Overview

The Portuguese participation in the Great War took place in two distinct scenarios. In Angola and Mozambique, defending the Portuguese colonies from German attacks, and in Europe, where the Portuguese soldiers fought in the Flanders region alongside British troops.

The two groups had, in common, a lack of preparation, a lack of the superior’s decision-making capacity, and a startling number of deaths. The vast majority of Portuguese deaths didn’t even occur in combat. With no medical, military, logistical, or food resources, thousands of men succumbed to cold, heat, hunger, thirst, and disease.