The Carnation Revolution, known as the Revolução dos Cravos, was a “peaceful” coup d’état (it is true that the damage and victims were “minor”, but there were casualties during the process) that took place in Portugal on April 25, 1974. It marked the end of over four decades of authoritarian rule under the Estado Novo regime, established by António de Oliveira Salazar in 1933.
Portugal’s Estado Novo regime was characterized by censorship, political repression, and economic stagnation. Under Salazar’s authoritarian rule, political opposition was suppressed, civil liberties were cut, and the country maintained a colonial empire, particularly in Africa.
By the early 1970s, Portugal was involved in costly and unpopular colonial wars in its African territories, namely in Angola, Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau. These wars drained Portugal’s resources, resulted in thousands of casualties and intensified discontent among both the military, which began to question the regime’s policies and objectives and the general population, subdued under a stagnating economy with high inflation, unemployment and widespread poverty. Censorship and repression were strict at the hands of the International and State Defence Police (Polícia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado, PIDE), which actively muffled freedom of expression and political activism (nevertheless, opposition movements persisted underground, and discontent boiled beneath the surface).
The Carnation Revolution began with a military coup orchestrated by a group of young military officers known as the Armed Forces Movement (Movimento das Forças Armadas, MFA). On the morning of April 25, 1974, these officers, mostly captains and majors, seized key points in Lisbon, including military installations, radio stations, and government buildings. The coup caught the regime off guard and resistance was minimal. The revolutionaries employed a tactic of non-violence, distributing carnations to soldiers and civilians as a symbol of peace (leading to the revolution’s name) and by the end of the day the authoritarian regime had collapsed. Portugal embarked on a process of political transition towards democracy that included the drafting of a new constitution and the holding of free elections. In 1976, Portugal adopted a new democratic constitution, establishing the country as a parliamentary republic.Overall, the Carnation Revolution symbolizes the triumph of democracy over four decades of authoritarian rule and dictatorship, remaining a defining moment in Portuguese history. It continues to be celebrated annually on April 25th as a national holiday, known as Freedom Day (Dia da Liberdade), commemorating the overthrow of authoritarian rule and the restoration of democracy.
