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DiogoMartins Portugal WWII
DiogoMartins Portugal WWII
DiogoMartins Portugal WWII
During the World War II, Portugal remained neutral, not taking part on any conflict during the
events that took part between 1939 and 1945.
Aristides de Sousa Mendes was a portuguese consul in Bordeaux during the German invasion
of France and saved many refugees (about a third were jews) who were trying to escpae the Nazi
horrors.
Even though the visas were issued against orders, once the refugees had crossed Spain, they
were allowed to enter Portugal, where they were sheltered.They were assigned to a specific locality
by Salazar’s secret police, PVDE. The refugees were forbidden from leaving their assigned locality
without PVDE’s permission.
Salazar’s government was pressured by the German authorities to extradite some of these
refugees, but Salazar resisted. Portugal’s declared neutrality helped the refugees, while preventing
the country from getting involved in the conflicts.
This episode angered the Portuguese authorities, and eventually led Sousa Mendes to be
recalled from the consulate general. The British embassy in Lisbon complained about the consul’s
behavior who demanded extra taxes from British citizens requesting visas.
Sousa Mendes’s actions saved a lot of people, but it made him lose his career. On October
30th, 1940, Salazar signed the sentence: "I sentence Consul First Class, Aristides de Sousa
Mendes, to a penalty of one year of inactivity with the right to one half of his rank's pay being
obliged subsequently to be retired."
In 1945, Aristides de Sousa Mendes suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. In his
later years he was abandoned by most of his colleagues and friends and was blamed by some of
his close relatives. Today, Sousa Mendes’s actions are
regarded as honored and worthy of a hero.
«Operation Felix» involved the occupation of Gibraltar and North Africa. This operation
mentioned a potencial invasion of Portugal
Without Spain’s cooperation, the plans for this operation wouldn’t work so Hitler decided to
cancel it.
Although the plan was never pu tinto force, Genral Franz Halder’s diaries mentions that a
forward logistics base for the invasion was prepared in Bordeaux.
Blue Division
The Blue division (officially designated as División Española de Voluntarios) was na unit of
Spanish and Portuguese volunteers who served in the German army in 1941 to 1944.
During the Spanish Civil War, Franco had Germany, Italy and Portugal’ support. Portugal sent
20 000 volunteers to Spain, the volunteers are known has Viriatos.
General Augustin Muñoz Grandes, leader of the Blue Division, shares a laugh with Luftwaffe personnel.
Post-war (1945-1947)
Funded in October 1945, after the war, MUD was a plataform of portuguese democratic
organizations that opposed to Salazar’s authoritarian regime.
After the Allies’ victory, USA and the Great-Britain forced Salazar to a «political opening». This
situation brought good news for the opposition, who needed to gather up in order to reinforce. They
needed to find a valid political program that could trigger the national support. This reunion was
authorized and occurred on October 8th.
MUD’s
priority objective
was the right to
freedom of assembly,
association and press
but the claims
were rejected
by the
government.
MUD constitution reunion: communication by Mário Lima Alves; October 8, 1945
MUD Central Comission members;
Standing, from left to right: Gustavo Soromenho, Mário Soares and Manuel
Mendes.
Sitting, from left to right: Maria Isabel Aboim Inglês, Mário de Azevedo
Gomes, Fernando Mayer Garção.
Bento de Jesus Caraças wasn’t there due to his illness.
After three years, MUD was dissolved by the Estado Novo regime. Although, MUD never failed
to disturb Salazar’s regime and to excite the people. The moviment pretended to provide a public
debate about the electoral issue.
Webgraphy
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristides_de_Sousa_Mendes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Felix
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Division
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movimento_de_Unidade_Democr%C3%A1tica