Revolutionary versus reactionary: contrasting Portuguese and Spanish civil-military relations during democratisation LSE Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/100892/ Version: Accepted Version Article: Olivas Osuna, José Javier (2019) Revolutionary versus reactionary: contrasting Portuguese and Spanish civil-military relations during democratisation. War & Society, 38 (3). pp. 225-248. ISSN 0729-2473 https://doi.org/10.1080/07292473.2019.1617663 Reuse Items deposited in LSE Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the LSE Research Online record for the item.
[email protected] https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/ Revolutionary versus Reactionary: Contrasting Portuguese and Spanish Civil-Military Relations during Democratization Abstract The military is an important factor for the success or failure of democratization processes. Portugal and Spain provide two paradigmatic cases. Despite their socio-economic, political and cultural similarities, these countries developed very different civil-military relations which significantly impacted their transitions. After having handed power over to a civilian dictator, Salazar, the Portuguese military eventually caused the downfall of his authoritarian Estado Novo regime and steered the transition to democracy. In contrast the Spanish military, which had helped Franco defeat the Second Republic, remained loyal to the dictator’s principles and, after his death, obstructed the democratization process. Drawing on primary and secondary sources, this interdisciplinary article contrasts the challenges posed by the military and the policies implemented by the Iberian governments to depoliticize and control it.