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In the beginning of 1974, the situation was of military rupture in Guinea, very difficult in Mozambique and controlled in Angola. But the political conception of the Portuguese regime prevented the separations of the cases and the autonomous negotiation of each territory. It would be doubtful that liberation movements would accept this type of solution. In these circumstances, only one internal movement could lead, through the change of the political board, to a solution negotiated to the war. It was what happened with the creation of the Captains Movement, changed into Movement of the Armed Forces just before the military “coup”.
Portugal mobilised to the colonial war, during the thirteen years of its duration, more than 800.000 military men, without taking into account the local contingents who progressively integrated the Portuguese forces, reaching a very rate of the effectives present, particularly in Mozambique and Angola. From the Portuguese commitment, more than 8.000 dead resulted to the armed forces, almost a half in combat.
The defence costs have surpassed 7% of PIB and 40% of the General Budget of the State.
This war, the longest colonial war in Africa, would lead the military men to the extreme of their resistance, factor that was at the origin of the creation of the military movement that led to the fall of the Portuguese regime, the Movement of Armed Forces, in 25th of April 1974.
Once changed the nature of the Portuguese regime, the military commitment of the Portuguese Armed Forces lost its support in the colonial territories. The new leaders of Portugal, at the same time they were announcing the democratization of the country, they were naturally accepting the principals of self determination and independence. The transition phases were therefore negotiated with the liberation movements committed in the armed struggle which led to the end of the military actions involving Portuguese forces.
After the 25th of April 1974, the question of the decolonization has been placed with a great acuity, leading the new Portuguese authorities and the liberation movements to the signature of agreements for transference of powers. The Portuguese forces left Guinea Bissau in 1974. Mozambique and Angola became independent in 1975.
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