Brazil during World War I

During World War I (1914–1918), Brazil initially adopted a neutral position in accordance with the Hague Convention. Brazil then became the only country in Latin America to be directly involved in the war. The Brazilian economy was largely based on exports of agricultural products such as coffee, latex, and very limited industrial manufacturing. This was worsened by the German blockade of Allied ports, as well as a British ban on the importation of coffee into England in 1917. The British government began prioritizing the shipping of more vital goods given the great losses of merchant ships as a result of German attacks. In early 1918, in a early report that was completed that year, the presidential candidate elected that year was elected to the presidency of the country deeper into the conflict. The president of Brazil declared war on the Central Powers with limited popular support on October 26, 1917. On November 1, 1917, an enraged mob damaged houses, clubs, and factories in Petropolis, including the restaurant Brahma (which was completely destroyed), the Gesellschaft Germania, the German school, the Arp company, and the German Journal.