May 22, 2024, 12:02 pm
On 25 April 1974 a group of army captains overthrew the Salazar-Caetano dictatorship in Portugal, starting a remarkable transition to democracy for the country and setting off a series of events of global significance, relating mainly to the accelerated decolonisation of the Portuguese territories in Africa and Asia.
For Australia, the acute impact was centred on East Timor, which after more than 400 years of Portuguese colonialism would experience a traumatic journey to independence, including a 25-year period of Indonesian rule, imposing intense strains on bilateral and regional relationships.
The Carnation Revolution – as the last coup d’etat in Western Europe became known as – unleashed nationalist and cold war forces around the world and posed dilemmas for countries far beyond the borders of Portugal and its colonies.
To commemorate the 50-year anniversary of this historical event, AIIA WA is pleased to be organising, in collaboration with Alliance Française de Perth, a discussion with our distinguished panel to reflect on the impact of the Carnation Revolution on Australia and – what today we call – the Indo-Pacific.
Content Creator – Australian Institute of International Affairs
