Floriano Peixoto

Floriano Peixoto was a Brazilian soldier and politician, who served as the second president of Brazil from 1891 to 1894. He was a veteran of the Paraguayan War, where he fought as a lieutenant and later as a colonel. He was also one of the leaders of the military coup that overthrew Emperor Pedro II and proclaimed the Republic in 1889. He became the vice president of the first republican government, headed by Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca, and also the minister of war. He assumed the presidency after Fonseca resigned in 1891, amid a political and economic crisis. He faced several armed rebellions from monarchists, federalists, and naval officers, but he managed to defeat them all with his iron-fisted rule, earning him the nickname of the Iron Marshal. He also reformed the constitution, the judiciary, the army, and the civil service. He did not run for re-election in 1894, and peacefully handed over power to his successor, Prudente de Morais. He died in 1895, at the age of 56, from natural causes. He is regarded as one of the most influential and controversial figures in Brazilian history, praised for his patriotism and courage, but also criticized for his authoritarianism and violence.