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In 1897, at least 15,000 people died when the Brazilian army crushed a rebellion by peasants in the arid backlands of north-east Brazil. The rebels were led by a charismatic preacher called Anthony the Counsellor. The War of Canudos is now seen as a defining moment in the emergence of modern Brazil. Witness tells the story of the conflict using a contemporary account by the Brazilian author, Euclides Da Cunha. The programme also speaks to professor David Treece of King's College London.

(Photo: Survivors of the War of Canudos pictured shortly after the final assault)