Introduction

Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira was born in São Paulo, Brazil, in 1908. He received his doctorate in Law from the Law School of the University of São Paulo. He is Professor of the History of Civilization at the University College of the University of São Paulo and Professor of Modern and Contemporary History in the Colleges of São Bento and Sedes Sapientiae of the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo.

He has distinguished himself since his youth as an orator, lecturer and Catholic journalist. He wrote regularly for the Catholic weekly Legionario and now writes for the monthly Catolicismo and the large daily newspaper Folha de S. Paulo.

In 1960 he founded the Brazilian Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) and has been President of its National Council ever since.

TFPs and similar autonomous organizations were later founded in twelve other countries in the Americas and Europe, inspired by the book Revolution and Counterrevolution and other works of Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira.

Episodes of little importance can sometimes clarify and explain all the aspects of an intricate situation. This, which is seen so frequently in novels, also happens in real life. This study arose from one of these episodes.