Os Números na Primeira Fase da Guerra de África (1961-1965)

The African war (1961-1974) can also be analyzed through the “numbers” in order to know the data about the military recruitment and mobilization, the casualties, the resources used, and war expenses. The phase between 1961 and 1965 is prior to the called “Africanization of war” and was after 1965 that was verified an increase of the number of defaulters and in the number of deserters. In this phase, the Portuguese military dead represent 18% of the total of dead in the war and was in this period until 1965 that the independence movements suffered 24% of their total casualties from the war. In this first phase of the war (1961-1965) it can be also recognized the increase on war expenses and their impact on the Portuguese GDP, as well as the measures taken by the Government to sustain the war effort, through the creation of new taxes, as the Tax on Transactions, created in 1966, to support military expenses overseas. In chronological terms, the period up to 1965 represents 36% of the war total period, but represents 18% of the Portuguese military casualties, 24% of casualties from independence movements and 21% of total war expenditure.