Movement of National Antifascist Unity
Encyclopedia
The Movement of National Antifascist Unity was a political platform of democratic organizations that struggled against the Portuguese fascist-leaning regime, led by António de Oliveira Salazar
. The Movement of National Antifascist Unity was founded in December 1943, shortly after the 3rd Congress of the Portuguese Communist Party, that strongly influenced its creation.
Inside the MUNAF, several tendencies of the democratic resistance were joined together, along with the communists, it also congregated socialists, republicans, Catholics, liberals and monarchists. Several prominent figures of the resistance made part of its leadership, such as Bento de Jesus Caraça
, Mário Soares
and Norton de Matos.
The MUNAF ended when, in 1945, with a whole new international panorama created by the defeat of the major fascist regimes in World War II
, Salazar was forced to fake some democratic changes in order to keep its image at the eyes of the western allies, so, in October of that year, the democratic resistance was legally authorized to form a platform. That platform, originated in the MUNAF, was named Movement of Democratic Unity
(Portuguese: Movimento de Unidade Democrática, or MUD) and replaced the MUNAF as the major platform of democratic organizations.
António de Oliveira Salazar
António de Oliveira Salazar, GColIH, GCTE, GCSE served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968. He also served as acting President of the Republic briefly in 1951. He founded and led the Estado Novo , the authoritarian, right-wing government that presided over and controlled Portugal...
. The Movement of National Antifascist Unity was founded in December 1943, shortly after the 3rd Congress of the Portuguese Communist Party, that strongly influenced its creation.
Inside the MUNAF, several tendencies of the democratic resistance were joined together, along with the communists, it also congregated socialists, republicans, Catholics, liberals and monarchists. Several prominent figures of the resistance made part of its leadership, such as Bento de Jesus Caraça
Bento de Jesus Caraça
Bento de Jesus Caraça, GCSE, GOL was an influential Portuguese mathematician, economist and statistician. Caraça was also a member of the Portuguese Communist Party and so, he became one of the most famous personalities in the resistance against the Fascist regime led by António Oliveira...
, Mário Soares
Mário Soares
Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares, GColTE, GCC, GColL, KE , Portuguese politician, served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1976 to 1978 and from 1983 to 1985, and subsequently as the 17th President of Portugal from 1986 to 1996.-Family:...
and Norton de Matos.
The MUNAF ended when, in 1945, with a whole new international panorama created by the defeat of the major fascist regimes in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Salazar was forced to fake some democratic changes in order to keep its image at the eyes of the western allies, so, in October of that year, the democratic resistance was legally authorized to form a platform. That platform, originated in the MUNAF, was named Movement of Democratic Unity
Movement of Democratic Unity
The Movement of Democratic Unity was a quasi-legal platform of Portuguese democratic organizations that opposed the dictatorial regime of António Oliveira Salazar and was founded in October 1945....
(Portuguese: Movimento de Unidade Democrática, or MUD) and replaced the MUNAF as the major platform of democratic organizations.