The thing about the Cape is the Portuguese Crown of the time was more interested in "get-rich quickly schemes" and that meant extraction colonies or comercial outposts near wealth sources. If Angola or Mozambique had been taken by other countries and/or another country got to India or northern...
The Dukes of Cadaval are another more distant cadet branch and would be recognised as legitimate claimants if for any reason the Lafões were not chosen. The country would not accept well a foreign prince chosen by another country.
Edit: Sorry for missing your reference to the Lafões, I haven't...
IMHO, at this point, if the House of Braganza proper was extinguised, the country would rally around the Dukes of Lafões, a cadet branch of the Braganza started almost a century before.
IMHO, Salazar's opinion would only be better, even ITTL, if he allowed elections. OTL larger and larger portions of the right got angered at his continued refusal to liberalise and allow free elections, and progressively moved into the opposition.
There was a real fear in the portuguese government of the time that Spain would invade Portugal, especially if it joined the Axis. While it's not impossible that Salazar would join the Axis under pressure, given his opportunism, he was also aware that it would be a delayed suicide for POrtugal's...
A democratic Portugal (in practice, not just in name) will repress secceding activity, until least until mentalities change, but it will increase the franchise outside European Portugal and inevitably create local governance structures, with the pace slightly depending on the strength of civil...
Depending on whether a colonial war starts and the year it starts (and who is in power), it's possible a shorter colonial war may still occur.
On the other hand, democratic governments in a proper 2nd republic would probably develop the colonies (and keep/develop local government structures), so...
IMHO, it may not be practical or feasible to move the surviving US government to Mexico. It is more likely that it moves to a less affected part of the US. The surviving State governments would likely also move to less damaged parts of their repective states and coordinate however possible the...
IMHO, the best way is to have Mendes Cabeçadas stay in control, it would mean the democracy oriented parts of the republican right stay in control, keep the more illiberal parts of the right in check (not a guarantee, but the best option), and prevent the (Democratic-)Republicans to do the same...
Salazar was an oportunist, and played both sides, but indeed he slightly preferred the Western Allies than the third Reich, which was antiethical to his religious beliefs.
In regards to the Spanish Civil War, a surviving democracy in Portugal means the main Republican Right would have...
Honestly, I have my doubts the restored 1st republic would be more stable, the rebellious units intended to restore it with the same flaws, as far as I know.
It's important to keep in mind that the 1st republic was a very limited democracy, with a small franchise designed to keep much of the...