Echoes of the Great Depression in Portugal: reports, diagnostics, and solutions

Abstract

This article discusses the impact of the Great Depression in Portugal during the crucial period when the foundations of the new authoritarian political regime of the Estado Novo (New State) were being laid out. Special attention is given to the technical and political role played by Salazar, who managed to use his position as Finance Minister to establish an image of trustworthiness and solid leadership. In this article, we focus on the news about the crisis that circulated in the public sphere as well as on the solutions put forward by diverse representatives of political and economic interests, thus attempting to cast a new light on the already well developed historiographic tradition concerning the impact of the Great Depression in Portugal.