The Brazilian coup of 1964 was essentially the overthrow of President João Goulart by the military with the support of the US government. The coup began on March 31, 1964 and was defeated the next day, April 1. After which, the army would rule the nation until 1985. Goulart was elected vice-president of Brazil under the presidency of Jânio Quadros. In 1961, due to various pressures within the government and the military, Quadros resigned and eventually Goulart came to power. Goulart was a nationalist and leftist and therefore posed a threat to the United States government. The Brazilian president integrated communist politicians into his government, took a neutral stance during the Cold War, associated himself with socialist nations, supported nationalist military personnel rather than pro-American personnel, and carried out economic reforms that would have an impact on multinational companies. These factors led Goulart to lose popularity among the upper class and in Washington. With the support of the U.S. government, both financially and eventually in arms, Brazilian military commanders managed to depose Goulart, who then fled to take refuge in Uruguay. Although the CIA declassified some documents and recordings of the coup, it did not release a large amount of information. It is therefore quite difficult to analyze the major role played by Washington.João GoulartJoão Goulart was born on March 1, 1918 in the town of Itacurubi. His parents were Vicentina Marques Goulart, a housewife, and Vicente Rodrigues Goulart, a rancher. At the time of his birth, Goulart was barely surviving due to poor medical care. Goulart's father, Vicente, placed great emphasis on education and ensured that João completed high school and later studied law. In 1939, he finally graduated...... middle of paper ......e. Np, and Web. May 23, 2014. "The 'Made in Brazil' Coup of 1964 and America's Emergency Support Plan if the Plot Failed." » MicroPress. Np, and Web. May 23, 2014. Smitha, Frank. “Brazil from 1945 to the overthrow of Goulart in 1964.” Macrohistory. Np, and Web. May 23, 2014. .Weiner, Tim. Legacy of Ashes: The Secret History of the CIA. London: Allen Lane, 2007. Print.Wikipedia Contributors. “Joao Goulart.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, May 23. 2014. Internet. May 24. 2014. Wikipedia Contributors. “Brazilian Coup of 1964”. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, May 18. 2014. Internet. May 24. 2014. Wikipedia Contributors. “Brazilian military government.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, May 14. 2014. Internet. May 24. 2014.