Portal:Military history of Africa/Selected biography/3

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Kaúlza de Arriaga (January 18, 1915 - February 3, 2004) was a Portuguese Brigadier General, writer, professor and politician. He was minister of National Defense between 1953 and 1955 and he was commander of the Terrestrial Forces in Moçambique from 1969 until 1974 during the Mozambican War of Independence.

Arriaga completed a course in mathematics and engineering and then volunteered for the Portuguese Army on November 1, 1935. He took a Military and Civil Engineering course in the Military Academy which he graduated from in 1939, and was assigned to the general staff of the Portuguese Institute of Military Studies. Here he petitioned for reforms to the conscription system, as well as training and the integration of paratroopers into the Portuguese Air Force. Arriaga commanded the Portuguese forces in the Mozambican conflict from 1969 until 1974, taking over from General Augusto dos Santos and organising the ill-fated Operation Knot Górdio in 1970.

Arrigaga took a decisive role in the Carnation Revolution of April 25, 1974 in Lisbon. he held a number of political positions during the unrest, including Head of the Ministry of Defense Cabinet, Undersecretary of State for Aeronautics, professor of the Institute of High Military Studies, president of the Nuclear Energy commission and executive president of the oil company Angol SA. he was president of an extremely right wing political party during elections in 1980.