The Wilson Government (1974-1976). Europe and the Portuguese revolution

Harold Wilson's Government (1974-1976) coincided with the Carnation Revolution in Portugal and the beginning of the consolidation of a democracy of Western type, for which Portugal's accession to the EC was instrumental. Wilson, his Foreign Minister James Callaghan and some of their European partners in the Socialist International -Brandt, Palme, den Uyl, Kreisky, Mitterrand- had the means and the will to intervene in Portugal. As Callaghan would say, the Foreign Office used all the resources at [its] disposal to support the Portuguese democracy in trouble. Drawing on sources from the National Archives of the UK, particularly the Prime-Minister's Office (PREM) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and also the memories of key protagonists, we analyze the main characteristics of this intervention.