▪ Introduction

▪ Portugal’s position during WWII

▪ Why Portugal was neutral
▪ The Portuguese colonies during the War
▪ Crimes: Aristides de Sousa Mendes action
▪ Conclusion
▪ End
▪ The instability created in Europe by the First World War (1914-18) set the

stage for another international conflict: World War II (WWII). It was the

most devastating war of all time, that lasted from September 1st 1939 to

September 2nd 1945. This war was mainly caused by the economically

and politically unstable Germany, when Adolf Hitler signed strategic

treaties with Italy and Japan to further his ambitions of world domination.

As previously planned, Hitler invaded Poland in early September of 1939,

leading to the declaration of war by Poland's military supporters Great

Britain and France. Since Britain didn't need Portuguese aid, Portugal

remained neutral until 1944, when the United States signed an accord to

build military bases in Azores.

▪ Over the next six years, the conflict would take more lives,

destroy more land and property, and cause more damage to the

world than any other war. Approximately, 45-60 million people

were killed, 6 million of them were Jews murdered in Nazi

concentration camps known as Hitler’s “Final Solution”, the

Holocaust Kids in a Concentration Camp

▪ The Warsaw Ghetto ▪ D-Day
▪ Portugal assumed a neutral position during one of the

worst and most tragic moments of the world's history.

Even with all the pressure from both sides (Allies and
Axis) Portugal managed to keep its position intact.
The Portuguese prime minister at the time, Antonio de
Oliveira Salazar, saw this neutrality as a strategy and
as an opportunity to develop and improve the country,
having many reasons to do it.
▪ Azores, a Portuguese archipelago, was one of the most

wanted territories for military interests, since it had a

strategic position in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
In 1943, Portugal signed an agreement with Britain
and later with the United States, allowing them to use
the military bases located in Azores. The most
Lajes Base during WWII
important one was located in Terceira island and was
called the Base das Lajes. This would later develop
this area in different aspects such as economically.
▪ Portugal still owned a lot of oversea territories that
were poorly developed economically, which meant
that they did not have the artillery or the facilities
to defend themselves from the war. So Salazar
thought it was better not to take the risk of losing
these colonies.
 The Portuguese
colonies:

• Cape Verde
• Guiné-Bissau
• Angola
• Mozambique
• São Tomé e Príncipe
▪ The Portuguese prime minister was afraid of a possible

invasion by Germans through the Spanish territory, since

it was Portugal's only frontier. ln order to keep Spain's
neutrality, both countries signed the Iberian Pact (a non-
aggression agreement). At the time, Portugal was also
responsible to provide Germany wolfram supplies (a
chemical element used in weapons and war equipments),
because the biggest mine of Europe (Panasqueira mine)
was located in the Portuguese territory.
• The Wolfram Trading was such an interesting subject during the War,
that Rod Ashley decided to do a book, exposing all the secrets and
details about what actually happened in Portugal:
▪ Aristides de Sousa Mendes was a Portuguese diplomat and consul that
worked in Bordeaux, France when WWII began. Salazar wrote a
document called "Circular 14" for all the Portuguese diplomats in
Europe that said the following: "the foreign of undefined nationality or
litigation; the stateless; the Jews that have been expelled from their
country of origin or the country that they were citizens" could not get
their visas unless the PIDE (International and State Defense Police)
approved it. Sousa Mendes disobeyed Salazar and illegally issued
30.000 visas to the Jews and other refugees, after the majority of them
being denied by Spain. Jews' only hope was Portugal and Aristides
saved them from a nightmare. When he was caught, his life was
completely turned upside down and was living under miserable
conditions. Only after his dead, he was recognized as an hero.
 Here is the link to watch the trailer:
▪ Aristides was considered one of the "greatest
• https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=wUzoeXqzARY
Portuguese man" ever for many people, since he
sacrificed his life to save others'. He was in fact so
admired and beloved, that it was made a movie in his
honor.
▪ In conclusion, even thought Portugal didn't participate

in World War Two, it definitely affected our country.

Foreign saw Portugal as an escape to what was
happening in most European countries and as a fresh
start for them. Even if at the time, Aristides had
committed a crime, at the end of the day it was so
important and worth the consequences for so many
people.
THE END