Um olhar histórico geográfico sobre a guerra fria e sua influência na indústria armamentista no mundo e no Brasil

Abstract

The Cold War between the USA and the USSR was undoubtedly one of the turbulent periods in contemporary human history (1945-1991). Both sides compromised their economies and policies in an insane arms race, creating a veritable 'war universe' where men and resources lived in preparation for war. In this way, American liberalism and Russian socialism ideologically clashed for global control after World War II. However, the American ideological victory masked important transformations in the global military-industrial complex: while during the Cold War it was dominated almost entirely by the two superpowers, by the end of the 1990s, the arms market opened up strongly for a competitive reintegration of the European defense industry. Regarding Brazil, the establishment of the Aerospace Technical Center (CTA) marked the initial milestone of the Brazilian arms industry. Starting in 1964, the military began to promote the rearmament of the Armed Forces. The domestic production of weapons was then encouraged, and the Permanent Group for Industrial Mobilization (GPMI) was created, with the priority of stimulating domestic entrepreneurs to enter the field of arms production. Despite the small share of the Brazilian defense industry in global exports of this sector, Brazil was ranked as the 12th largest military power in the world among 155 countries by the Global Firepower (GFP) in 2023. However, the indiscriminate access to weapons in Brazil today prioritizes profit over the well-being of society.