ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the military coups and countercoups are the normal processes for changing government and personnel. In some other countries (South Korea, the Philippines, Uruguay), civilian regimes have abrogated the constitution with the support of the military. Societies in which civil institutions—the processes by which leaders are selected and decisions are made—are weak and have little support from politically significant groups are "praetorian." The Spanish colonial system combined civilian and military authority in the same office. Brazil's experience with militarism has been different, although the results are hard to distinguish from those of its Spanish neighbors. This had at least two important consequences. First, Emperor Pedro II was generally acceptable to the Brazilians, including the army officers. Second, not being a republic, Brazil had no elections to choose the head of state and thus no losing presidential candidate to cry fraud and lead a revolt in the highly stylized manner of Spanish America.
