Viriatos, named after the Lusitanian leader

Viriathus Viriathus (also spelled Viriatus; known as Viriato in Portuguese and Spanish; died 139 BC) was the most important leader of the Lusitanian people that resisted Roman expansion into the regions of western Hispania (as the Romans called it) or we ...

, was the generic name given to

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

volunteers who fought with the

Nationalists Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

.Herrera Alonso, Emilio. "VIRIATOS DO AR - Aviadores portugueses en la guerra de España" in ''Aeroplano'' nº12.
(in Spanish) In the first weeks of the war, the

Portuguese Army The Portuguese Army ( pt, Exército Português) is the land component of the Armed Forces of Portugal and is also its largest branch. It is charged with the defence of Portugal, in co-operation with other branches of the Armed Forces. With its ...

tried to form a Viriatos Legion to aid the Nationalist insurgents in Spain. The Legion was disbanded before any recruitment drive could take place after pro-Republican incidents in Portugal had convinced the government that direct intervention on the side of the Nationalists could cause further unrest. The widespread publicity given to the Viriatos Legion made all Portuguese volunteers who later enlisted directly in the

Spanish Foreign Legion For centuries, Spain recruited foreign soldiers to its army, forming the Foreign Regiments () - such as the Regiment of Hibernia (formed in 1709 from Irishmen who fled their own country in the wake of the Flight of the Earls and the penal ...

, Carlist militias, the

Falange The Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista (FET y de las JONS; ), frequently shortened to just "FET", was the sole legal party of the Francoist regime in Spain. It was created by General Francisco F ...

or regular army units were known as "Viriatos". According to the historian

Antony Beevor Sir Antony James Beevor, (born 14 December 1946) is a British military historian. He has published several popular historical works on the Second World War and the Spanish Civil War. Early life Born in Kensington, Beevor was educated at two ...

, 12,000 Portuguese participated. The historian Christopher Othen claims the number to be closer to 8,000. A Portuguese Military Observation Mission with members drawn from all three branches of the

Portuguese military The Portuguese Armed Forces ( pt, Forças Armadas) are the military of Portugal. They include the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the other unified bodies and the three service branches: Portuguese Navy, Portuguese Army and Portuguese Air ...

was present in Spain from 1937 onwards, with the dual objectives of protecting the interests of Portuguese foreign volunteers and collating information on the lessons learned during the civil war. Although the mission officially had a noncombatant role, its air force contingent took part in combat missions, the aviator

José Adriano Pequito Rebelo José Adriano Pequito Rebelo (born 21 May 1892 in Gavião, Portugal – died 22 January 1983 in Lisbon) was a Portuguese writer, politician and aviator. Early life Born into a monarchist family, Pequito Rebelo studied law at University of Coimbra ...

being a notable member.

References

20th century in Portugal Foreign volunteers in the Spanish Civil War Military units and formations of the Spanish Civil War Military units and formations established in 1936 Military units and formations disestablished in 1939 {{Portugal-hist-stub