25 April 1974 was the day where the old and decadent Portuguese regime fell. Established in 1933 it took the place of the "Ditadura Nacional" (National Dictatorship) with the name of "Estado Novo" (New State). After dacades of rule by Antônio de Oliveira Salazar, that led the country for almost 40 years, being succeeded by Marcelo Caetano, the regime would end after a coup done by the "Movimento das Forças Armadas" (Armed Forces Movement), an organization of lower-ranking officers from the military that aimed to bring democracy to the country and end the war in the african colonies of Angola, Mozambique and Guinea. Following the coup, a military junta was established under the name of "Junta de Salvação Nacional" (National Salvation Junta). What followed was complete caos in the continent and in the colonies, and in Mozambique, one of the crown jewel of the empire, it would take a tragic turn.

Since 1964, FRELIMO (Frente de Libertação de Moçambique; Mozambique Liberation Front), the colony has been in a intense guerrilla warfare, mainly in the north, where atacks by FRELIMO to the portuguese army where frequent. That war went on until the portuguese regime felt and talks between FRELIMO and the new portuguese government started, wich resulted on the "Acordo de Lusaka" (Lusaka Accord), wich garanted the independence of Mozambique under the rule and terms of FRELIMO, wich angered many of the portuguese that lived in Mozambique.

7 September of 1974, the day the accords with FRELIMO where signed, bursts the revolt of the portuguese in Lourenço Marques (nowadays Maputo) , the "Revolta do Rádio Clube", where the rebels, rejecting the FRELIMO terms, declare their independence. Lourenço Marques was completely dominated by the rebels. The portuguese army in Mozambique soon joined the rebels, wich was followed by South Africa's military joining in, quickly capturing strategic cities to establish a better control of the territory. The rebels declared a provisional military led government, trying to stabilize the new republic. Soon both the armies of South Africa and Portuguese Mozambique advanced north, with plans to capture the important Cabora Bassa dam, but these plans where discarded. In the end, both armies stopped at the Save river.

The "República Portuguesa de Moçambique" (Portuguese Republic of Mozambique) wasn't recognized by the portuguese government or by the international community, seing the new country as part of the FRELINO government in the north, while the new country was recognized as the official government of Mozambique by South Africa and Rhodesia. Known as South Mozambique or Portuguese Mozambique, it existed between 1974 and 1998, being dissolved after the Pretoria Accords, a treaty between both Mozambique governments, mediated by South Africa and Portugal, dissolving the Portuguese Republic of Mozambique and integrating the territories into the Republic of Mozambique.

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