▁as ▁a ▁major ▁and ▁a ▁pl en ip ot enti ary ▁of ▁Dom ▁Pedro ▁I ▁of ▁Brazil . V on ▁Tsch udi , ▁p . ▁ 1 9 5 ▁This ▁mission ▁effectively ▁launched ▁the ▁German ▁em igration ▁to ▁Brazil . ▁Sch ä f fer ▁was ▁cred ited ▁with ▁bringing ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁Germ ans ▁over ▁five ▁years ▁( 1 8 2 4 – 1 8 2 8 ). ▁They ▁settled ▁in ▁rural ▁colon ies ; ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁ultimately ▁failed ▁( e . g . ▁São ▁João ▁das ▁Miss ões ), ▁others ▁( S ão ▁Leopold o , ▁Nov o ▁Hamb ur go ) ▁exist ▁to ▁date . ▁Sch ä f fer ' s ▁Germ ans ▁also ▁formed ▁the ▁core ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁foreign ▁units ▁of ▁the ▁emer ging ▁Brazil ian ▁Army : ▁all ▁un mar ried ▁men ▁landing ▁in ▁Brazil ▁faced ▁comp uls ory ▁military ▁service , ▁a ▁fact ▁that ▁Sch ä f fer ▁did ▁not ▁advert ise ▁in ▁advance ▁( his ▁German ▁rec ruits ▁had ▁to ▁sign ▁a ▁thorough ▁eight - part ▁contract ▁that ▁did ▁not ▁mention ▁the ▁draft ▁oblig ations ). ▁Carlos ▁Ober acker ▁suggested ▁that ▁militar ization ▁of ▁German ▁sett lers ▁was ▁Sch ä f fer ' s ▁own ▁proposal , ▁based ▁on ▁his ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁C oss acks . ▁ ▁Sch ä f fer ' s ▁un orth odox ▁sense ▁of ▁reality ▁back f ired ▁in ▁Brazil , ▁twice . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 7 ▁Sch ä f fer ▁returned ▁to ▁Brazil