The Public Memory of the Portuguese Colonial War

Abstract

Chapter 3 focuses on the public memory of the Portuguese colonial war, identifying two distinct phases: from 1974 to 1999 (the postwar silence), and from 2000 onward (a time for revival). This chapter begins with a contextualization of the Portuguese colonial conflict and a reflection on its wider impact and memorial complexities, as well as a characterization of the Portuguese ex-combatant group. Chapter 3’s primary focus is on the diverse domains where public memory is crafted (literature, historiography, audiovisual and printed media, cyberspace and tangible commemoration). This chapter provides a critical, analytical assessment of how remembrance of the Portuguese colonial war has been developing and expanding in Portugal’s transitional society.