Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
finance minister. A former professor of economics and law at the University of Coim-
bra, Salazar balanced the budget and the interests of the country's often-warring fac-
tions. His skill and his reputation as a clean-living, fair-minded patriot earned him
a promotion. In 1932, he became prime minister, and he set about creating his New
State
(Estado Novo).
For nearly four decades, Salazar ruled a stable but isolated nation based on har-
mony between the traditional power blocs of the ruling class—the military, big busi-
ness, large landowners, and the Catholic Church. This Christian fascism, backed by
the military and secret police, was ratified repeatedly in elections by the country's
voters—the richest 20 percent of the populace.
As a person, Salazar was respected, but not loved. The son of a farm manager,
he originally studied to be a priest before going on to become a scholar and writer.
He never married. Quiet, low-key, and unassuming, he attended church regularly and
lived a nonmaterialistic existence. But when faced with opposition, he was ruthless,
and his secret police became an object of fear and hatred.
Salazar steered Portugal through the turmoil of Spain's Civil War (1936-1939), re-
maining officially neutral while secretly supporting Franco's fascists. He detested Nazi
Germany's “pagan” leaders, but respected Mussolini for reconciling with the pope. In
World War II, Portugal was officially neutral, but was often friendly with longtime ally
Britain and used as a base for espionage. After the war, it benefited greatly from the
United States' Marshall Plan for economic recovery (which Spain missed out on dur-
ing Franco's rule), and the country joined NATO in 1949.
Salazar distracted his poor and isolated masses with a cynical credo:
“Fado, Fá-
tima, and Futebol”
(the three “Fs”). Salazar's regime was undone by two factors: the
liberal 1960s and the unpopular, draining wars Portugal fought abroad to try to keep its
colonial empire intact. When Salazar died in 1970, the regime that followed became
increasingly less credible, leading to the liberating events of the Carnation Revolution
in 1974.
Cristo Rei (Christ of Majesty)
—A huge, 330-foot concrete statue of Christ (à la Rio
de Janeiro) overlooks Lisbon from across the Rio Tejo, stretching its arms wide to sym-
bolically bless the city (or as less reverent Portuguese say, “to dive into the river”). Lis-
bon's cardinal, inspired by a visit to Rio de Janeiro in 1936, wanted a replica built back
home. Increased support came after an appeal was made to Our Lady of Fátima in 1940
to keep Portugal out of World War II. Portugal survived the war relatively unscathed, and
