Portuguese counterinsurgency units Angola, 1961-1974
Abstract
Between 1961 and 1974, in a desperate attempt to preserve its empire, Portugal became embroiled in a brutal colonial war on three different African fronts. The Portuguese nation was one of the poorest in Europe and had a population far smaller than that of other colonial powers such as France or the United Kingdom. Despite this, the dictatorial regime led by António de Oliveira Salazar steadfastly refused to make any concessions that would lead its overseas territories toward independence. This resulted in a long, nearly fourteen-year conflict that claimed the lives of thousands of young Portuguese men and left the country in ruins. Ultimately, it was all in vain, as a military coup overthrew the dictatorship in 1974 and granted independence to the colonies of the Iberian nation. To face the challenge of defeating the insurgent movements in Guinea, Angola, and Mozambique, Portugal had to adapt to a mode of conflict for which it was unprepared: subversive warfare. This required the development of a whole new combat doctrine suited for this type of warfare and, above all, the creation and expansion of forces capable of carrying it out. We will analyze these counterinsurgency units in the war theater of Angola.Downloads
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