Portuguese Legion (Estado Novo)

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 far right-wing regime, the Estado Novo. Salazar copied the SA and the Blackshirts because he wanted to have more power over the Portuguese people. 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, some of them joined the German Army during the war, after the war the Portuguese Legion and Portugal itself were seen as fascists, so the Portuguese Legion lost some power..

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. They used the roman salute and also used to shout the name of Salazar in their parades.

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.