South American dreadnought race
An early 20th-century naval arms competition among Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, driven by orders for powerful battleships known as dreadnoughts.
Dreadnought: A battleship type introduced by HMS Dreadnought in 1906, distinguished by an all-big-gun main armament and turbine propulsion. The new battleship design made earlier fleets appear obsolete and set the competition’s terms.
Rivadavia-class battleship: An Argentine battleship class comprising Rivadavia and Moreno, built in the United States and commissioned in 1914. Argentina ordered this class to match Brazil’s new battleships.
ABC powers: A name for Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, especially in discussions of their regional diplomacy. The three states later pursued diplomatic cooperation alongside their naval rivalry.
Minas Geraes: A Brazilian dreadnought commissioned in 1910, first of the Minas Geraes class. Its commissioning made Brazil the first South American state with a modern dreadnought.
Brazilian battleship Riachuelo: A Brazilian battleship ordered from Britain in 1883 and commissioned in 1889. Brazil’s earlier naval modernization formed a backdrop to its later dreadnought ambitions.
Almirante Latorre-class battleship: A Chilean battleship class comprising Almirante Latorre and Almirante Cochrane, ordered from Britain before World War I. Chile’s orders completed the three-way competition, though one ship was sold to Britain.
Pact of the ABC: A 1915 agreement among Argentina, Brazil, and Chile intended to facilitate peaceful settlement of disputes. The agreement illustrates a turn toward cooperation among the states that had competed at sea.
São Paulo: A Brazilian dreadnought commissioned in 1910 and sister ship of Minas Geraes. Its service alongside Minas Geraes gave substance to Brazil’s early lead.
Minas Geraes-class battleship: A Brazilian battleship class comprising Minas Geraes and São Paulo, built in Britain and commissioned in 1910. Brazil’s order for this class began the South American dreadnought competition.
HMS Agincourt: A British dreadnought originally built for Brazil as Rio de Janeiro, sold to the Ottoman Empire, and seized by Britain in 1914. Its changing buyers show how orders could be redirected during the rivalry.