Legião Portuguesa (Estado Novo)

For other uses, see Portuguese Legion.

Portuguese Legion
'"Legião Portuguesa"

Motto	To '"defend the spiritual heritage [of Portugal]" and to "fight the communist threat and anarchism".
Formation	1936
Type	Paramilitary
Legal status	Defunct
Region served	Portugal
Parent organization	National Union (Portugal)

The Portuguese Legion (Portuguese: Legião Portuguesa) was a Portuguese paramilitary state organization founded in 1936 during the Portuguese President of the Council´s António de Oliveira Salazar's right-wing regime, the Estado Novo. It was dissolved in 1974.

Its stated objectives were to "defend the spiritual heritage [of Portugal]" and to "fight the communist threat and anarchism". During World War II, the Portuguese Legion was the only Portuguese state organization that openly adopted and defended Hitler's aims for Europe.

The Portuguese Legion was under the control of the Ministry of the Interior and War, and was responsible for coordinating civil defense in Portuguese territory, including in the Portuguese Empire. It was deeply involved in multiple collaborations with PIDE, the political police that was the authoritarian regime's main tool of repression.

Membership

Membership in the Portuguese Union was open to any white person over 18 years of age.

Members of the Portuguese Legion were divided into three levels:
Escalão das Actividade Militares: included legionaries from the ages of 18 to 45.
Escalão Privativo da DCT: Members 45 and older.
Escalão de Serviços Moderados: Only open to members over the age of 60.

Oath

The official oath of the Portuguese Legion was:

Portuguese Lyrics	English translation
Como legionário, juro obediência aos meus chefes na defesa da Pátria e da ordem social e afirmo solenemente pela minha honra que tudo sacrificarei, incluindo a própria vida, se tanto for necessário, ao serviço da Nação, do seu património espiritual, da moral cristã e da liberdade da terra portuguesa.	As a Legionnaire, I swear obedience to the my generals in the defense of the country and of the social order and solemnly affirm on my honor that I will sacrifice everything, including my life, if necessary, for the service of the nation, its spiritual heritage of Christian morality and freedom of the Portuguese land. In addition to the legionnaires, there were subscribers who are not members of the LP, contributed to its financing.

Portuguese Lyrics

English translation

Como legionário, juro obediência aos meus chefes na defesa da Pátria e da ordem social
e afirmo solenemente pela minha honra que tudo sacrificarei, incluindo a própria vida, se tanto for necessário,
ao serviço da Nação, do seu património espiritual, da moral cristã e da liberdade da terra portuguesa.

As a Legionnaire, I swear obedience to the my generals in the defense of the country and of the social order
and solemnly affirm on my honor that I will sacrifice everything, including my life, if necessary,
for the service of the nation, its spiritual heritage of Christian morality and freedom of the Portuguese land.
In addition to the legionnaires, there were subscribers who are not members of the LP, contributed to its financing.

War Cry

The official war cry of the Portuguese Legion was:

Portuguese Lyrics	English translation
Legionários, quem vive? Portugal! Portugal! Portugal! Legionários, quem manda? Salazar! Salazar! Salazar!	Legionnaires, who lives? Portugal! Portugal! Portugal! Legionaries, who is the boss? Salazar! Salazar! Salazar!

Sources

ARAÚJO, Rui. The Empire of Spies . Alfragide: Book Workshop, 2010
RODRIGUES, Luís Nuno. The Portuguese Legion: a new state militia (1936-1944) . Lisbon: Editorial Estampa, 1996.
SILVA, Joshua's. Portuguese Legion: repressive force of fascism . Lisbon: Diabril Publisher 1975.

Legião Portuguesa (Estado Novo)

Membership

Oath

War Cry

Sources

See also