Interesting. Thanks for all those links. Studied the Portuguese African counter-insurgencies in grad school and corresponded with some of the participants, including ex-members of PIDE and Flechas. Despite the difficulties presented by a relatively poor economy, geographic distance, logistics, and COIN training, plucky little Portugal under Salazar nevertheless pressed on in carrying out these campaigns in the face of shifting political winds. It was a pretty remarkable performance considering the challenges, and Salazar should be given much credit.
Look into the so-called September (1974) Revolt in Lourenço Marques in Mozambique, a brief rebellion by White settlers against the newly-installed black nationalist government.
What’s amusing about all of this is that in recent years Portuguese immigrants have been streaming back into Mozambique for jobs and business opportunities, effectively re-colonising the country.
Have you checked the Kissinger Cables at wiki leaks? They could touch on this subject.
One path for further inquiry: anti and post colonial literature scholars and classes in American schools. At first glance one might dismiss it as cultural Marxism. On second glance, it looks like academia adapting itself to USG anti colonial goals.
The (Portuguese) Empire Strikes Back !
In 1975, just after Mozambique had won its independence from Portugal after a bitter struggle, a quarter of a million Portuguese settlers fled the country. Fearful for their lives, but also without prospect of a livelihood, the mother country was a safer bet.
Now, nearly 40 years later, the flow is reversing.
With Portugal staggering economically, many now see the country’s former colony as holding out more prospects than home.
Is it too early to call this the best NRx article of 2015? You’ve certainly put your hometown on the map with this. Yes, there is a Portugese Empire in the 20th century.
I’m not sure how anyone else could top this, everyone already knows about the 20th century history of all the other empires, right?
Great post, interesting and fantastic food for thought. Well done.
I knew very little about any of this, and now I know much more. Typical leftist nonsense and downright harebrained BS. One thing I did know about was Angola’s colonial stability and post-colonial mess because I debated it in prog-politician-in-training “Model UN” back in school. I was the only one non-PC enough to point out that Angola did better under colonial rule. Shun the non-believer!!!
And it all started when JFK armed and supported the upa rebels to try and ‘scare’ the Portuguese into fleeing oil rich Angola like the Belgians did in Zaire. What else to attract the attention of the mighty soviet menace?