Portugal and the German Democratic Republic during the Carnation Revolution

This paper will show how Portugal and the GDR developed international relations in the political aftermath of 25 April 1974. During the two year transitional period following the military coup, bilateral contacts, especially those between the two communist parties (PCP and SED) went through three different phases. The first, in which the immediate goals of the Portuguese communists determined the course of the international relations; the second, in which the SED became an active player in the revolutionary process; and the third, which was marked by the sudden withdrawal of East German support for the PCP.