Portuguese Civil War

**Support from:**
 INPROV
* Germany
* Soviet Union

**Support from:**
Bento Gonçalves
António Resende
Francisco Quintal
Álvaro Cunhal
Manuel II
Paiva Couceiro
José Rebelo
43 killed
39 killed

The **Portuguese Civil War** (Portuguese: *Guerra Civil Portuguesa*) is an ongoing civil war in Portugal. It is referred to by socialists as the **Rose Revolution** (Portuguese: *Revolução Rosa*).

## Background

    The conflict began following a failed coup in Lisbon on 17 November 1931 by monarchist and nationalist officers. This coup attempt was preceded by dozens of coups and rebellions within the unstable First Portuguese Republic. The most significant of these previous coups took place in May 1926 in Lisbon. With the support of the weary population of Lisbon, a dictatorship was proclaimed with José Mendes Cabeçadas as President. He, however, saw the coup as a means to implement a better democracy. His associates, Óscar Carmona and Manuel Gomes da Costa, differed, and he was replaced in June. Gomes de Costa, a monarchist, was then usurped in July by Carmona, an authoritarian republican. The situation the new dictatorship faced was far from stable, as the economic woes remained.

In February 1927 uprisings were launched simultaneously in Porto and Lisbon by military and civilian forces opposed to the dictatorship. Opposition to the dictatorship began almost the moment it had taken shape. Strong in their opposition was the rising Portuguese Communist Party and the anarchist General Confederation of Labour. The leaders of the opposition at this point, however, were mostly supportive of establishing a liberal republic without the authoritarian rule of the Democratic Party. The military regime fell and installed in its place was a government led by Jaime de Morais and Jaime Cortesão, sometimes referred to as the "two Jaime's" government.

### 1929 economic crash

The political instability in Portugal was exacerbated by the 1929 London Market Crash. The country was hit especially hard due to its close economic ties to the United Kingdom. The prices of the industrial and agricultural exports crashed, sending an already unstable economy into crisis. Unemployment skyrocketed as dozens of factories and businesses closed. Working ages were commonly slashed while working conditions declined. Farmers also struggled, with many being forced to sell or close their farms. The corrupt and crippled state of the government made relief efforts virtually nonexistent.

    This was immediately followed by a series of rebellions by the military in 1930. However, the ideologically divided state of the military meant that none of these rebellions were executed coherently. For example, in August 1930 monarchist officers led a rebellion in the Algarve region which was followed by the uprising of multiple garrisons throughout Portugal. Immediately afterwards, leftist and republican officers led a counter-rebellion on the island of Madeira, and some garrisons battled among each other. Both rebellions were ultimately put down by forces loyal to the government.

With the failure of another monarchist rebellion in February 1931, Portugal saw a short period without any military uprisings. However, this period also saw an increase in strikes and protests. Portugal seemed on the brink of a socialist revolution, and such news was taken seriously by the British and French governments. With the help of the United Kingdom, weapons and supplies were smuggled to monarchists planning another coup. These monarchists were led by longtime monarchist Henrique de Paiva Couceiro, who had led a failed monarchist rebellion in the north in 1919. The exiled King Manuel II was pressured into supporting these efforts, but as with the previous attempt he was apprehensive about supporting a violent restoration.

## Coup

    On 17 November 1931, the coup was launched in Lisbon. Supported by over 1,000 soldiers, the coup attempt was initially successful, with supporters seizing multiple government buildings. The populace looked on with relative indifference, having no love for the current government. The Palace of the Congress was bombarded by artillery while the local garrison stood idle. Much to the surprise of the coup leaders, the capitulation of the government was achieved in mere hours.

### Revolution

This swift victory was reversed quickly in the following hours as the coup leaders failed to find consistent support among the military units and garrisons across Portugal. Only Porto and the surrounding area was definitively secured by the forces of the coup. The local military garrison sought to oppose the coup after its delegation was fired on. The Portuguese Communist Party and the General Confederation of Labour subsequently pleaded for the local population to resist the coup, which was followed by workers demonstrations. With the news having spread, local military units and armed civilians joined the garrison in opposing the coup. A battle ensued in which dozens of civilians were killed largely by artillery fire from the coup forces. With the popular opposition movement growing in size, the forces of the coup and their leaders were driven out of Lisbon.

    Portugal was now left with an uncertain state of governance. The unpopular liberal republic had been deposed, but so too was the fledgling military government. In Lisbon the state of affairs was resembled anarchy, with few workplaces and government institutions functioning. The industrial nature of Lisbon combined with the economic crisis had allowed the Portuguese Communist Party and General Confederation of Labour to build a strong base of socialist supporters over the preceding years. The initiative was soon taken by communist leader Bento Gonçalves, who along with the party leadership had been gathered in Lisbon for the party congress that year. With a group of supporters he declared the "Portuguese Socialist Republic" from the Palace of the Congress, which was met with support from much of the population that had long sought change. Large-scale celebrations subsequently erupted throughout Lisbon, and a large red flag was hoisted above the palace. This new government, through the support of other military units and civilian populations, asserted control over most of the south of the country. Due to the significant presence of roses during the celebrations, the revolution was nicknamed the "Rose Revolution". Leaders from multiple socialist parties and organizations met over the next few days, where they united into a communist-led coalition party known as the Union of the Republican Left on 22 November. A provisional government was subsequently formed, led by the 200-person strong "Revolutionary Committee".

### Second Monarchy of the North

    While revolution spread throughout the south, monarchists reorganized themselves and declared the restoration of the Kingdom of Portugal from the city of Porto. This was met with widespread support in the rural regions outside Porto. The monarchist government initially prepared for immediate conflict, but the regime in the south instead spent the following couple of weeks consolidating themselves. The provisional monarchist government under Couceiro was able to muster thousands of civilians into militias.

Exiled King Manuel II was disheartened by the failure of the coup in Lisbon and the subsequent popular demonstrations against it. However, the British identified him as the key to the survival of the new regime in the north, which they saw as crucial with a socialist regime now having been established in the south. Monarchists had become increasingly distrustful of Manuel following his reluctance to support the Monarchy of the North in 1919. With great pressure from the British government and his family members, he was convinced, with great reluctance, to throw in his support for the new regime and departed from England on 23 December, arriving the following day of Christmas Eve.

## Civil War

    By the time Manuel II arrived in Porto, the conflict had already escalated beyond just a failed coup. Both sides formed armed civilian militias. The opposing forces began skirmishing in early December and formed a front line roughly spanning from Figueira to Coimbra to Castelo Branco. While both sides have not yet begun engaging in full scale warfare, it is considered inevitable with the beginning of the new year.

### Foreign involvement

Foreign involvement in the civil war has been significant. With the crucial support of the British Royal Navy, the Azores and all of Portugal's colonies were seized by monarchist forces throughout December. The monarchists have received significant material support from the British Empire and France, while the republicans have received material support from the International Proletarian Defense Pact.