Liberal Reformism in Portugal (c. 1870-1910)
Liberal Reformism in Portugal (c. 1870-1910)
This research focuses on some of the reformist movements among the ruling liberal elite in the last four decades of the Portuguese constitutional monarchy (c. 1870-1910). It examines in detail, by resorting to a wide range of published and unpublished sources, the "New Life" movement launched by the historian Oliveira Martins in 1885 and later associated with João Franco's governments (1893-1897 and 1906-1908). It is particularly concerned with Martins' critique of the Portuguese liberal state and Franco's attempts at political reform and party organization. Both Martins and Franco have been traditionally identified as forerunners of the 1930s authoritarian state. Supported by an historical overview of Portuguese liberalism and by comparatives perspectives on other European countries, this research project presumes that post-First World War authoritarianism is not the right framework to gauge the New Life and other reformist movements in the last years of the constitutional monarchy.
This research focuses on some of the reformist movements among the ruling liberal elite in the last four decades of the Portuguese constitutional monarchy (c. 1870-1910). It examines in detail, by resorting to a wide range of published and unpublished sources, the "New Life" movement launched by the historian Oliveira Martins in 1885 and later associated with João Franco's governments (1893-1897 and 1906-1908). It is particularly concerned with Martins' critique of the Portuguese liberal state and Franco's attempts at political reform and party organization. Both Martins and Franco have been traditionally identified as forerunners of the 1930s authoritarian state. Supported by an historical overview of Portuguese liberalism and by comparatives perspectives on other European countries, this research project presumes that post-First World War authoritarianism is not the right framework to gauge the New Life and other reformist movements in the last years of the constitutional monarchy.