ABSTRACT

From 1933 until 1974, Portugal was ruled by the dictator Antonio Salazar and his successor, Marcello Gaetano. When Caetano's regime finally collapsed in 1974, the country experienced great political instability that threatened to produce a far-left regime. After World War II, Salazar envisioned a new role for Portugal, which would no longer be a country hovering on the periphery of the main international political arena of Europe. It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of Portugal and its administratively autonomous regions, the Azores and Madeira. Together they form a triangle, sometimes referred to as "the Portuguese platform," that straddles the trade routes to a Europe that is heavily dependent on essential imports. Portugal is therefore significantly more than just a conveniently located platform for the use of NATO forces.