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
Maria's war.
