The End of the Carnival: The United Kingdom and the Carnation Revolution in Portugal

Abstract

[EN] This article examines the role that Harold Wilson's Labour government played in the democratisation process begun in Portugal after the military coup of 25 April 1974. As we shall see, British policy towards regime change in the Iberian country is a relevant subject of study for various reasons. However, little attention has been paid by historians to the British government's policy during what is known as the Carnation Revolution. To help remedy this oversight, this article analyses the economic, political and diplomatic measures employed by the British Foreign Office to establish parliamentary democracy in Portugal, which brought an end to the final chapter in the 'carnival' of revolutions that had spread throughout Europe over the preceding two decades.