ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the immediate impact of the 1974 Revolution and the early period of the Second Republic until 1976 and how Lisbon briefly became a flash point of international attention. In particular, the question of whether or not Portugal would become a Communist regime and be lost to the Western camp raised serious issues for the EC and the United States. An agreement was hammered out by January 15 and was signed by each of the Angolan parties’ leaders. This created a transitional government that would prepare the country for complete independence on November 11, 1975. Initially, Portuguese foreign policy appeared to have provided a successful option for Angola’s political development. Important ties had been established in the 1974–1976 period that would help to reinforce Portugal’s European and Western democratic identity. US-Portuguese relations, moreover, remained close, and the bases stayed open as an important part of NATO’s Atlantic strategic operations.
