At some point in Casablanca, after a conversation about the refugees who’re trying to reach Lisbon, Rick goes “What’s in Lisbon?” and Renault answers “the Clipper to America”. This book is about what was happening in that city during that time and why so many people where trying to reach it.
In WW2 Portugal was in a unique and complex situation: it was a neutral country with a large colonial territory and little international influence, it was under a dictatorship that was sympathetic to Hitler’s fight against communism, it had close diplomatic and commercial ties to Britain, was surrounded by Nazi-friendly Spain and was also the main and safest port in Europe to cross to the United States.
During those years, Lisbon was a city of refugees, espionage and counter-espionage, negotiations, corruption, scheming, smuggling and counterfeiting. Portugal went from a poor and peripheral country in Europe’s tail to a player of strategic importance in the war theater.
I’d recommend Lisbon: War in the Shadows of the City of Light to anyone with an interest in WW2. Lochery focuses on how Salazar (the Portuguese dictator) out-maneuvered both sides but also paints a compelling picture of the daily life of a city with a fascinating double(or triple)-life. He also maintains a good balance between the macro-history and the personal stories of the locals and refugees who were passing by.
It’s a book especially interesting to Portuguese (and Lisboners like me) who would like to know more about a time often over-looked in our history classes. I come from a very left-wing family who tends to villainize Salazar without mercy, but in this occasion I must give him some credit. He played a risky and cunning game during WW2 and achieved his goals: maintain neutrality, independence, territorial integrity and get rich by negotiating with both sides.
Commemoration of the Allied victory in front of Lisbon’s British embassy
He kept the Axis happy by selling them precious wolfram (my grandparents worked in one of the mines) and the Allies happy by helping to persuade Franco to remain neutral. He allowed many Jews and other refugees to leave Europe through Lisbon, and Jewish relief organizations to work freely in the capital, but the Portuguese secret police was pressured on both sides to hand over people and occasionally gave-in.
The balance of the country hanged by a thread, yet Salazar played the game like the best of them until the end of the War. It was probably the height of his career and, as Lochery also thinks, when he should have counted his blessings, implemented democracy, released the colonies, returned the Nazi gold, and retired to write his memoirs quietly. Instead, he tightened his regime, stagnated the country and eventually entered a colonial War that only ended with the Carnation Revolution of ’74.
Interesting facts I didn’t know before Lisbon: War in the Shadows of the City of Light:
- Salazar was considered by many to be the handsomest European dictator.
- Portugal was one of the only countries to keep its Nazi-gold, most likely through a deal with the US, that in return kept their military base in the Azores Islands until this day.
- Leslie Howard (Ashley in Gone with the Wind) died in a flight from Lisbon to the UK. Supposedly because the Germans though Churchill was on that plane.
- Spain was on the brink of invading Portugal during the War. The British, and later the Americans, were on the brink of invading the strategic Azores.
- During the pre-War negotiations, British Prime-Minister Chamberlain offered Hitler the Portuguese colony of Angola without consulting Lisbon.
- Portugal was one of two countries that offered official condolences upon the death of Hitler. The other country was (also neutral) Ireland.
Salazar, posing.
I’ve only started reading about Portuguese history as seen from foreign eyes in the last 10 years or so. Until then most of what I knew had the official sugar-coat of history classes – the golden period of Discoveries, owning half the world, the brave struggles to gain and maintain independence from Spain, the honor to have the Guinness record for the longest standing alliance between two countries with England.
And then I started travelling, talking to people from different backgrounds, reading in other languages (books like this one), and entered a hard process of reality-adjustment that’s still ongoing today. It’s almost like being re-programmed with the growing pains and resistance that come with it.
I remember meeting for the first time an Indian at a party in the US and her saying, after I mentioned I was Portuguese, that we had done some horrible things in her region during the Discovery period. Wait – WHAT?! But… but… we were “nice” colonizers! Look at what Spain did in the Americas! We opened trade! We brought civilization and globalization! We discovered you!
Like I said, it’s a hard process, but an enriching one. Sometimes people and events I put on a pedestal crumble, and sometimes, someone like Dictator Salazar is shown in a different light. Still, he saved Portuguese lives by keeping us neutral, hurrah for him, but was it the brave and honorable thing to do while other nations fought? He prevented Spain from invading, but also ensured that most of the population was illiterate and compliant. “Orgulhosamente sós“, or “Proudly alone“, was his motto, which reflected his taste for economic and cultural isolation.
There’s nothing like travelling and reading to put everything into a healthy perspective and force you to confront those pesky grey areas. In Brussels, city of expats, I’ve had many interesting conversations with people from other countries who are going through the same process of building and re-building old dogmas.
Have you had any similar experiences?
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May 16, 2012 at 9:08 pm
cbjamess
I fell in love with Portugal when I visited several years ago and have dreamed of owning a get-a-way in Lisbon every since. So my understanding of Portugese history is probably even more sugar-coated than yours is. In America we have so many strong ethnic communities from Europe, there is a large Portugese community here in the Bay Area, that almost everyone’s history ends up sugar-coated, especially our own. That’s been changing, at least here in California, where the history books we use present a much fuller portrait of what really happened than they used to. In other states, the situation is still what it was 30 years ago when history was largely the study of faultless heros and the heroic deeds they did.
May 21, 2012 at 5:59 pm
Alex
We also have a large community in New Jersey (Newark to be precise). It would be a really interesting PhD these to do some research on the way schoolbooks-history changes over time.
May 17, 2012 at 12:15 am
bibliotecaobscura
Sounds like a fascinating book. I regret that we Portuguese don’t have the gift for writing entertaining history books in the Anglo-American tradition; ours are always so ponderous and dull and academic, there’s no interest in writing for the laymen. That’s why I know more about England than Portugal. I’ll keep this book on my tbr list.
Regarding that Indian, he’s right, of course, we were horrible, but no more than any other people in history. Or as Jorge de Sena put it, the alternative would have been to be nothing. Rather be a bloodthirsty empire once than be a non-entity forever.
May 21, 2012 at 6:25 pm
Alex
I completely agree with what you’re saying: our history non-fiction is either the hard-score stuff or fluff (The-Terribly-Sad-Love-of-Pedro-and-Ines type of book). I’ve often also realize that I know more about British history (and probably also American) than that of my own country, which is pretty sad. I think I’ll make a small personal project next year to correct that.
The party where I met that Indian was a funny one. I also met a guy from Macau, who had a Portuguese passport, but who knew nothing about Portugal, not even where it was on the map :S
Another interesting book about Portuguese history by non-Portuguese is “Wrath of God: The Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755”. There’s also Laurentino Gomes’ 1808, but I had serious problems with it. I’m curious about “The First Global Village: How Portugal Changed The World” – have you read it?
May 17, 2012 at 8:14 am
Patty
I am so astonished – what you’re writing could apply to me (ok, without the colonisation). The sugar-coated history taught at school (I am ashamed to say that I learned the “real” events about Greece and Cyprus while studying at a foreign university), the discovery of lost tales that bring to life new facets of “history”. Like you, I cannot recommend travelling, reading and discussing with other people enough in order to have a more informed view of the world. Of course, these truths come to light a long time after the actual events. Which brings me to my question: when will we learn about what is happening today?? Excellent review Alex, and another book of great interest!
May 21, 2012 at 6:28 pm
Alex
Of the nationalities that I’ve met here in Brussels, I think the Greeks are the ones that are going through the hardest “de-programming” of all, not only about Cyprus, but probably even more about Turkey. We should discuss it, I’m very interested in knowing your views!
May 18, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Jay
Hi Alex,
I think I may adopt Salazar’s motto for certain times of my life, especially when people are “bothering” me to spend time with them. 🙂 Maybe if I say it in Portugese they will be more understanding.
I, too, find that my views, some long held, are being continually updated and revised as I learn more about people and the world. I also find, much to my amazement, that many people ignore this seemingly natural process. They reach a certain point in their life and kind of say, “Okay, this is it. This is how the world works and where I fit into it,” then cease pursuing or just ignore all avenues to potential future growth. Life’s just not that easy…
-Jay
May 21, 2012 at 6:31 pm
Alex
I’ve also met lots of people who’re in that “I’m done” stage and I find it’s no use to try to debate with them. it’s hard to have your beliefs challenged all the time. I’m not religious, but I’d guess that’s also how a believer would feel nowadays.
May 19, 2012 at 8:44 am
Arti
Alex,
Thanks for a well-written and analyzed post. I admit I know very little about the history of Portugal and the role it played during WWII. But I do have some experience being born and grew up in a colony, Hong Kong, before I came to Canada at 15 with my family. What I had lived through was pleasant influences of colonialism… some sort of reaping the benefits from the colonizer. I also notice your very insightful statement: “…going through the same process of building and re-building old dogmas.” Well, aren’t we all in this postmodern age. I’m afraid all the ‘deconstructions’ have done some damages to our identity too… who and what we are need to be redefined as well. And oh, I’ve appreciated how you start this post with Casablanca. I’ve enjoyed reading your informative review and insights.
May 21, 2012 at 6:46 pm
Alex
Hong Kong must be an interesting place to grown up in.
I never thought about how the re-building would affect identity, personal and that of a whole country. I do notice I’m much less judgmental and tend to always see both sides, to the point of being almost a curse!
May 22, 2012 at 1:38 am
Libby
I just learned more about Portugal during the Second World War than I ever did in school! Great post!!! I also like the way you tied it go Casablanca – something we could relate to – at the beginning.
June 29, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Alex
Thanks 🙂 I’m glad I did a contribution (however small)!
May 28, 2012 at 7:16 pm
rearadmiral
I read it and enjoyed it! Thanks!!
June 29, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Alex
Thank you for dropping by!
November 6, 2012 at 11:30 pm
Olivia Grimes
Hi Alex, I was born in Portugal and left at 1 yr. of age; that was 53 years ago. I have questions about by fathers past and am now learning about Portugal’s past. For a small country, it’s history is very interesting.
Olivia
*would you be able to contact me if you have any information regarding the mining of wolfram; that part I am researching for my family tree.
November 6, 2012 at 11:35 pm
Alex
Hi Olivia, how do I contact you? Where were was your family from? If they were involved in mining, probably from the mountains in the North, like mine.
Send me an email: thesleeplessreader(at)gmail.com