The Alliance in the XXth Century

Author:

Paulo Lowndes Marques

Report:

29

Page:

93

Year:

2002

Subject Matter:

Diplomatic and General History

Excerpt:

In the wake of the crisis precipitated by the British ultimatum, the Alliance between the countries was re-affirmed by the Treaty of 1899. It is hard to exaggerate the diplomatic dependence of Portugal upon the United Kingdom during the period of the First Republic from 1910. Countless examples can be found of where British opinion was sought (and followed) on many subjects. Up until the revolution of 1926 relations between the two countries evolved without major incidents and the new regime was recognised without any problems by the British. At the end of the Spanish civil war, Portugal played a major role in the rapprochement between France and the UK. 

At the start of the Second World War the Portuguese Government conveyed to the British that it wished to remain neutral, but in April 1943 the British were allowed to open bases in the Azores. There were strong protests in 1945 when Portuguese flags were flown at half mast on the death of Hitler. During the Falklands War Britain again invoked the Alliance to secure landing rights in the Azores.

Paulo Lowndes Marques, the Society's Chairman for some 25 years, uses all of his considerable expertise in this brief review of Anglo-Portuguese relations in the 20th Century.

Read the article here