page_title: Gaston, Count of Eu
section_title: End of the Brazilian monarchy
hierarchical_section_title: Gaston, Count of Eu / Later years / End of the Brazilian monarchy
caption_attribution_description: English: Gaston of Orléans, Count of Eu (first row, third from left to right), Field Marshal Deodoro da Fonesca (first row, fourth from left to right) and other Brazilian Army officers, c.1885. Português: Gaston de Orléans, Conde de Eu (primeira fila, terceiro da esquerda para a direita), Marechal Deodoro da Fonseca (primeira fila, quarto da esquerda para a direita) e outros oficiais do exército brasileiro, 1885.
context_page_description: Prince Gaston of Orleans, Count of Eu, the first son of Louis, Duke of Nemours, and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was a French prince and military commander who fought in the Spanish-Moroccan War and the Paraguayan War. Gaston was married to Princess Isabel, heiress to the Brazilian throne.
context_section_description: Gaston was one of the few eyewitnesses of the military coup d'Etát that overthrew the Empire who left written memoirs of it. His three letters – written while he was still in Rio and later aboard the ship that was taking the Imperial family to exile – gives a detailed account of the coup and are one of the main primary sources used by historians. At the night of 14 November 1889 Gaston was in Rio de Janeiro in his home making the preparations to a reception in honor of Chilean Navy officers visiting the city. A Brazilian major came to warn him of something important, but being too busy and not told of how grave the matter was, Gaston did not meet him. At 8 am of the next day, 15 November, he went to ride with his sons in Botafogo (a neighborhood in Rio) "with no preoccupation at all", in his own words. Upon his return, he read all Rio's newspapers and only one mentioned that apparently a mutiny had occurred in the Military Academy and the Cabinet had met to deal with the matter. Little did Gaston know that a rebellion among the Army corps – led by Field Marshal (nowadays Divisional General) Deodoro da Fonseca – had removed from power by force the Cabinet the night before.
  Around 9h30 and 10h a.m. Gaston was told by two officers of what had happened. Soon others, including military officers, arrived "with confusing news". Upon hearing, Gaston commented: "In this case, the monarchy has ended." Nonetheless, he dressed himself in his uniform of Marshal of the Army, hoping that it could make the rebels change theirs minds upon seeing their former commander-in-chief in Paraguay. But soon changed back to his civilian clothes when others around him suggested that it would be useless. Senator Manuel Pinto de Sousa Dantas, a former prime minister, later appeared and told him not to worry and gave his support to the monarchy. Lieutenant André Rebouças, embraced him and told of a plan he had envisioned with Major Alfredo d'Escragnolle Taunay, Viscount of Taunay, to leave to the nearby city of Petrópolis where they could resist the coup. Gaston agreed and tried to reach the telegraph central by telephone to request it to tell Emperor Pedro II to stay in Petrópolis. At that point, however, the republicans had taken control of the telegraph central. Nonetheless, a telegraph message informed them that the Emperor was arriving in Rio. Gaston sent his children to Petrópolis where he believed they would be safe.
  Gaston, his wife Isabel and many others, met Pedro II in the City Palace, located in Rio downtown. It was already afternoon and Deodoro da Fonseca as well as the other rebels had returned to their homes. Unbeknownst to Gaston, Deodoro had not overthrown the Emperor, but only the Cabinet and the rebellion seemed to be all over. Pedro II told the prince that he was going to dissolve the rebel battalions. Gaston, far more realistic, complained that the rebels would not simply put their arms down by themselves. He also urged the monarch to form a new cabinet, since the country was effectively without a government. Pedro II did not bother, and told him that he would wait for the prime minister Viscount of Ouro Preto. "But the ministers are prisoners of the rebels: how does Your Majesty wants them to able to continue to govern?", asked the Prince. No matter what Gaston or the politicians and army officers told him, Pedro II did nothing nor allowed anyone to do anything during those precious hours. Tired of waiting, Gaston requested the presence of all Counselors of State to discuss the present and serious situation. As the Emperor refused to meet them, some of the counselors simply gave up and departed.
  The ones who stood agreed to send an envoy to Deodoro to make peace with him. A major was sent and met with the rebel leader in his home at 3 am of 16 November, lying down in his bed, very sick. Deodoro told him that now was too late and he had made his mind and that the monarchy was over. And he also accused Gaston of being the one responsible for what the rebels regarded as harassment from the government against the Army. That revealed 
caption: Little did Gaston (first roll, third from left to right) know that the Republican leader, Field Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca (to his left), blamed him for the crisis between the government and insubordinate officers.
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