The founders of the Brazilian republic face a serious question of legitimacy.

How can an illegal, treasonous act establish a legal political order?

The officers who had joined Field Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca in ending the empire were violating solemn oaths to uphold emperor and empire.

The officer corps will eventually resolve the contradiction by linking its duty and destiny to Brazil, the motherland, rather than to transitory governments.

In addition, the republic has been born rather accidentally: Deodoro had intended only to replace the cabinet, but the republicans had manipulated him into fathering a republic.