After April 25th people began occupying empty property, unwilling to wait for governmental action. [citation needed]. A short history of the revolution in Portugal in which an army rebellion overthrew the fascist dictatorship. Before April 1974, the intractable Portuguese Colonial War in Africa consumed up to 40 percent of the Portuguese budget. two coups happened after the revolution. He adopted a slogan of "continuous evolution", suggesting reforms of Salazar's system. Get this from a library! It commemorates the 25 April 1974 coup and Portugal's first free elections on that date the following year. Twenty months later, with Portugal on the brink of civil war and Angola plunged into fratricidal warfare, it is surprising anyone should have been so sanguine. TAP workers had a history of militancy. In January and April 2009 two libcom news articles were published[1] reporting that the Maoist-led government had expressed their intention to use legislation to ban strikes in some industries.... D.D. But armed workers set up roadblocks to stop reactionaries moving on Lisbon. Prime Minister José Sócrates' cabinet was unable to foresee or forestall this when symptoms first appeared in 2005, and could not ameliorate the situation when the Portugal was on the verge of bankruptcy in 2011 and required financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund and the European Union. If you'd like to upload content to the library which is in line with the aims of the site or will otherwise be of interest to libcom users, please check out our guides to submitting library/history articles and tagging articles. The working class however was unperturbed by this. This was followed by the independence of Cape Verde, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and Angola in 1975. In 1975 (the year of greatest revolutionary turmoil), Portugal's per-capita GDP declined to 52.3 percent of the EEC average. [9] Red is the colour of socialism and communism, the ideological tendencies of many anti-Estado Novo insurgents. Its leaders, Salazar and Caetano, were accused of being oblivious to what Harold Macmillan called the wind of change in Africa. [citation needed] The war in the colonies was becoming increasingly unpopular in Portugal, and the military insurgency gained momentum. [37], A January 2011 story in the Diário de Notícias (a Portuguese tabloid newspaper) reported that the government of Portugal encouraged overspending and investment bubbles in public-private partnerships between 1974 and 2010, and the economy has been damaged by risky credit, public debt creation and mismanaged European structural and cohesion funds for almost four decades. Portugal was the most underdeveloped country in Europe. Over the next few years Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Cape Verde Islands, Sao Tome and Principe, and Angola all became independent. [34][35], In 1960, Portugal's per-capita GDP was 38 percent of the European Economic Community average. One of the most significant of the strikes was within TAP, the semi-state airline. [citation needed], The war had a profound impact on the country. Portugal experienced a turbulent period, known as the Processo Revolucionário Em Curso (Ongoing Revolutionary Process). This government was a coalition that included the Socialist Party and the Communist Party. They worked for half of the year and were unemployed for the rest of it. Portugal experienced a turbulent period, known as the Processo Revolucionário Em Curso (Ongoing Revolutionary Process). Land Occupations Portugal joined the European Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor to the European Union (EU), in 1986. Between 1945-74, however, three generations of right-wing militants in Portuguese schools were guided by a revolutionary nationalism partially influenced by European neo-fascism. No need to register, buy now! In response to the housing crisis people began to organise collectively. They had to make a profit and members received different wages. This showed their very limited idea of what workers are capable of. Left-wing activists began returning from exile, and new political parties sprouted up. Party members, often times well practised at public speaking and debating, got elected to key positions on the committees and then used them as a platform for their own particular political propaganda. In older working-class and lower-middle-class areas Autonomous Revolutionary Neighbourhood Committees were set up. The revolution led to independence for the remaining overseas territories, as well as the restoration of democracy after a two-year transition period. The coup had two secret signals. At the time 400,000 people were unemployed. Another organisation set up was the Federation of Shanty Town Committees. The Aftermath of Portugal's Revolution Is Expensive. ▶ Use the site private messaging system ▶ Get 'recent posts' refreshed more regularly [full citation needed] In January 1976, The government pledged to restore the illegally-occupied land to its owners in 1976, and enacted the Land Reform Review Law the following year. These changes evolved during (and after) a two-year transitional period known as Processo Revolucionário Em Curso (PREC, Ongoing Revolutionary Process), which was characterised by social turmoil and power disputes between left- and right-wing political forces. The movement was aided by other Portuguese army officers who supported Spínola and democratic civil and military reform. Sie erreichten jedoch nur selten ein größeres Publikum. 260 families from a shantytown in Lisbon moved into an empty apartment block near the city. At the time 400,000 people were unemployed. At the same time one third of Portugal's population worked as agricultural labourers. Unrest within the MFA between leftist forces (often close to the Communist Party) and more-moderate groups (often allied with the Socialists) eventually led to the group's splintering and dissolution. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17], Many left-wing students and anti-war activists were forced to leave Portugal to escape conscription, imprisonment and torture by government forces. The ANP, DGS and other state agencies would be disbanded. The Carnation Revolution also led to Portugal's withdrawal from East Timor in south-east Asia. Several military officers who opposed the war formed the MFA to overthrow the government in a military coup. By a treaty signed on 31 December 1974, Portugal recognised the incorporation of former Portuguese India into the Indian Republic. Workers found the need for more democratic and independent ways of organising. A strange notion of democracy! The MFA was headed by Vítor Alves, Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho and Vasco Lourenço, and was joined later by Salgueiro Maia. The new Minister for Labour, a Communist Party member, called on the workers to resume work while CP rank and filers opposed the strike within TAP. ON 26 APRIL, the MFA announced that a ‘junta of national salvation’ would rule until a provisional civil government was formed, with elections within a year. Portuguese Diary 2: 1976 - Maurice Brinton. SILVER - Portugal 100 Escudos, 1976 (Revolution 1974) C $13.41 0 bids + C $9.11 shipping . After the revolution workers immediately began struggling against the harsh economic conditions. [3] The military-led coup returned democracy to Portugal, ending the unpopular Colonial War (in which thousands of Portuguese citizens had been conscripted into military service) and replacing the Estado Novo regime and its secret police (which curbed civil liberties and political freedom). Although PIDE (the Estado Novo's political police) killed four people before surrendering, the revolution was unusual because the revolutionaries did not use violence to achieve their goals. Caetano's Primavera Marcelista (Marcelist Spring) included greater political tolerance and freedom of the press, and was seen as an opportunity for the opposition to gain concessions from the regime. Although the number of casualties was relatively small, the war had entered its second decade; Portugal faced criticism from the international community, and was becoming increasingly isolated. With Rui Paulo da Cruz, José Mário Branco, Álvaro Cunhal, António de Spínola. Soon after the Carnation Revolution, the bridge was renamed the 25 de Abril Bridge to commemorate the revolution. By August 1975 official statistics reported that over 330 different land collectives were in operation. It showed whose side the supposedly radical government was on. [citation needed], After the revolution, the MFA began to negotiate with African pro-independence guerrillas. Only four civilians were shot dead by government forces under the Directorate General of Security, whose personnel involved were later arrested by the MFA for their murders. 25 April marks 45 years of the "Carnation Revolution" in Portugal 1974-75, which brought down the hated dictatorship and opened a revolution that threatened the foundations of the capitalist system. When the rural workers saw their opportunity for change they seized it wholeheartedly and began taking over farms, ranches and unused land. In the exercise of those rights and freedoms, the people's legitimate representatives have met to draw up a Constitution that meets the country's aspirations. The revolution changed the government to a democracy and produced enormous social, economic, territorial, demographic and political changes. Citizens who removed the large, brass "Salazar" sign from a main pillar of the bridge and painting a provisional "25 de Abril" in its place were recorded on film. Its name arose from the fact that almost no shots were fired, and Celeste Caeiro offered carnations to the soldiers when the population took to the streets to celebrate the end of the dictatorship; other demonstrators followed suit, and carnations were placed in the muzzles of guns and on the soldiers' uniforms. Watchtower, 7 January 1999. pp. Detailed information about the coin 100 Escudos (Carnation Revolution), Portugal, with pictures and collection and swap management : mintage, descriptions, … In 1973 three workers had been murdered by the paramilitary police force during a strike. Ferreira, Hugo Gil, and Marshall, Michael William. The intensifying class struggle across Europe highlights the need for all revolutionaries to study the revolutionary history of the continent and to digest its main lessons. [citation needed], The international community disliked the Portuguese regime. There was much positive co-operation between agricultural and industrial workers, and the various workers' organisations. During the war, Portugal faced increasing dissent, arms embargoes and other international sanctions. Machines were taken from a nearby factory to help clear the land. There were an estimated 102,800 conflict-related deaths from 1974 to 1999 (about 18,600 killings and 84,200 deaths from hunger and illness), most of which occurred during the Indonesian occupation.[25]. Political confrontations were becoming increasingly violent. Freedom Day (25 April) is a national holiday, with state-sponsored and spontaneous commemorations of the civil liberties and political freedoms achieved after the revolution. Even the workers' committees were little more than workers' self-management of their own exploitation. [18], The Estado Novo regime's economic policy encouraged the formation of large conglomerates. Aftermath Portugal went through some turbulent times. [citation needed], Tomás won the election amidst claims of widespread electoral fraud. Lisboa, 2010. Portugal had a taste of democracy in 1969, and Caetano authorised the country's first democratic labour-union movement since the 1920s. A young woman leans on a photo part of a street exhibition in Lisbon showing images of the April 25, 1974 revolution that restored democracy in Portugal. The Revolution restored their fundamental rights and freedoms to the people of Portugal. After the 28 May 1926 coup d'état, Portugal implemented an authoritarian regime incorporating social Catholicism and integralism. The land was worked collectively and owned by the village as a whole. This article, written by Phil Mitchinson in 2002, explains what happened and urges us to … Portugal Table of Contents. However, after the elections of 1969 and 1973 it became clear that past political repression would continue against communists, anti-colonialists and other opponents of the regime. The country divested itself of almost all of its former colonies and experienced severe economic turmoil. Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe avoided civil war during the decolonisation period, and established multi-party political systems by the early 1990s. ▶ Start forum discussions, submit articles, and more... about | donate | help out | submitting content | other languages | a-z | contact us | site notes, “You have shown us that being peaceful is useless” – The Case of Pablo Hasél, Myths and realities: the Nepalese Maoists and their strike ban legislations, The headscarf revolutionaries - DD Johnston, guide to using ebook readers with libcom.org, ‘Dear Comrades’, by Andrei Konchalosky – A film review, Zorn über Stolz: Ein Aufruf an „radikale“ cis (het) Männer und ihre Unzulänglichkeit in Gender-Kämpfen, The 14 year old Minecraft-”terrorists” of Russia, Hamilton Pride Defender Update: Some charges withdrawn, others going to trial, Apocalypse and survival - Francesco Santini, Israel's ‘tent protests’: the chilling effect of nationalism, The cultural Cold War: corporate and state intervention in the arts. 1 of 2 ›› Articles about the revolution in Portugal, 1974-1975. In the first election (April 1976) the Socialist Party under Mário Soares received a plurality of 35 percent. These events prompted a mass exodus of Portuguese citizens from Portugal's African territories (mostly from Angola and Mozambique), creating over a million Portuguese refugees – the retornados.[7][8]. The Portuguese constitution was rewritten in 1976 AD to accommodate both socialist and communist p… [19][20] The laws would reduce the military budget and reformulate the Portuguese military. The first provisional government introduced anti-strike laws around this time. Two hundred workers were sacked but were reinstated after mass demonstrations and threats of further strikes. The core of the radical students' struggle was an uncompromising defense of the Portuguese Empire and an authoritarian regime. However, many of these reforms were obstructed by Salazarist elements in the regime. The housing organisations faced some of the same problems experienced by the workers' organisations. [citation needed], By the early-1970s, the Portuguese Colonial War had a steadily-increasing budget. Caetano and President Américo Tomás fled to Brazil; Caetano spent the rest of his life there, and Tomás returned to Portugal a few years later. The real revolution was in the urban workers took control of their workplaces and farm workers took control of their farms and organised production themselves while the parties of the left merely jockeyed for positions of power, eventually killing the revolution. East Timor was also offered independence, shortly before it was invaded by Indonesia. First, Paulo de Carvalho's "E Depois do Adeus" (Portugal's entry in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest) was aired on Emissores Associados de Lisboa at 10:55 p.m. on 24 April. Context In the beginnings of 1970, Portugal The attempt to radicalise the outcome," noted a contemporary observer of the time, "had little mass support and was easily suppressed by the Portuguese Socialist Party and its allies."[23]. The new constitution called for a single parliamentary legislature, the Assembly of the Republic. Until that day Portugal had been under a fascist dictatorship for over half a century. Marcelo Caetano fostered economic growth and social improvement, such as a monthly pension to rural workers who had never contributed to Portugal's social security. Despite repeated radio appeals from the "captains of April" (the MFA) advising civilians to stay home, thousands of Portuguese took to the streets – mingling with, and supporting, the military insurgents. The Portuguese military was overstretched and there was no political solution in sight. The outbreak of colonial wars in Africa set off significant social changes, among them the rapid incorporation of women into the labour market. In 1933, the regime was recast and renamed Estado Novo (New State). After the coup, power was held by the National Salvation Junta (a military junta). Delegates from major industries, and soldiers' and sailors' committees, met with a large contingent of PRP members. [citation needed], In February 1974, Caetano decided to remove General António de Spínola from the command of Portuguese forces in Guinea in the face of Spínola's increasing disagreement with the promotion of military officers and the direction of Portuguese colonial policy. In the summer of 1975 the movement began to develop further. It declared freedom of association and expression, an amnesty for political prisoners and the independence of the judiciary. [11], The war became more unpopular in Portugal due to its length and cost, the worsening of diplomatic relations with other United Nations member states, and its role in perpetuating the Estado Novo regime. In 1958, General Humberto Delgado (a former member of the regime) stood against the regime's presidential candidate, Américo Tomás, and refused to allow his name to be withdrawn. Another election was held in 1976 and the first constitutional government, led by centre-left socialist Mário Soares, took office. After a brief period of stability, Mozambique became embroiled in a civil war which left it one of the poorest nations in the world. They still had to contend with the constraints of capitalism. By trying to run things in ways compatible with their ideologies they stifled the spontaneous organisational methods of ordinary folk. A central gathering point was the Lisbon flower market, then richly stocked with carnations (which were in season). East Timor was invaded by Indonesia, and would be occupied until 1999. Franco died a year and a half later, in 1975. All in all, the "workers parties" seemed to be more a hindrance than a help to these committees. Constitution of the Republic of Portugal, 1976. The Carnation Revolution (Portuguese: Revolução dos Cravos), also known as the 25 April (Portuguese: 25 de Abril), was initially a 25 April 1974 military coup in Lisbon which overthrew the authoritarian Estado Novo regime. It read: "Revolution of roses: petals for the bourgeoisie, thorns for the people." Portugal was the most underdeveloped country in Europe. "Working class parties" were invited to join. The Estado Novo, in turn, evolved from the Ditadura Nacional (National Dictatorship) set up after the 28 May 1926 coup d'etat (called the "National Revolution" under the Estado Novo). Atrocities such as the Wiriyamu Massacre undermined the war's popularity and the government's diplomatic position, although details of the massacre are still disputed. If you don't have permissions to post content yet, just request it here. Written by the Workers' Solidarity Movement. 250 escudos silver 1976 - Revolution 1974 - PROOF. Almeida, Manuel de Jesus. Cambridge University Press, 303 pages, 1986. The TAP workers stood fast and eventually the government sent the military to occupy the airport and arrest the strike committee. These people—workers, small businesspeople, and farmers—often had deep roots in the former colonies and became known as the retornados. [citation needed] The Cold War was near its peak; Western- and Eastern-bloc states were supporting guerrillas in the Portuguese colonies, attempting to bring them under American[citation needed] or Soviet influence. The Portuguese Mint chose the 40th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution for its 2014 2 euro commemorative coin.[41]. Another assembly, held without union officials, drew up a list of demands including the purging of staff who showed "anti-working class attitudes", wage increases and the right to reconsider collective contracts whenever the workers pleased. [2] In Portugal, 25 April is a national holiday (Portuguese: Dia da Liberdade, Freedom Day) which commemorates the revolution. The election renewed all 263 members of the Assembly of the Republic. Rumours circulated of a right-wing coup. The Revolution restored fundamental rights and freedoms to the people of Portugal. It called for new housing estates to be built in place of the shantytowns, for expropriation of land and for rent controls. At the time 400,000 people were unemployed. [38], The constitution of 1976 guarantees all religions the right to practice, and non-Catholic groups are recognised as legal entities with the right to assemble. It sounded good, sadly the PRP were more concerned with creating bodies they could dominate rather than councils capable of representing the working class. Although Portugal never regained its pre-revolution growth, at the time of the revolution it was an underdeveloped country with poor infrastructure, inefficient agriculture and the worst health and education indicators in Europe. Portugal's new regime pledged to end the colonial wars, and began negotiations with the African independence movements. This occurred shortly after the publication of Spínola's book, Portugal and the Future, which expressed his political and military views of the Portuguese Colonial War. Through emigration, trade, tourism and foreign investment, individuals and companies changed their patterns of production and consumption. Click here to register now. Despite many co-ops being able to reduce the prices for goods or services, this inevitably led to competition between different co-ops. The demands were not accepted by the government, so in response the workers declared a strike, elected a strike committee and posted pickets. The Estado Novo's political police, the PIDE (Polícia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado, later the DGS, Direcção-Geral de Segurança and originally the PVDE, Polícia de Vigilância e Defesa do Estado), persecuted opponents of the regime, who were often tortured, imprisoned or killed. Six hours later, the Caetano government relented. It is estimated that about 380 factories self-managed and 500 co-ops were in operation by the summer of 1975. [26], The Portuguese economy changed significantly between 1961 and 1973. The trade unions were relics of the fascist era and were considred treactionary by many. The country's 1991 per-capita GDP reached 54.9 percent of the EEC average, slightly exceeding the level at the height of the revolutionary period. Right-wing officers and civilians were arrested. After a long period of one-party rule, Guinea-Bissau experienced a brief civil war and a difficult transition to civilian rule in 1998. The TAP strike was the first large-scale strike after April 25th and the government's response was an indicator of how any of the 'post-fascist' governments would treat workers' struggles. [citation needed] The country's situation has improved since the 1990s, and multi-party elections have been held. Logged in users: ▶ Can comment on articles and discussions All these struggles happened against a backdrop of six provisional governments, a few coup attempts and rumours of NATO and right-wing conspiracies. Neighbourhood and shanty town committee meetings were seen as opportunities for party building by left parties. And as the silent majority evaporated, a dejected Spínola called it off. The Portuguese legislative election of 1976 took place on 25 April, exactly one year after the previous election, and two years after the Carnation Revolution.With a new Constitution approved, the country's main aim was economic recovery and strengthening its democratic institutions. C $19.51 + C $6.51 shipping . [28][29], On 13 November 1972, Fundo do Ultramar (The Overseas Fund, a sovereign wealth fund) was enacted with Decreto-Lei n.º 448/ /72 and the Ministry of Defense ordinance Portaria 696/72 to finance the war. The revolutionary Armed Forces Movement (MFA) began as an attempt to liberate Portugal from the Estado Novo regime and challenge new military laws which were coming into force. The conservative forces surrounding Spinola and the MFA radicals initially confronted each other (covertly or overtly), and Spinola was forced to appoint key MFA figures to senior security positions. Some of the insurgents put carnations in their gun barrels, an image broadcast on television worldwide[22] which gave the revolution its name. At the beginning of the 1970s, nearly a half-century of authoritarian rule weighed on Portugal. Workers' struggles The MFA gave the signals to take over strategic points of power in the country. [citation needed], During the 1961–74 Portuguese Colonial War (a counterinsurgency against guerrillas), Portuguese Congo, Portuguese Angola and Portuguese Mozambique (colonies at the time) experienced economic growth in the production of oil, coffee, cotton, cashews, coconuts, timber, minerals (including diamonds), metals (such as iron and aluminium), bananas, citrus, tea, sisal, beer, cement, fish and other seafood, beef and textiles. [5], A group of low-ranking Portuguese officers organised as the Armed Forces Movement (MFA, Movimento das Forças Armadas), including some who had fought pro-independence guerrillas in the Portuguese Empire's territories in Africa,[6] and overthrew the Estado Novo regime which had ruled Portugal since the 1930s. Holding red carnations (Portuguese: cravos), many people joined revolutionary soldiers on the streets of Lisbon in apparent joy and audible euphoria. In the aftermath of the revolution, a new constitution was drafted, censorship was prohibited, free speech was permitted, political prisoners were released and the Portuguese overseas territories in sub-Saharan Africa were granted independence.