The Practical Geopolitics of the Portuguese Estado Novo in the Context of the Colonial War (1955-1974)

Abstract

Based on critical geopolitics, and more specifically on the possibilities offered by practical geopolitics, the following chapter aims to analyse the essence of the discourse of the Portuguese state authorities in relation to Portugal's status as a colonial power, especially after the beginning of the decolonization process, from the early 1960s onwards. Specifically, the period covered by this paper runs from 1955, the year of Portugal's accession to the United Nations, until the end of the dictatorship in 1974. For this purpose, the primary sources used are the parliamentary sessions held in the Portuguese National Assembly and the public speeches delivered by the head of state, António de Oliveira Salazar. The paper thus shows how the foundations of the country's foreign policy were evolving at a particularly convulsive moment in its history, when the legitimization/threat binomial held a central position in terms of discourse.