18 of the Copacabana Fort revolt The 18 of the Copacabana Fort revolt happened on July 5 , 1922 , in the city of Rio de Janeiro , then Federal District of Brazil . It was the first revolt of the " tenentista " movement , in the context of the Brazilian Old Republic . Tenentismo . Tenentismo is the political - military movement and various rebellions of young officers ( most were lieutenants ) of the Brazilian army that happened during 1920 ’ s . They asked for reforms in the power structure , and amongst these reforms were the end of the cabresto vote ( a tool of political control through many ways such as abuse of authority , buying of votes , use of public institutions , violence , ghost voting , exchange of favors , and fraud ) , the institution of a secret ballot , and the reform of public education . The Army . The army saw itself as the only force capable of saving the Republic from the old elite which commanded the country . As a result , the movement was for one part only of society , the army , and this isolated the Tenentista movement from the rest of the society . Reasons for the revolt . On October 3 , 1919 , a civilian - João Pandiá Calógeras - was designated as War Minister for the first time in the history of the Brazilian Republic . He held this post until November 15 , 1922 . The president who named Calógeras to this post was Epitácio Pessoa , who was president from 1919 to 1922 . In 1921 , the " Correio da Manhã ( Brazil ) | " , a Brazilian newspaper published in Rio de Janeiro from 1901 to 1974 , published letters supposedly written by Artur Bernardes ( Brazilian president from 1922 to 1926 ) who assumed the post after João Pandiá Calógeras , and Raul Soares , a Brazilian politician who was Navy Minister during Epitácio Pessoa ’ s government and Secretary of the Interior during Artur Bernardes ’ government . These letters included insults to the Army and to the Marshal Hermes da Fonseca ( Brazilian president from 1910 to 1914 ) and the most important figure in the Army during Epitácio Pessoa ’ s and Artur Bernardes ’ governments . Later , it was found that the signatures in the letters were forged . In 1922 , Artur Bernardes ( supposed author of the letters published in 1921 ) won the Presidential elections . The Militar Club , a traditional military college in Rio de Janeiro , and Borges de Medeiros , a famous Brazilian politician and lawyer , asked for the creation of a court to review this result . But the elections were recognized by the Congress . In June 1922 , Epitácio Pessoa intervened in the state of Pernambuco ’ s elections , and this act was strongly criticized by Marshal Hermes da Fonseca . As a reaction , Epitácio ordered Marshal Hermes da Fonseca ’ s arrest and the closure of the Militar Club . The Copacabana Fort revolt . The revolt was supposed to include many military bases , but only Fort Copacabana , at Copacabana , some marginal elements from the Military village , Vigia Fort , the Realengo Military School , the 1st Engineering Battalion , navy and army members , and the 1st Military Division revolted . This happened because the government received the notice that the revolt would happen and removed the crucial people from the most important military bases . The Fort Copacabana rebels fired their cannons against many important government and military bases during the early morning of the 5th . During the rest of the day , the fort was bombed . In the early morning of the 6th , the Captain Euclides da Cunha and the Lieutenant Siqueira Campos allowed the soldiers to escape if they wanted to ; 273 of 301 left the Fort . Meanwhile , a destroyer and two battleships took up positions near the Fort and started to shell it . Captain Euclides Hermes left to negotiate , but he was arrested . The government ’ s last word was an order to the rebels to either surrender or be destroyed . Then , those inside the Fort cut a Brazilian flag in 29 pieces , one for each rebel , and decided to march to the Catete Palace , head office of the Executive Power . Most of them dispersed and only 18 were left ( a civilian joined then to form this number ) . Reduced to 10 men ( after some deaths ) , they fought the loyalist troop - about 3 , 000 men ) . Only the Lieutenants Siqueira Campos and Eduardo Gomes survived . What was reported in some newspapers . " As forças que estão sitiando o forte de Copacabana , sob o comando do general Menna Barreto , tiveram ordem do governo para enviarem um ' ultimatum ' à fortaleza , intimando - a a render - se dentro de uma hora . Em caso contrário será bombardeada por forças legais de terra e navios de guerra . " " O Combate " , 5 July 1922 . " Na Villa Militar só houve um pequeno movimento subversivo , imediatamente abafado . Um pelotão , às ordens de um tenente , atirou contra a sala onde estavam reunidos os oficiais . O capitão da companhia a que pertencia esse pelotão , de nome Barbosa Monteiro , oficial de extraordinário valor moral e intelectual , saiu ao encontro dos soldados sublevados e recebeu uma descarga que o fez tomar morto . O pelotão , imediatamente cercado pelo resto da companhia , que acudiu , foi , com seu comandante , feito prisioneiro e desarmado . ( . . . ) " " A União " , 9 July 1922 . " - Nunca desejei e nunca pensei ter de assinar um ato como este , mas agora o faço gostosamente , certo de que estou prestando um serviço à República e às instituições . " " A Pátria " , 6 July 1922 .