The international impact of the April Revolution: A review

Abstract

The April Revolution had a number of significant effects on the international stage. Firstly, the collapse of the dictatorship marked the end of the colonial war and the start of decolonisation, which, together with democratisation, provided the opportunity for closer relations with the European Communities, culminating in Portugal’s membership. Secondly, the Revolution aroused great international interest in the context of Cold War detente, and not only among the superpowers: notably, post-Franco Spain and other European states paid close attention to developments in the Portuguese political situation. Thirdly, the academic literature has generalised the idea that the April Revolution in Portugal marked the start of the third wave of democratisation, a thesis we will examine here. [...]