Brazilian Integralism - Character

Character

In its outward forms, Integralism looked as a copy of European Fascism: a green-shirted paramilitary organization with uniformed ranks, highly regimented street demonstrations, and rhetoric against Marxism and liberalism. However, it differed markedly from it in specific ideology: a prolific writer before turning political leader, Salgado interpreted human history at large as an opposition between "materialism" – understood by him as the normal operation of natural laws guided by blind necessity – and "spiritualism": the belief in God, in the immortality of the soul, and in the conditioning of individual existence to superior, eternal goals. Salgado advocated, therefore, the harnessing of individual interest to values such as pity, self-donation and concern to others. For him, human history consisted of the eternal struggle of the human spirit against the laws of nature, as expressed by the atheism of modern society in the twin forms of liberalism and socialism - capitalist competition leading eventually to the merger of private capitals in a single state-owned economy. Therefore the fact that the integralists favoured nationalism as a shared spiritual identity, in a context of heterogeneous and tolerant nation influenced by "Christian virtues" – such virtues being concretely enforced by means of an authoritarian government enforcing compulsory political activity under the guidance of an acknowledged leader. Integralism, therefore, had as its specific character the religious, traditional Catholic roots of its totalitarian ideology – something akin to the contemporary Irish blueshirts. Like the European Fascists, Integralists were essentially middle class. In particular, they drew support from military officers, especially in the Brazilian Navy.

Integralism being a mass movement, there were marked differences in ideology among its leaders under the influence of various international fascist and quasi-fascist contemporary movements, as in the issue of anti-Semitism: Salgado was more or less indifferent to it, while Gustavo Barroso, the party's chief doctrinnaire after Salgado, was known for his militant antisemitic views, being the translator into Portuguese of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, as well as the author of various antisemitic works of his own (Judaism, Freemasonry and Communism; Sinagogues in São Paulo). This led to at least two serious ruptures in the movement: one in 1935 and the other, 1936, when Plínio almost renounced leadership of the movement.

One of the most important principles in an Integralist's life was the "Internal Revolution", or "Revolution of the Self", through which a man was encouraged to stop thinking only for himself, and instead start to integrate into the idea of a giant integralist family - becoming one with the Homeland, while also leaving behind selfish and "evil" values.