The Use of Airplanes in the Princesa Revolt

Abstract

The article examines the Princesa Revolt, an insurrection that took place in Paraíba in 1930, led by José Pereira Lima against the government of João Pessoa. The revolt was notable for the use of airplanes, which, although they did not carry out effective bombings, were employed as a psychological strategy to intimidate the rebels. The government of Paraíba threatened to bomb the city of Princesa but ultimately only dropped a leaflet urging surrender. The lack of adequate aviation infrastructure in the region and the improvisation of the pilots highlight the adventurous nature of the operation. The article concludes that, despite the military ineffectiveness, the use of airplanes in the revolt anticipated practices that would become common in the Brazilian Air Force.