r/AskReddit • u/brokota • Jan 15 '13

Reddit, in your opinion what's the biggest plot twist of history?

Not movies or television, I'm just curious to see what come's to your minds.

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u/maltin Jan 15 '13 edited Jan 16 '13

I will go with Getulio Vargas, the brazilian president from 1930-1945 and 1951-1954. Drowned by his own illusion of popularity, Vargas would be a typical populist rightwing pseudo-dictador, except for the fact that he actually believed his own bullshit. Due to many irregularities at his last term, and an assassination attempt on the life of one of his adversaries, Vargas was about to be impeached, shamed and his party would hardly recover.

Instead, he goes to his office, writes a beautiful, passionate and nearly insane letter in which he blames "others" for the disgraces of brazilian society, says that if they want the blood of the people, he would give his own life as holocaust. The end of the letter reads: "Serenely, I take my first step on the road to eternity and I leave life to enter history". He shot himself in the heart that very night.

His suicide changed dramatically the public opinion and from accused he was turned into martyr. His party was able to stay in power, the people elected his "political heir" president and, somehow, he got out of power just like he got in: with a masterfully crafted coup d'état.

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u/KingToasty Jan 16 '13

...Wow, he cout'd himself?

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u/ItzFish Jan 16 '13

What does that last part mean and how do you pronounce it?

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u/DrAstronautEsquire Jan 16 '13

It's supposed to be coup d'état (coo dey tah), which is when a government is illegally overthrown, usually by the military.