A People's History of Portugal

A People's History of Portugal reconstructs the last two hundred years of class struggle in Portugal. Raquel Varela and Roberto della Santa examine the material conditions of its people - examining the real causes of the revolutionary waves and counter-revolutionary backlash.

Starting in the early nineteenth century, the theme of colonialism and its antithesis runs through the narrative, as working-class life was closely entwined with Portuguese colonial exploitation. Despite relatively slow industrial development, Portuguese people spearheaded a surprisingly vigorous radical culture of dissent, eventually sparking a social and political revolution in 1974.

More recently, Portugal's inclusion in the European Union has put its people in a neoliberal stranglehold that stifles democracy to this day. Are the working people of Portugal able to carry the memory of the revolutionary past into its future? This is a history of, and for, the people.

Authors: Raquel Varela, Roberto della Santa

Format: Paperback

Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 9780745351605

Publication date: 20260517