Author:
Professor António Paulo Duarte, PhD
National Defence Institute and Institute of Contemporary History (Nova University) - (Instituto da Defesa Nacional e Instituto de História Contemporânea Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa)
"This moment give (to Portugal) a unique opportunity in our history to acquire personality. If he leave it, he is a lost nation. My point of view is this. Portugal must assume without equivocation the role of allied of England and give her what, even little, she can give her, but give it to her and not expect her to demand it or take him by her own hands. (...). For the first time in the history of our most ancient alliance we will have given it something and no ask for."
(Quoted in João Chagas, Diário I, 1914, Lisboa, (s/d), p. 132).
João Chagas was one of the most pro-belligerency Portuguese politicians of the First World War. Why talk about its view regarding Portuguese Neutrality in the First World War? Because its view on the Portuguese strategic position in the First World War, being him a pro-war interventionist, it is also a reflection on Portuguese neutrality and what that mean for Portugal.Portugal was officially neutral in the First World War until II Reich Declaration of war on the country. But Portugal, accordingly with a request from Great Britain, never declares his neutrality and by the contrary, assumed that was obliged by the alliance responsibilities. And between 1914 and 1916, Portugal, more that a neutral, was indeed a non-belligerent country.And meanwhile, in 1914, several small clashes of arms happened between Portuguese and German colonial forces in Africa.In the view of José de Castro, the question of belligerence derived from the repositioning of Portugal in the international system, through the alliance, without doubt, but in order to become a more credible partner, and therefore, with greater strategic weight, or with greater freedom within it. The belligerence was the interest to be credited to Portugal's greater liberty in the international system.(Quoted in Rocha Martins, Pimenta de Castro, Ditador Democrático, Lisboa (s/d)., p. 219.).
"Portugal has not yet declared belligerence, no sir, and yet it is urgent that he declares it. It is a question of decorum and independence. If you want to live and if you want to be someone in the future Concert of Europe, hurry to enter the war (...) ... Portugal has been a vassal of England and ... it does not now have the right to lose the magnificent opportunity to be rescued“
(Quoting João Chagas, in Aquilino Ribeiro, É a Guerra. Diário, Lisboa, (s/d), p. 68)
João Chagas see the supposed “neutrality” of Portugal as a real ambiguity: Portugal was really not a neutral country who never declared its neutrality; and yet wasn´t also a belligerent country, despite having assumed the alliance with Great Britain obligations. In that circumstances, only assuming Portugal´s real situation could be an honorable and dignified position – he have to be a belligerent state. Moreover, that, in the view of João Chagas, was the posture that better serve the real Portugal interests as a nation.
In Conclusion, what the view of João Chagas tell us today: Neutrality is much more than a simply will. Neutrality depended on systemic contexts and also of the position of the states in the international system. War or neutrality is a choice regarding what leaderships thinks are the best for their countries or regimes or whatsoever. Portugal, accordingly with João Chagas, couldn´t be neutral in that war. He was by the existence of the alliance and by the colonial context obliged to be a belligerent in the side of the Entente Cordiale. It was the only dignified position and the only that serves Portugal interest.
“Cooperation, not Connivance.”
(Quoted in João Chagas, Portugal perante a Guerra. Subsídios para uma página da História Nacional. Porto (s/d), p. 23)
Portugal cannot be neutral, due to the alliance. And indeed, even the partisans of the “neutrality” accept the need of Portugal fulfil Britain requests when in the name of the alliance.As indeed, it happens again with Portugal in Second World War. Salazar never declared a formal neutrality, only the hope that Portugal was not involved in the conflict directly, and have always in account British war needs, even if he try to assume a posture more accordingly with a neutral status.
Comments