brazil–u.s. interactions increased during world war ii. in 1942, during the first getúlio vargas presidential mandate (1930–1945), brazil made some contributions to the allies—the united states, the soviet union, and the united kingdom—against the axis powers. this led to the creation of the joint brazil–u.s. defense commission, which was chaired by james garesche ord and worked to strengthen military ties between the two countries, reducing the likelihood of axis attacks on us shipping as soldiers traveled across the atlantic to africa and europe, and minimizing the influence of the axis in south america.