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National Syndicalists (Portugal)
Encyclopedia
The National Syndicalists (in Portuguese
: Movimento Nacional-Sindicalista, MNS - "National Syndicalist Movement") were a political movement that briefly flourished in Portugal
in the 1930s, and an influence on the Spanish
Falange
.
Under the leadership of Francisco Rolão Preto
, the National Syndicalists emerged in 1932 from a tradition of Monarchism
and Integralismo Lusitano
("Lusitanic
Integralism
") to offer a platform that they hoped would lead to full corporatism
of association or unionism
in opposition to capitalism
, communism
and fascism. They adopted the Order of Christ Cross
as their emblem, in order to underline their Christian
ethos
, and set up their own armed militia
that became known as the "Blueshirts" (Camisas azuis) because of the colour of their uniforms (inspired by Benito Mussolini
's Blackshirts
); they also greeted each other using the Roman salute
.
The National Syndicalists were fairly critical of the regime of António de Oliveira Salazar
, because the Estado Novo adopted the fascist model in the Portuguese state. Initially Salazar appeared ready to allow the National Syndicalists to continue and permitted them to hold a national congress in November 1933. However the movement itself floundered under his rule as many members were attracted to the new regime and broke away to support the government. Salazar announced the dissolution of the group on July 29, 1934.
Despite this official end the National Syndicalists carried on in secret and Preto helped to lead a conspiracy
against the government, which also involved moderate monarchists, some members of the Portuguese Republican Party
, and even a few socialists
and anarchists
who simply wanted to overthrow the regime. The revolt took place on September 10, 1935 but it failed to gain the support of all but a small group of soldiers on board the Bartolomeu Dias warship and in the Lisbon
area of Penha de França
, being crushed almost immediately. As a result of this Preto and his deputy Alberto Monsaraz
were forced into exile in Spain
and the National Syndicalists were fully repressed. The dissidents of the National Syndicalists were subsequently integrated in the União Nacional.
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
: Movimento Nacional-Sindicalista, MNS - "National Syndicalist Movement") were a political movement that briefly flourished in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in the 1930s, and an influence on the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Falange
Falange
The Spanish Phalanx of the Assemblies of the National Syndicalist Offensive , known simply as the Falange, is the name assigned to several political movements and parties dating from the 1930s, most particularly the original fascist movement in Spain. The word means phalanx formation in Spanish....
.
Francisco Rolão Preto
Francisco de Barcelos Rolão Preto, GCIH was a Portuguese politician, journalist, and leader of the Movimento Nacional-Sindicalista .-The national syndicalists:...
, the National Syndicalists emerged in 1932 from a tradition of Monarchism
Monarchism
Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment, preservation, or restoration of a monarchy as a form of government in a nation. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government out of principle, independent from the person, the Monarch.In this system, the Monarch may be the...
and Integralismo Lusitano
Integralismo Lusitano
Integralismo Lusitano was a Portuguese integralist political movement, founded in Coimbra in 1914, that advocated traditionalism but not conservatism. It was against parliamentarism; instead, it favored decentralization, national syndicalism, the Roman Catholic Church, and the monarchy...
("Lusitanic
Lusitanic
Lusitanic , from Latin Lusitanicus, adjective from Lusitania, the name of a Roman province in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the two official names for Portugal is a term used to categorize persons who share the linguistic and cultural traditions of the Portuguese.When the modern day country of...
Integralism
Integralism
Integralism, or Integral nationalism, is an ideology according to which a nation is an organic unity. Integralism defends social differentiation and hierarchy with co-operation between social classes, transcending conflict between social and economic groups...
") to offer a platform that they hoped would lead to full corporatism
Corporatism
Corporatism, also known as corporativism, is a system of economic, political, or social organization that involves association of the people of society into corporate groups, such as agricultural, business, ethnic, labor, military, patronage, or scientific affiliations, on the basis of common...
of association or unionism
Unionism
-Trades:*Community Unionism, describes the various ways in which trade unions can work with communities and community organizations*Craft unionism, an approach to union organizing in the United States and elsewhere that seeks to unify workers in a particular industry along the lines of the...
in opposition to capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
, communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and fascism. They adopted the Order of Christ Cross
Order of Christ Cross
The Order of Christ Cross, or simply the Christ Cross, is the emblem of the historical Portuguese Order of Christ...
as their emblem, in order to underline their Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
ethos
Ethos
Ethos is a Greek word meaning "character" that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology. The Greeks also used this word to refer to the power of music to influence its hearer's emotions, behaviors, and even morals. Early Greek stories of...
, and set up their own armed militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
that became known as the "Blueshirts" (Camisas azuis) because of the colour of their uniforms (inspired by Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
's Blackshirts
Blackshirts
The Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
); they also greeted each other using the Roman salute
Roman salute
The Roman salute is a gesture in which the arm is held out forward straight, with palm down, and fingers touching. In some versions, the arm is raised upward at an angle; in others, it is held out parallel to the ground. The former is a well known symbol of fascism that is commonly perceived to be...
.
The National Syndicalists were fairly critical of the regime of António de Oliveira Salazar
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...
, because the Estado Novo adopted the fascist model in the Portuguese state. Initially Salazar appeared ready to allow the National Syndicalists to continue and permitted them to hold a national congress in November 1933. However the movement itself floundered under his rule as many members were attracted to the new regime and broke away to support the government. Salazar announced the dissolution of the group on July 29, 1934.
Despite this official end the National Syndicalists carried on in secret and Preto helped to lead a conspiracy
Conspiracy (political)
In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'état or through assassination....
against the government, which also involved moderate monarchists, some members of the Portuguese Republican Party
Portuguese Republican Party
The Portuguese Republican Party was a Portuguese political party formed during the late years of monarchy that proposed and conducted the substitution of the Constitutional Monarchy by the Portuguese First Republic....
, and even a few socialists
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and anarchists
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
who simply wanted to overthrow the regime. The revolt took place on September 10, 1935 but it failed to gain the support of all but a small group of soldiers on board the Bartolomeu Dias warship and in the Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
area of Penha de França
Penha de França
Penha de França is a Portuguese parish in the municipality of Lisbon. It was created on April 13, 1918. In 1959 its area was reduced in order to create the parishes of Alto do Pina and São João.-Main sites:...
, being crushed almost immediately. As a result of this Preto and his deputy Alberto Monsaraz
Alberto Monsaraz
Alberto de Morés Monsaraz was a Portuguese politician and poet. He was one of the central figures in the Integralismo Lusitano that dominated the far right of Portuguese politics during the early years of the twentieth century.-Early years:Born in Lisbon, he was the son of the poet António de...
were forced into exile in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and the National Syndicalists were fully repressed. The dissidents of the National Syndicalists were subsequently integrated in the União Nacional.