The Carnation Revolution (Portuguese, Revolução dos Cravos) was an almost bloodless left-leaning military-lead revolution started on April 25, 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, that effectively changed the Portuguese regime from an authoritarian dictatorship to a liberal democracy after a two-year process of a Left-wing semi-military administration. Although government forces killed four people before surrendering, the revolution was unusual in that the revolutionaries did not use direct violence to achieve their goals. The populati ...

Including:

• Carnation Revolution - Context
• Carnation Revolution - Events
• Carnation Revolution - Consequences
• Carnation Revolution - Freedom Day
• Carnation Revolution - External References

Read more here: » Carnation Revolution: Encyclopedia - Carnation Revolution

In February 1974, Caetano was obliged by the old guard to remove General António Spínola and his underlings as the General tried to change the direction of Portuguese colonial policy, which had become too expensive. The divisions of the powerful elite became visible, at which point a mysterious Movimento das Forças Armadas (MFA, "Movement of Armed Forces"), headed by Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho and joined by Salgueiro Maia, chose to lead a revolution. This movement was borne in secrecy in 1973 through the conspiracy of some army officers of leftist tendencies who had been radicalized by the colonial war. Some say that Franci ...

See also:

Carnation Revolution, Carnation Revolution - Context, Carnation Revolution - Events, Carnation Revolution - Consequences, Carnation Revolution - Freedom Day, Carnation Revolution - External References

Read more here: » Carnation Revolution: Encyclopedia II - Carnation Revolution - Events

In the beginning of the 1970s, the authoritarian regime of the Estado Novo continued to weigh heavily on the country, after a half-century of rule under António de Oliveira Salazar. After the military coup of May 28, 1926, Portugal implemented an authoritarian regime of fascist inspiration. In 1933, the regime was recast and renamed Estado Novo ("New State"), and Oliveira Salazar came to control the country until 1968, when he was incapacitated. Marcello Caetano replaced him, and led the ...

See also:

Carnation Revolution, Carnation Revolution - Context, Carnation Revolution - Events, Carnation Revolution - Consequences, Carnation Revolution - Freedom Day, Carnation Revolution - External References

Read more here: » Carnation Revolution: Encyclopedia II - Carnation Revolution - Context

The revolution in Portugal initiated the process which political scientist Samuel P. Huntington, called the "third wave of democratisation;" a process of democratisation which then spread to Greece, Spain and Latin America. Soon after the 25th, all of the hundreds of political prisoners were liberated from prison. Exiled opposition political leaders, like Álvaro Cunhal and Mário Soares returned to the country in the following days and were received in apotheosis. One week later, May 1st was legally celebrated in the streets for the first t ...

See also:

Carnation Revolution, Carnation Revolution - Context, Carnation Revolution - Events, Carnation Revolution - Consequences, Carnation Revolution - Freedom Day, Carnation Revolution - External References

Read more here: » Carnation Revolution: Encyclopedia II - Carnation Revolution - Consequences