After World War II, we observed that the former European powers were forced to promote the process of decolonization of different areas dominated in the African and Spanish space. In this context, several struggles and new powers emerged. However, in some situations, European governments did not readily accept the loss of territories and they offered resistance against armed groups who wanted to form independent nations.
It was in this context that the call Portuguese Colonial War, which took place between 1961 and 1974, and put the Portuguese Armed Forces in conflict against different armed groups in Angola, Guinea and Mozambique. On the Portuguese side, the governments of Salazar and Marcelo Caetano did not accept the end of colonial practice, claiming that the African territories fit into the concept of a nation formed by different peoples and different scattered territories around the world.
In contrast, the peoples dominated by the Portuguese government were inspired by the principles of self-determination and independence to demand the formation of independent nations. However, as a path of peaceful negotiation was not possible, the Portuguese Colonial War had its beginning and continuity with the formation of several fronts of struggle. Among them, we can highlight the Union of Angolan Peoples (UPA), the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA).
The years of conflict extended until 1974, the year in which the Carnation Revolution established the return of democracy in Portuguese lands. From then on, a round of negotiations was opened, which provided for the decolonization of the African territories involved in the conflict. In 1975, the Treaty of Alvor provided for the creation of a transitional government capable of leading to definitive decolonization. Even with the agreement, a long and bloody civil war would still mark the history of these peoples.
By Rainer Gonçalves Sousa
Brazil School Collaborator
Graduated in History from the Federal University of Goiás - UFG
Master in History from the Federal University of Goiás - UFG
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/guerras-coloniais-1.htm