Venceslau Brás Pereira Gomes (vẽsesˈlaw ˈbras peˈrejrɐ ˈɡomis; February 26, 1868 – May 15, 1966) was a Brazilian politician. Brás was born in Brasópolis (formerly São Caetano da Vargem Grande), Minas Gerais

Minas Gerais

Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...

 State. He became governor of that state in 1909, and in 1910 he was elected vice-president under Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca

Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca

Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca was a Brazilian soldier and politician. The nephew of Deodoro da Fonseca, the first Brazilian President, he was the country's Minister of War in 1906...

. He was elected president in 1914 and served until 1918. He declared war on the German Empire

German Empire

The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...

 in 1917 during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. He was the longest-lived Brazilian president, reaching 98 years of age.