General Spinola’s Declaration of Decolonisation 27th July 1974 - commemorative Portuguese bronze medal (1974)
This medal was issued in July 1974 to commemorate President General António de Spínola’s declaration that Portugal would grant independence to its overseas colonies. This came about after the Carnation Revolution in Portugal (25th April 1974) when the Estado Novo authoritarian regime (1926-1974) was overthrown by a military coup along with popular support and that would lead to the ending of the Portuguese Colonial Wars (1961-1974). Most Portuguese people had become weary of the Colonial Wars and conscription, causing support for their colonies to wane and more so as the financial cost of the liberation wars hit home. The Portuguese African colonies to be granted independence were: Mozambique (25th June 1975), Angola (11th November 1975) and Portuguese Guinea-Bissau (10th September 1974).
GUINEA-BISSAU:
PAIGC Partido Africano de Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) was the liberation front that had been fighting for independence in Guinea-Bissau since the 1960s. They had unilaterally declared the independence of Guinea-Bissau on 24 September 1973 and their declaration was immediately recognized by numerous United Nations Member States as well as the UN General Assembly condemning the continued presence of Portuguese forces in ‘The Republic of Guinea-Bissau’ as illegal. Still, Portugal only entered into negotiations with the PAIGC in the aftermath of the Carnation Revolution after which both agreed upon a ceasefire and signed the Algiers Accord on 26 August 1974. Guinea-Bissau was formally became Independent on the 10th September 1974.
MOZAMBIQUE:
FRELIMO Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (Liberation Front of Mozambique) carried out their first attacks on Portuguese targets from 1964 and the guerrilla warfare continued until 1974. The terms of Independence were agreed at the Lusaka Agreement on the 7th September 1974 and they formally became an independent country on the 25th June 1975.
ANGOLA:
The liberation wars there lasted from 1961 until 1975, when terms of agreement for independence was signed off with the Alvor Accord ( 15th January 1975). Although Angola was formally declared independent on the 11th November 1975, the three Angolan liberation movements could not agree, and the country descended into a civil war that lasted a further twenty-seven years until 2002. The wars in Angola involved mainly three independence movements:
MPLA Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola).
FNLA Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola (National Front for the Liberation of Angola).
UNITA União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola).
.
The obverse text reads: INDEPENDENCIA - GUINE - ANGOLA - MOCAMBIQUE - PAIGE - MPLA FNLA UNITA - FRELIMO - DISCURSO DO G. SPINOLA 27-7-1974
The reverse side show a representation of an African tribal art mask and the wording: DESCOLONIZACAO PORTUGUESA
.
References:
file:///C:/Users/Win7/Downloads/OPIL_Decolonization_Portuguese_Territories.pdf
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0007/000748/074894eo.pdf (UNESCO report titled PORTUGESE AFRICA – THE STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE 26th November 1973).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_Colonial_War (Portuguese Colonial Wars).
.
Enamels: n /a.
Finish: n /a
Material: Bronze
Size: 2 23/32” diameter (69mm).
Process: Lost-wax casting.
Weight: 186.6g
Imprint: On obverse MEDAGLIS (manufacturer’s name?). On reverse S.ILV&DOR (?). This medal is numbered 61 on the edge.
General Spinola’s Declaration of Decolonisation 27th July 1974 - commemorative Portuguese bronze medal (1974)
This medal was issued in July 1974 to commemorate President General António de Spínola’s declaration that Portugal would grant independence to its overseas colonies. This came about after the Carnation Revolution in Portugal (25th April 1974) when the Estado Novo authoritarian regime (1926-1974) was overthrown by a military coup along with popular support and that would lead to the ending of the Portuguese Colonial Wars (1961-1974). Most Portuguese people had become weary of the Colonial Wars and conscription, causing support for their colonies to wane and more so as the financial cost of the liberation wars hit home. The Portuguese African colonies to be granted independence were: Mozambique (25th June 1975), Angola (11th November 1975) and Portuguese Guinea-Bissau (10th September 1974).
GUINEA-BISSAU:
PAIGC Partido Africano de Independência da Guiné e Cabo Verde (African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) was the liberation front that had been fighting for independence in Guinea-Bissau since the 1960s. They had unilaterally declared the independence of Guinea-Bissau on 24 September 1973 and their declaration was immediately recognized by numerous United Nations Member States as well as the UN General Assembly condemning the continued presence of Portuguese forces in ‘The Republic of Guinea-Bissau’ as illegal. Still, Portugal only entered into negotiations with the PAIGC in the aftermath of the Carnation Revolution after which both agreed upon a ceasefire and signed the Algiers Accord on 26 August 1974. Guinea-Bissau was formally became Independent on the 10th September 1974.
MOZAMBIQUE:
FRELIMO Frente de Libertação de Moçambique (Liberation Front of Mozambique) carried out their first attacks on Portuguese targets from 1964 and the guerrilla warfare continued until 1974. The terms of Independence were agreed at the Lusaka Agreement on the 7th September 1974 and they formally became an independent country on the 25th June 1975.
ANGOLA:
The liberation wars there lasted from 1961 until 1975, when terms of agreement for independence was signed off with the Alvor Accord ( 15th January 1975). Although Angola was formally declared independent on the 11th November 1975, the three Angolan liberation movements could not agree, and the country descended into a civil war that lasted a further twenty-seven years until 2002. The wars in Angola involved mainly three independence movements:
MPLA Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola).
FNLA Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola (National Front for the Liberation of Angola).
UNITA União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola).
.
The obverse text reads: INDEPENDENCIA - GUINE - ANGOLA - MOCAMBIQUE - PAIGE - MPLA FNLA UNITA - FRELIMO - DISCURSO DO G. SPINOLA 27-7-1974
The reverse side show a representation of an African tribal art mask and the wording: DESCOLONIZACAO PORTUGUESA
.
References:
file:///C:/Users/Win7/Downloads/OPIL_Decolonization_Portuguese_Territories.pdf
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0007/000748/074894eo.pdf (UNESCO report titled PORTUGESE AFRICA – THE STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE 26th November 1973).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_Colonial_War (Portuguese Colonial Wars).
.
Enamels: n /a.
Finish: n /a
Material: Bronze
Size: 2 23/32” diameter (69mm).
Process: Lost-wax casting.
Weight: 186.6g
Imprint: On obverse MEDAGLIS (manufacturer’s name?). On reverse S.ILV&DOR (?). This medal is numbered 61 on the edge.