Framing war disability through masculinity: the disabled soldiers of the First World War in Portugal

Abstract

The First World War deployed means of combat that brought about devastating effects on the minds and bodies of the men who fought it. In keeping with the sources available for the study of Portuguese soldiers, this article aims to explore the ways in which war disabilities were perceived and represented within the post-war context, stemming from the hegemonic discourses of masculinity. Overlapping masculinity and disability, I show how the ideals of the former (preceding the conflict and being mobilised by it) were subsequently invoked by disabled Portuguese veterans in their public demands for recognition. I also demonstrate the continuity of pre-war cultural representations of masculinity and disability despite the deep impacts inflicted by the conflict on the men and Portuguese society.