Carnation Revolution

The Carnation Revolution (Portuguese, Revolução dos Cravos) was an almost bloodless left-leaning revolution started on April 25, 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, that effectively changed the Portuguese regime from an authoritarian dictatorship to a liberal democracy at the end of a two-year process of a communist-dominated military administration. Although government forces killed four people before surrendering, the revolution was peculiar in that the revolutionaries did not use direct violence to achieve their goals. The population, holding red carnations, convinced the regime soldiers not to resist. The soldiers readily swapped their bullets for flowers. It was the end of the Estado Novo, the longest (but not the last to fall) authoritarian regime in Western Europe.

Related Topics:
Portuguese - Revolution - April 25 - 1974 - Lisbon - Portugal - Authoritarian - Dictatorship - Liberal democracy - Communist - Carnation - Estado Novo - Western Europe

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