Knowra Portuguese decolonization Portuguese decolonization Portuguese decolonization was the dismantling of Portugal’s overseas empire, accelerated by the 1974 Carnation Revolution and completed through independence settlements and withdrawals.
Carnation Revolution : A largely peaceful military coup on 25 April 1974 that ended Portugal’s Estado Novo dictatorship. The revolution replaced the regime committed to holding Portugal’s African territories and opened the way to withdrawal.
Portuguese Empire : A global empire established by Portugal from the fifteenth century, spanning territories in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Its far-flung possessions were the empire dismantled through decolonization.
Mário Soares : A Portuguese socialist politician who became foreign minister after the 1974 revolution and helped negotiate decolonization. As foreign minister, Soares represented Portugal in talks over the transfer of power.
Angolan Civil War : A conflict from 1975 to 2002 among Angolan factions and foreign-backed forces over control of independent Angola. The rushed and contested transfer of power was followed by a prolonged struggle among rival movements.
British decolonization : The process by which the United Kingdom relinquished its overseas empire, mainly during the twentieth century. Britain began relinquishing much of its empire earlier, while Portugal continued fighting to retain African territories.
Alvor Agreement : A 1975 agreement setting terms for Angolan independence among Portugal and three Angolan liberation movements. It laid out a negotiated route to independence, but failed to prevent Angola’s civil war.
Estado Novo : Portugal’s authoritarian regime, established in 1933 and overthrown in 1974, which defended colonial rule. The regime resisted independence and portrayed overseas territories as integral parts of Portugal.
Amílcar Cabral : A Bissau-Guinean and Cape Verdean agronomist and revolutionary who led the PAIGC independence struggle until his assassination in 1973. Cabral built the movement whose military gains and political strategy drove Guinea-Bissau’s independence.
Mozambican Civil War : A conflict from 1977 to 1992 between Mozambique’s government and RENAMO, with regional and international involvement. The post-independence political order faced an insurgency soon after Portuguese withdrawal.
French decolonization : The process by which France relinquished much of its overseas empire, especially after the Second World War. France’s varied withdrawals provide a comparison with Portugal’s refusal to grant independence before 1974.
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