Portugal's Political History and Its Geopolitics from 1974 to 1976

Takács Imre (2021) Portugal's Political History and Its Geopolitics from 1974 to 1976. Külkereskedelmi Kar.

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Absztrakt (kivonat)

In my resource I was focusing on two objectives: Portugal’s second democratization and its aftermath: change of Portugal’s geopolitical –position, –practice, the alteration of its historical geopolitical order. In the first part I found the answers for three questions: What led to Portugal’s second democratization? In 1961 the Portuguese Colonial War broke out, the indigenous’ guerrilla war demanded great efforts, caused foreign political isolation and economic hardness. At the beginning of September 1968 Salazar suffered a serious stroke, he became unable to hold his office, Marcello Caetano was appointed as the country’s new prime minister. The new head of the government was a well-known political character, he held several portfolios in Salazar’s government, his way of thinking and political perception was close to his predecessor therefore no significant changes were taken place. The ongoing war and its ramification: the interior tension questioned the existence of the authoritarian order. In 1970 45% of the budget was spent on war expenditures, the Portuguese military was the 4th most significant in the planet by the proportion of the population under arms. However, the political atmosphere became relaxed, Marcelismo was not able to solve the political questions alleviate the economic woes of the oil crisis. The military trapped between its liability of obedience and its growing consciousness of the contradictions within the regime and in society, the increasingly politicised mid-ranking officers, planned to terminate the war and carry out the change of regime. Two events galvanized the movement that was shortly to overthrow the Estado Social: in December 1973 Movimento das Forças Armadas - MFA (Armed Forces Movement) was constituted by intermediate military officers, 22nd February, 1974 General António Sebastião Ribeiro de Spínola’s book: Portugal e o Futuro (Portugal and the Future) was published. However, General Spínola declared that the only aim was to implement reforms within the political system, but the MFA wanted more. On 5th March, 1974 O Movimento as Forças Armadas e a Nação (The MFA and the Nation) document was approved which outlined the political program of 3Ds: democracy, development and decolonization. How Portuguese second democratization took place and what was its international significance? On 25th April, 1974 the military with assistance of the civilians overthrew the Estado Social (Social State). According to Samuel P. Huntington, the so called Revolução dos Cravos (Carnation Revolution) was the beginning of the third wave of democratization which was followed by Spain and Greece, many Latin American nations and eastern European states at the end of the 1980s. The Revolução dos Cravos was followed by a 27 month long transitional period in which both the western and communist states were involved. The re-establishment of democratic system did not develop according to plan or the realisation of elite agreements, the tensions almost led to a civil war. Between 25th April, 1974 and 23rd July, 1976 Portugal had six provisional Governments with several military members, three Prime Ministers: two of them were military officers, two military Presidents, 14th July, 1976 democratically elected Chief of Staff came to office as President. Based on the political course of the French Revolution, the Portuguese re-democratization process is separated into three phases: the first is early moderate-conservative phase from May 1974 to Spínola’s failed coup on 11th March, 1975. Followed by a middle radical-leftist phase: by the end of March 50 - 60% of the economy including medium-sized enterprises was nationalized. However, two-third of twelve parties (the two parties from Macau is not included) which contested in the Constituent Assembly election were far left, together the socialists, social democrats and Christian democrats received 71,87% of the votes. There was no party which alone received absolute majority. After the election the PCP - Portuguese Communist Party’s behaviour became notably hard-line, the western allies feared from Álvaro Cunhal would transform his country into a “Cuba of the West”. The summer of 1975 was considered as verão quente (hot summer) when Portugal appeared to be on the verge of a civil war but due to the Helsinki Conference the Soviet leadership was interested in the détente and heated internal and international pressure the independent Marxist Prime Minister Vasco Gonçalves who led the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Provisional Cabinet was obligated to resign. Due to the failed left-wing military coup on 25th November, the PCP and the radical wing of the MFA lost their remained influence, the final moderate phase began. On 2nd April the Constitutional Assembly except the Christian democrats approved the new socialist oriented constitution, which declared autonomous status of the two Portuguese archipelagos in the Atlantic Ocean. On first legislative election together the socialists, social democrats and Christian democrats received 75,14%, no party alone received the absolute majority. On 7th June, 1976 the Chief of Staff: António Ramalho Eanes backed by the socialists, social democrats and Christian democrats with 61,59% was elected as President. In the second part I found the answers for: during period of the second democratisation what was Portugal’s geopolitical –position, –practice, how its historical geopolitical order changed? After Brazil became independent in 1822, Portugal had three geopolitical strengths: Açores (Azores), Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) because of their location and Angola because of its richness in oil, diamond, coffee and rare metals. On day of Revolução dos Cravos the colonial war ended. However, the independence was granted, Spínola wanted to establish a Lusitanian confederation. The radical and more impatient members of MFA refused the idea, on 26th July, 1974 the Lei n°7/74 was approved which recognized the right of the colonies to self-determination and independence. By the end of November 1975, the Portuguese Colonial Empire disappeared from the world map except Macao remained under Portugal’s control until 20th December, 1999. All of five formal Portuguese African colonies turn into Marxist and in Angola, Mozambique civil wars broke out. On 18th December, 1961 Goa, Damão (Daman) and Diu enclaves were invaded by the Indian Army, Salazar and Caetano rejected to recognise, on 31st December, 1974 in New Delhi Mário Soares signed a treaty which recognised territorial loss. In Timor-Leste’s (East Timor) case the Portuguese interest was the self-determination of its colony, on the other hand Jakarta sought the integration. Three key meetings were held between the Portuguese and Indonesian officials. On 7th December, 1975 with the consent of the US, UK and Australia incorporated Timor-Leste, few hours later President Ford and Kissinger met with Suharto in Jakarta. According to international law this was illegal but due to the cold war strategic interest of western world: based on Georg Frost Kennan’s containment and the fear from Eisenhower’s Domino theory came to existence, a communist Timor-Leste was unacceptable to the west. According to Kissinger the US must create three defensive lines where the communism cannot come to existence: the first is the entire American continent from Alaska to Land of Fire; the second comprised by Greenland, Iceland, Açores, Cabo Verde, Nigeria, South Africa, Diego Garcia, Australia and the Pacific; the third comprised by NATO-Warsaw Pact border, Iranian-Soviet border and East Asian islands. The Revolução dos Cravos was a complete surprise to the American military stayed in Açores and the American embassy with its CIA station more over the American Ambassador in Portugal Stuart Nash Scott was absent from Lisboa on 25th April, 1974. The military’s takeover did not induce alarm in Washington and Western Europe, Spínola was considered to be pro-Western. On the day when the 1st Provisional Cabinet sworn in, the US and Portugal ratified an agreement on peaceful use of nuclear energy. After the independent Marxist Prime Minister led 2nd Provisional Cabinet was formed, numerous leading Portuguese bankers and industrialists solicited US intervention to hinder what they considered unavoidable Communist takeover. During the summer of 1974 Washington’s point of view became more rigid: the NATO Secretary General was convinced to halt to share the Atomic and Cosmic top secret documents to Lisboa. Meanwhile the most European governments trusted the foreign minister, Kissinger considered Soares as weak and naive. On 22nd January, 1975 on the routine breakfast of Kissinger and Secretary of Defence discussed if Portugal turns into communist, in order to keep Lajes Field, they will support the independence of Açores, Washington forced Portugal to cease to take part in the meetings of NATO’s NPG. Kissinger worked out the Vaccination Theory: accepting the communist takeover in Portugal, in order to show Spain, France, Italy and Greece what would happen with them if the communists came to power in their governments. After the Revolução dos Cravos three geopolitical practise options appeared: the pro-Western supported by the moderate parties, the pro-Soviet supported by the PCP and the pro-Third World supported by Carvalho. Meanwhile until August 1975 Washington saw no doubt if Portugal turns into a communist state, the Western European interpreted the Portuguese crisis as an essential test of Europe’s ability to offer an inclusive model of democracy and modernization. By 25th November, 1975 except Macau Portugal lost all of its colonies therefore the Atlantic priority was replaced by the European priority. On 28th May, 1977 the first constitutional government sent Portugal’s application for EC accession, on 17th October, 1977 the negations started.

Intézmény

Budapesti Gazdasági Egyetem

Kar

Külkereskedelmi Kar

Tanszék

Nemzetközi Kapcsolatok Tanszék

Tudományterület/tudományág

NEM RÉSZLETEZETT

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Nemzetközi Tanulmányok

Konzulens(ek)

Mű típusa:	diplomadolgozat (NEM RÉSZLETEZETT)
Kulcsszavak:	Azores, constitution, COPCON, Costa Gomes, Cunhal, decolonization, Gonçalves, Kissinger, Lisbon, MFA, NATO, Soares, Spínola
SWORD Depositor:	Archive User
Felhasználói azonosító szám (ID):	Archive User
Rekord készítés dátuma:	2021. Szep. 23. 10:51
Utolsó módosítás:	2022. Okt. 06. 14:35

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