Bombing of São Paulo

[[File:Bateria Krupp de 75 mm.jpg|thumb|Loading of a 75mm Krupp battery|left]]

[[File:Bateria Krupp de 75 mm.jpg|thumb|Loading of a 75mm Krupp battery|left]]

105mm Krupp guns from 1910 fired fifteen kilogram shells in direct and indirect fire up to four miles away. Each shell could damage structures or, due to shrapnel, kill people within 400 meters of the hit point.{{sfn|Parreira|2019|p=10}} The army's most powerful artillery pieces were the 155 mm howitzers, 1917 model, by Schneider, whose shots had a range of up to eleven kilometers, and could kill a person within a 600-meter radius from the hit point.{{sfn|Parreira|2019|p=20}}{{sfn|Costa|Góis|1924|p=193}}{{sfn|Fortes|2000|p=62}}

105mm Krupp guns from 1910 fired fifteen kilogram shells in direct and [[indirect fire]] up to four miles away. Each shell could damage structures or, due to shrapnel, kill people within 400 meters of the hit point.{{sfn|Parreira|2019|p=10}} The army's most powerful artillery pieces were the 155 mm howitzers, 1917 model, by Schneider, whose shots had a range of up to eleven kilometers, and could kill a person within a 600-meter radius from the hit point.{{sfn|Parreira|2019|p=20}}{{sfn|Costa|Góis|1924|p=193}}{{sfn|Fortes|2000|p=62}}

The army's infantry had guns of lesser firepower to directly accompany their attacks: Stokes mortars and 37mm Puteaux revolver-cannons.{{sfn|Costa|Góis|1924|p=193-194}} The 37 mm guns had an effective range of 1,500 meters.{{sfn|Reolon|2020|p=45}} The [[Brazilian Navy]] also contributed 16 small-caliber rapid-fire cannons, installed in railway wagons at the Companhia Docas de Santos' workshops. They were 38mm Nordenfelt, 47mm Armstrong, and 57mm Nordenfelt models, taken from the [[Naval School (Brazil)|Naval Academy]] and navy battleships.{{sfn|Mendonça|1997|p=105}} This railway artillery was used to attack Mooca through the tracks of the [[São Paulo Railway Company]].{{sfn|Cabanas|2014|p=45}}

The army's infantry had guns of lesser firepower to directly accompany their attacks: Stokes mortars and 37mm Puteaux revolver-cannons.{{sfn|Costa|Góis|1924|p=193-194}} The 37 mm guns had an effective range of 1,500 meters.{{sfn|Reolon|2020|p=45}} The [[Brazilian Navy]] also contributed 16 small-caliber rapid-fire cannons, installed in railway wagons at the Companhia Docas de Santos' workshops. They were 38mm Nordenfelt, 47mm Armstrong, and 57mm Nordenfelt models, taken from the [[Naval School (Brazil)|Naval Academy]] and navy battleships.{{sfn|Mendonça|1997|p=105}} This railway artillery was used to attack Mooca through the tracks of the [[São Paulo Railway Company]].{{sfn|Cabanas|2014|p=45}}

Representatives of São Paulo's elite mediated negotiations between the conflicting sides,{{sfn|Castro|2022|p=183}} fearing the radicalization of the revolt. In the evaluation of Macedo Soares, "the annihilation of the industrial power of S. Paulo continues every day, by the destructive effect of the shells, and by the devouring flames of the fires. The workers are already agitating and Bolshevik aspirations are openly manifested".{{sfn|Silva|1971|p=378}}{{sfn|Castro|2022|p=220, 258}}{{sfn|Assunção|2014|p=102}}

Representatives of São Paulo's elite mediated negotiations between the conflicting sides,{{sfn|Castro|2022|p=183}} fearing the radicalization of the revolt. In the evaluation of Macedo Soares, "the annihilation of the industrial power of S. Paulo continues every day, by the destructive effect of the shells, and by the devouring flames of the fires. The workers are already agitating and Bolshevik aspirations are openly manifested".{{sfn|Silva|1971|p=378}}{{sfn|Castro|2022|p=220, 258}}{{sfn|Assunção|2014|p=102}}

Macedo Soares obtained a commitment from general Isidoro not to use his artillery, as long as the loyalists did the same. Soares formed a commission together with the mayor and Dom Duarte Leopoldo e Silva, the metropolitan archbishop, Vergueiro Steidel, president of the Nationalist League, and [[Júlio de Mesquita]], director of ''[[O Estado de S. Paulo|O Estado de São Paulo]]'', to ask the president of Brazil to stop the bombing, due to the harm it caused to the population of São Paulo.{{sfn|Silva|1971|p=372}}{{sfn|Santos|2019|p=18-19}} The mayor telephoned president Artur Bernardes, who, in turn, consulted governor Carlos de Campos. In the governor's opinion, "São Paulo would rather see its beautiful capital destroyed than legality in Brazil destroyed". The president thought the same, confiding to another interlocutor: "If São Paulo is destroyed at the price of preserving the rule of law, this destruction is justified".{{sfn|Assunção|2014|p=120-121}}{{sfn|Costa|Góis|1924|p=90}}{{sfn|Doria|2016|loc=cap. 20}} On 12 July, the office of Minister of War Setembrino de Carvalho responded to a telegram from the delegation from São Paulo:{{sfn|Costa|Góis|1924|p=91-92}}

Macedo Soares obtained a commitment from general Isidoro not to use his artillery, as long as the loyalists did the same. Soares formed a commission together with the mayor and Dom Duarte Leopoldo e Silva, the metropolitan archbishop, Vergueiro Steidel, president of the Nationalist League, and [[Júlio de Mesquita]], director of ''[[O Estado de S. Paulo|O Estado de São Paulo]]'', to ask the president of Brazil to stop the bombing, due to the harm it caused to the population of São Paulo.{{sfn|Silva|1971|p=372}}{{sfn|Santos|2019|p=18-19}} The mayor telephoned president Artur Bernardes, who, in turn, consulted governor Carlos de Campos. In the governor's opinion, "São Paulo would rather see its beautiful capital destroyed than legality in Brazil destroyed". The president thought the same, confiding to another interlocutor: "If São Paulo is destroyed at the price of preserving the [[rule of law]], this destruction is justified".{{sfn|Assunção|2014|p=120-121}}{{sfn|Costa|Góis|1924|p=90}}{{sfn|Doria|2016|loc=cap. 20}} On 12 July, the office of Minister of War Setembrino de Carvalho responded to a telegram from the delegation from São Paulo:{{sfn|Costa|Góis|1924|p=91-92}}

{{Blockquote|text=We cannot wage war constrained by the duty of not using artillery against the enemy, who would take advantage of this circumstance, causing us incomparably more serious damage than the damage caused by bombing. The material damage caused by a bombing can be easily repaired (...) But moral damage is not susceptible to repair (...) I can, however, assure Your Excellency and other fellow citizens that our troops will not cause useless material damage to the beautiful and flourishing city of São Paulo, otherwise they will use artillery to the strict extent of military needs.}}

{{Blockquote|text=We cannot wage war constrained by the duty of not using artillery against the enemy, who would take advantage of this circumstance, causing us incomparably more serious damage than the damage caused by bombing. The material damage caused by a bombing can be easily repaired (...) But moral damage is not susceptible to repair (...) I can, however, assure Your Excellency and other fellow citizens that our troops will not cause useless material damage to the beautiful and flourishing city of São Paulo, otherwise they will use artillery to the strict extent of military needs.}}

The consuls of Portugal, Italy and Spain, concerned about the damage to immigrants, went to Guaiaúna, where general Sócrates presented his idea: the rebels would deliver a map with the position of their troops, and thus the government artillery would no longer hit the population. The proposal was insincere, and the rebels would not reveal their positions.{{sfn|Doria|2016|loc=cap. 20}}{{sfn|Costa|Góis|1924|p=98}}

The consuls of Portugal, Italy and Spain, concerned about the damage to immigrants, went to Guaiaúna, where general Sócrates presented his idea: the rebels would deliver a map with the position of their troops, and thus the government artillery would no longer hit the population. The proposal was insincere, and the rebels would not reveal their positions.{{sfn|Doria|2016|loc=cap. 20}}{{sfn|Costa|Góis|1924|p=98}}