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António Salazar and the Reversal of Portuguese Colonial Policy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2009

Alan K. Smith
Alan K. Smith
Affiliation:
Syracuse University
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Extract

This article has argued that under António Salazar Portuguese colonial policy was altered from one which envisaged the ultimate growth and development of the African colonies to one which emphasized colonial stability. Between 1928 and 1930 he took steps to diminish the role of foreign capital in the colonies, weaken the influence of special interest groups, restrict Portuguese emigration to the colonies, and bring colonial autonomy to an end. As a result of these measures, Salazar ensured that metropolitan Portugal would be the chief beneficiary of the exploitation of the Portuguese colonies.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of African History , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , October 1974 , pp. 653 - 667
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1974

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References

1 James, Duffy, Portuguese Africa (Harvard, 1959), 246.Google Scholar

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7 U.S., Department of State, T705/6 Dearing to State Department, 9 Dec. 1925. At various times rumours abounded that Germany, Italy, South Africa, Great Britain, and even the League of Nations had designs on the Portuguese colonies.

8 T705/32, Honaker, to S.D., , 13 05 1922; Correio da Beira, 18 03 1913, 4; Noticias da Beira, 5 05 1930, 9.Google Scholar

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16 T705/16. Hollis, to D., S., 8 08 1921.Google Scholar

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18 For example, the British government first approached the Portuguese on the question of renewal of the Niassa company charter in 1920, but it was not until 1927 that even an acknowledgment of the original request was made, even though reminders had been sent at periodic intervals.

19 See F.O. 63/1446 for British government involvement in promoting the interests of the British capital in the Mozambique company; F.O. 367/291, Bostock, to MacDonald, , 10 06 1912.Google Scholar

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24 T705/28, Styles to D., S., 16 04 1926;Google Scholar F.O. 179/530, Maugham, to O., F., 5 12 1911. No one took these threats seriously, as it was widely realized that secession was impractical.Google Scholar

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33 T705/30, Moffit, to D., S., 19 10 1927.Google Scholar

34 Correio da Beira, 27 05 1913, 2.Google Scholar

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36 T705/6, Dearing, to D., S., 19 01 1926; T705/28Google Scholar, Bailey to S. D., 28 September 1926; T705/28, Clark to S. D., 8 December 1923.

37 The best description of the financial crisis is contained in T705/34, Moffit, to D., S., 16 05 1927;Google Scholar Also, F.O. 371/7097, Watson, to Curzon, , 3 09 1921.Google Scholar

38 T705S/30, Gourley, to D., S., 22 09 1925;Google Scholar T705/30, Gourley, to D., S., 20 12 1925;Google Scholar T705/30, Cross, to D., S., 19 03 1924;Google Scholar T705/30, Gourley, to D., S., 22 09 1925.Google Scholar

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40 F.O. 371/5490, Curzon, to Carnegie, , II 10 1920.Google Scholar

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42 F.O. 371/11927, Watson, to Chamberlain, , 27 08 1927. From 1921 to 1926 the cost of Angola to Portugal rose about elevenfold.Google Scholar

43 The fact that the government took no action in this area is even more significant because complaints against foreigners were becoming more pronounced, both in the colonies and in Portugal itself.

44 T705/34, Moffit, to D., S., 21 07 1927;Google Scholar T705/32, Moffit, to D., S., is 07 1927.Google Scholar

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51 T705/28, Tower, to D., S., 10 12 1928.Google Scholar

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53 F.O. 371/20502, ‘Annual Report on Portugal and the Portuguese Colonies for 1935’; F.O. 371/16492, Adam, to Simon, , 6 10 1932.Google Scholar

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55 F.O. 371/15014, Salazar, to Kylsant, , 21 02 1930;Google Scholar F.O. 371/15014, minute by Hoyer, Millar, , 24 03 1930. The position of the British Foreign Office was somewhat hypocritical. While it considered the company anachronistic and certainly poorly managed, it had been instrumental in obliging Kylsant to take over the company in the first place, so as to keep it under British control. Thus, it had to try everything in its power to try to secure the renewal of the charter. The correspondence takes up many files, among the most important being F.O. 371/13423.Google Scholar

56 Noticias da Beira, 18 03 1931, 8; The Times, 29 07 1929, 18.Google Scholar

57 F.O. 371/15030, see the Colonial Act.

58 F.O. 371/18584, O'Meara to F.O., 6 November 1934.

59 A translation of the text of the Colonial Act appears in F.O. 371/15030.

60 F.O. 371/20512, ‘Annual Report on Portugal and the Portuguese Colonies for 1935’.

61 F.O. 371/18584, ‘Memo on Angola', by Francis O’Meara, end, in O'Meara, to F.O., , 26 09 1934; ‘Provincia de Angola’, 25 09 1934Google Scholar, end, in supra; F.O. 371/15755, Smalibones, to F.O., , 19 01 1931;Google Scholar F.O. 371/16499, King, to F.O., , 26 04 1932.Google Scholar

62 Noticias da Beira, ‘Carta de Lisboa’, 4 03 1931, 8.Google Scholar