During those years, his interests shifted, and he began to focus on the history of the First Republic, using books, pamphlets, and newspapers that encompassed nearly everything published on the topic. This work culminated in a substantial História da República [History of the Republic] , edited by O Século in 1960 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic. Although he revealed himself as the author, the work contains no reference to him in that capacity. It offers a wealth of information and is richly illustrated, albeit with poor-quality graphics — possibly due to the limited printing technology available at the time. It presents a well-articulated, factual narrative that lies halfway between a chronicle and a historical analysis. As a republican, he dedicated himself to dispelling what he perceived as lies and slander about the regime, unafraid to engage in controversies with the monarchists who challenged him. In particular, he targeted the reactionary tradition rooted in the remnants of Lusitanian Integralism, which he aimed to confront. This work follows the path established by Raul Proença in the 1920s, with the publication of Seara Nova [New Harvest] . Drawing on the origins and inspiration of Charles Maurras' Action Française , he critiques the alleged connection to the traditional (absolutist) Portuguese monarchy. Conducting what could be described as an autopsy on a (deceased) myth, he meticulously seeks to demonstrate the "intellectual mediocrity and superfluous political nature" of that group ( O Integralismo , vol. I, p. 48). He traces the movement's origins to its Belgian roots in 1913 ( Alma portuguesa [Portuguese Soul] ) later highlighting the Coimbra publication of Nação Portuguesa [Portuguese Nation] ), the notebooks of Mariotte, the dissertations of António Sardinha and Hipólito Raposo presented to the Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa [ School of Arts and Humanities of Lisbon] in 1915. He emphasises above all the integralists’ inspiration from Charles Maurras' Action Française , which proved to be almost a verbatim copy of the French model. Even Joan of Arc was rendered by Nun'Álvares. "Without Action Française there would be no Lusitanian Integralism; without Maurras, there would be no Sardinha." ( O Integralismo , vol. I, p. 114). He exposes the movement as a "complete translation of the French formula." ( Ibid. , p. 116). Turning to the internal conflicts with the monarchists, this absolutist and anti-parliamentarian group eventually severed ties with the lord-lieutenant of King Manuel II and subsequently with the king himself — who remained loyal to the Constitutional Charter of liberalism that he had sworn to uphold. Supported by the criticisms that Integralism recevied from António Sérgio and Raul Proença in the 1920s and 1930s, he emphasises the racist and violent aspects ("white terrorism") of this group's proposed actions, which aimed primarily to establish a regime of integral and monarchical nationalism in Portugal.

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