Neill Lochery

Poor, backward Portugal endeavored as hard as it could to remain neutral during World War II. Leaning decidedly towards the Axis powers, it could not afford to antagonize either side. Lisbon was the only city in Europe with links to both worlds, and it was the jumping-off point to millions of refugees escaping the Nazi war machine. Historian Neill Lochery uncovers the many nuances of a Portugal that, under the guidance of its Fascist dictator, continually walked the tightrope of wartime politics, economics and the diplomacy of appearing neutral to both sides.… (meer)

Fræðandi rit um línudans Portúgalska einræðisherrans Salazars í síðari heimsstyrjöldinni þegar hann reyndi eftir megni að halda landi sínu utan hernaðarátaka en um leið græða sem mest á Bandamönnum og Öxulveldunum.
Þetta er fyrst og fremst pólitísk saga sem lýsir sjónarmiði einræðisherrans sem mat aðstæður kalt út frá eigin hagsmunum. Honum var sama um ofsóknir nasista gegn gyðingum, stórgræddi á því að selja hernaðarlega mikilvæg hráefni til Þjóðverja og tókst, líkt og Sviss, að safna miklu magni af nasistagulli.
En Bandamenn viðurkenndu hins vegar Salazar sem mikilvægan þjóðhöfðingja sem stóð í hárinu á Þjóðverjum þegar þeir virtust vera að sigra stríðið í Evrópu á árunum 1939-1942 og hélt Portúgal utan áhrifasvæðis þeirra.
Greinargóð frásögn en sjónarhornið er þröngt og að mörgu leyti lofræða um Salazar þrátt fyrir að hann hafi haldið landi sínu í heljargreipum leynilögreglunnar.… (meer)

File under the category that something is better than nothing. Neill Lochery is most concerned with examining how World War II was a turning point for Brazil, and how that conflict gave Pres. Getulio Vargas and his circle the opportunity to leverage Brazilian participation into a real increase in that nation's international power and influence. That said, I have to admit that the tone of the book (particularly in the early chapters) verges on the over-enthusiastic and there is no doubt that it could have been better edited. Lochery also often adopts a "you are there" pose in terms of conversation and motivations that I'm a skeptical he can back up. Be that as it may the real core of this book is tracing the diplomatic dance between Rio and Washington and how this had to work in time with the efforts of the "Estado Novo" regime of Vargas to secure domestic support, and that is a useful thing.… (meer)