INTRODUCTION

In spite of its small size, the Portuguese territory has great geographical diversity. Yet, in spite of this geographical diversity, the Portuguese population has great cultural homogeneity. These two facts ensure that there has never been any internal Portuguese national question during the twentieth century.

From an external point of view, however, the situation is rather different. Since at least the eighteenth century, Portuguese society had perceived a Spanish threat to Portuguese independence, and such a problem was still predominant in the first half of the twentieth century. As a matter of fact, this Spanish threat never materialised into aggression, or even significant interference in Portuguese affairs. Anyway, the absence of any conflict between the two countries should perhaps be explained as a consequence of the three steps Portugal took to protect the country against the Spanish threat: the alliance with Britain, the African adventure, and the efforts to promote modern economic growth. The roots of this perception of a Spanish threat, the relations between the two countries during the first half of the twentieth century, and the measures taken to protect Portugal against the Spanish threat will be dealt with in the first half of this chapter.

From the late 1940s until the mid-1980s, the Portuguese national question gradually moved from the traditional pattern summarised above to a full commitment to European integration.