António de Oliveira Salazar
Despite the authoritarian character of the regime, Portugal did not experience the same levels of international isolation as Spain did following World War II. Unlike Spain, Portugal under Salazar was accepted into the Marshall Plan (1947–1948) in return for the aid it gave to the Allies during the final stages of the war. Furthermore, also unlike Spain, it was one of the 12 founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in 1949, a reflection of Portugal's role as an ally against communism during the Cold War in spite of its status as the only non-democratic founder. In 1950, Portugal joined the European Payments Union and participated in the founding of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1960 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 1961. It joined the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1962, and finally, Portugal signed a free trade agreement with the European Economic Community in 1972, still under the auspices of the "Estado Novo".
English expedition to Portugal (1662–1668)
The war between Portugal and Spain had begun with the Portuguese revolution of 1640 and had resulted in the break up of the Iberian Union. After the peace of the Pyrenees in 1659, the independence of Portugal was threatened by a resurgent Spain, and thus Portugal asked for outside support. They turned to their old ally England but the Restoration of Charles II as monarch of England proved a concern. He had previously been allied to Spain through the Treaty of Brussels after Oliver Cromwell's Republic had been at war with Spain. Charles however immediately annulled the treaty citing King Philip IV of Spain's failure to aid in his restoration and instead answered Portugal's call for help. His marriage with Catherine of Braganza, renewed the alliance between England and Portugal despite the protestations of Spain. As part of the treaty a brigade was raised for service in Portugal in 1662 to help win her independence. The decision to send troops to Portugal came from the need to find employment for Cromwellian and Royalist veterans of the English Civil War, and the Portuguese military needed experienced veterans to help fight the Spanish.