“A Política do Espírito” na formação da Juventude Salazarista e a educação doutrinária da Mocidade Portuguesa (1936-1945)

Abstract

Due to a majoritarian military state born on May 28, 1926, in Portugal, the Portuguese Estado Novo or Second Republic, instituted by the 1933 Constitution’s enactment, built “new” paths for the country and its society. Those paths were refined and established by António de Oliveira Salazar, the President of the Council of Ministers, who was responsible for the management of the state and its partisans. As a catholic and a law graduate of the University of Coimbra, he filled the posts of the Executive Branch with members of his party, who were chosen to get on with the Estado Novo’s project of creating a new society and a Portuguese “new man”. After that, the education system acquired the name of National Education and it was this regime’s weapon of choice to act directly on the process of education and reeducation of the Portuguese minds into the socially acceptable patterns held by the state and its ideology. Since his political activity during his graduation, Salazar took a stand on the creation of a new political elite for the country, a subject that was brought back to discussion during his years in the Government. On the top of this proposal was the Mocidade Portuguesa, a youth organization that received an education based on a range of unquestionable truths, moral and patriotic values, catholic dogmas and military liturgies. This is where this dissertation takes place, aiming to comprehend how these young people were shaped to act in the Portuguese society, both inside the metropolis and in its African colonies.