 and 2005-2023 cycles? It is believed that there is an attempt to recover the political and social relevance of the Navy through scientific publications, which will be verified through the content analysis of the articles to understand the perception of the Paraguayan War by Navy officers and the construction of memory to highlight its political role. The "Navigator Magazine" aims to create maritime awareness in Brazilian society. Restarted in 2005, it has 37 volumes. Its first cycle, with 20 volumes, was published between 1970 and 1985. In the initial cycle, the magazine focused on the history of the Brazilian Navy for its members, while in the second cycle, it sought to expand national maritime awareness, involving all interested parties. The content analysis of the articles reveals a greater focus on technologies, biographies of icons of the Brazilian Navy and its participation in wars, especially the Paraguayan War, highlighting the political and social role of the institution. Previously, the magazine seemed to educate about the political value of the Navy, during the hegemony of the Army. It was concluded that the hypothesis was partially confirmed. The perception of senior officers of the Brazilian Navy regarding the Paraguayan War demonstrates that there is a sense of pride in the institution regarding its participation in the conflict, which led to the construction of their texts in a way that extols it, as well as emphasizes the participation of the Force in it. This differentiated, specific perception pointed to the attempt to construct a national political memory in which the Brazilian Navy begins to play a more prominent role, but not in the forceful way that was conjectured at the beginning of the work