The Madeira Archipelago: A Geostrategic Space in the Modern World (19th-21st Centuries). Past, Present and Future. A Global Vision

Abstract

In the following text, we will endeavour to make a contribution to the history of the Madeira Archipelago and its insertion in the vast European and Atlantic framework, where during the Modern & Contemporary Times not only Portugal’s interests were placed and affirmed, but also those of several naval powers.
In this sense, taking a long period of time as a reference, between the early 19^th century and the first quarter of the 21^st century, we will assess and define, from a global perspective, the importance of Madeira’s insular space in the various international systems and in their phases of adjustment or change.
We will do so by defining the existence of ten (10) periods, all associated with short chronological periods (albeit varying between 2 and 15 years), during which we identify not only substantive and referential elements, but also constants and lines of force, which underpin the specificity and relevance of the Archipelago in the past and present, while also helping to project the future: 1. The Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815); 2. The Portuguese Liberal Revolts (1820-1834); 3. The 1840s: The End of an Era?; 4. From the Late 19^th Century to the Early 20^th Century; 5. The Great War (1914-1918); 6. The Second World War (1939-1945); 7. Madeira and the Portuguese Atlantic in the Formation of NATO (1946-1951); 8. The Establishment of Democracy and the Euro-Atlantic Area (1974-1976); 9. From the EEC to the EU (1977-1986-2009); 10. What Future for our Past?
Indeed, what future? A past (re)projected into the future? A future without (relation to the) past? And will our present remain in the future?

Keywords: Madeira; Geostrategy; Autonomy; Politics; Macaronesia.