The Carnation Revolution (Portuguese: Revolução dos Cravos), also known as the 25 April (Portuguese: 25 de Abril), was a military coup by military officers that overthrew the authoritarian Estado Novo government on 25 April 1974 in Lisbon, producing major social, economic, territorial, demographic, and political changes in Portugal and its overseas colonies through the Processo Revolucionário Em Curso. It resulted in the Portuguese transition to democracy and the end of the Portuguese Colonial War.
The revolution began as a coup organised by the Armed Forces Movement (Portuguese: Movimento das Forças Armadas, MFA), composed of military officers who opposed the regime, but it was soon coupled with an unanticipated popular civil resistance campaign. Negotiations with African independence movements began, and by the end of 1974, Portuguese troops were withdrawn from Portuguese Guinea, which became a UN member state as Guinea-Bissau. This was followed in 1975 by the independence of Cape Verde, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and Angola in Africa and the declaration of independence of East Timor in Southeast Asia. These events prompted a mass exodus of Portuguese citizens from Portugal's African territories (mostly from Angola and Mozambique), creating over a million Portuguese returned – the retornados.
The Carnation Revolution got its name from the fact that almost no shots were fired and from restaurant worker Celeste Caeiro offering carnations to the soldiers when the population took to the streets to celebrate the end of the dictatorship, with other demonstrators following suit and carnations placed in the muzzles of guns and on the soldiers' uniforms. In Portugal, 25 April is a national holiday (Portuguese: Dia da Liberdade, Freedom Day) that commemorates the revolution.
Source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnation_Revolution
18 comments
Keith Burton said:
This is the second post I've seen relating to this revolution (the other was by J.Garcia) and I told her that I couldn't believe I knew nothing of this relatively recent and momentous event and its history and aftermath.
Max Biobauer said:
Naja, es ist wie es ist. Gut das die afrikanischen Staaten ihre Herren verloren haben.
Wir haben diese Ereignisse in Portugal und Afrika übrigens in der Schule der DDR gelehrt bekommen.
Tolles Foto!!
Jean-Paul said:
Don Sutherland said:
Boarischa Krautmo said:
photosofghosts said:
O dia 25 de Abril é uma data muito importante para o povo português e também para o povo italiano (25/4/1945: libertação da Itália dos nazis fascistas)
Atenciosamente
Fábio
Per said:
When the radio broadcast Zeca Alfonso's song Grandola Vila Morena on April 25, it was the signal that the time had come.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk51LkPF2vE
William Sutherland said:
Admired in: www.ipernity.com/group/tolerance
Annemarie said:
Pam J said:
tiabunna said:
Ulrich John said:
aNNa schramm said:
Edna Edenkoben said:
Xata replied to Edna Edenkoben: