The Portuguese Revolution of 1974. Were Colonial Wars the biggest factor?

Seminar paper from the year 2019 in the subject History Europe - Other Countries - European Postwar Period, grade: A*, University of Worcester, language: English, abstract: This paper assesses the different viewpoints on what caused the Carnation Revolution in 1974. Palmowski argues that it was the economic backwardness of the country which caused discontent among the working and middle-classes. Christopher Reed, on the other hand, argues that the brutal methods of torture and appalling treatment of prisoners and suspected criminals by the secret police - International and State Defence Police (PIDE) is to blame. This view is supported by historians such a Thomas C. Bruneau and Steven C. Boraz who argue that in a truly democratic society, the tensions arising from intelligence can never be resolved.

Another alternative view which suggests that the growing international tensions in the context of the 1960¿s and 1970¿s may have contributed to the overthrow of Marcello Caetano on the 25th April 1974. The cold war showed no sign of slowing down and both the western and eastern countries were attempting to expand their spheres of influence. Portugal, due to its isolationist stance that it had taken since Antonio Salazar had taken full control of the country in 1932, was a victim to its sphere of influence being hindered by both the Soviets and the U.S.A. For the historian R. H Chilcote, however, it is clear that the overall factor that had the biggest impact on causing the Carnation revolution of 1974 was the Colonial wars in the overseas provinces of Portugal, the first of which started in Angola in February 1963 with Mariäs war.