Sidónio Pais

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Sidónio Pais
Sidónio Pais

Minister of Foment
In office
September 3, 1911 – November 12, 1911
Prime Minister João Chagas
Preceded by Brito Camacho
Succeeded by José Estêvão de Vasconcelos

Minister of Finances
In office
November 12, 1911 – June 16, 1912
Prime Minister Augusto de Vasconcelos
Preceded by Duarte Leite
Succeeded by António Vicente Ferreira

In office
December 5, 1917 – December 14, 1918
President None
(Himself, as Prime Minister was the head of state)
Preceded by Bernardino Machado (as President)
Afonso Costa (as Prime Minister)
Succeeded by Himself (as President)
João do Canto e Castro (as Prime Minister)

Minister for War
In office
December 5, 1917 – May 11, 1918
Prime Minister Himself
Preceded by José Norton de Matos
Succeeded by João Tamagnini Barbosa

Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
December 5, 1917 – May 11, 1918
Prime Minister Himself
Preceded by Augusto Vieira Soares (efective)
Ernesto Jardim Vilhena (interim)
Succeeded by Francisco Xavier Esteves

In office
April 28, 1918 – December 14, 1918
Preceded by Bernardino Machado (effective)
Himself (interim, as Prime Minister Head of State)
Succeeded by João do Canto e Castro

Born May 1, 1872(1872-05-01)
Flag of Portugal Caminha, Kingdom of Portugal
Died December 14, 1918 (aged 46)
Flag of Portugal Lisbon, Portuguese Republic
Political party National Republican Party
(Sidonist Party)
Spouse Maria dos Prazeres Martins Bessa
Occupation Military officer (Major)
Lecturer of Mathematics and Astronomy
Religion Roman Catholic
Nickname(s) Presidente-Rei (President-King)

Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais (pronounced [siˈdɔniu ˈpaiʃ]; Caminha, 1 May 1872Lisbon, 14 December 1918) was a Portuguese politician, President in 1918. He was known as the President-King.

He was an army officer and taught mathematics at the Army school, and later, at the University of Coimbra. He became a member of Parliament in 1911, and was Minister of Finance for a short period. He was ambassador in Berlin from 1912 until 1916, when Portugal joined the First World War on the Allied side.

On December 5, 1917, he led an uprising against Afonso Costa's Democratic Party government, and established an authoritarian regime. He was elected President (unopposed) on April 28, 1918.

Official portrait of President Sidónio Pais by Henrique Medina.
Official portrait of President Sidónio Pais by Henrique Medina.
Avenida Sidónio Pais in Macau
Avenida Sidónio Pais in Macau

His short period in office saw a warming of Church-state relations, the extension of the electoral franchise, and the smashing defeat of the ill-prepared Portuguese troops at La Lys, in France.

He escaped a first assassination attempt, but was shot on December 14, 1918 by José Júlio da Costa (grandfather of the present Mayor of Lisbon António Costa), at Rossio railway station, in Lisbon, when he was preparing to board a train to Porto, to hold discussions with the monarchist leaders of the Northern Military Juntas.

[edit] Descendants

Married in 1895 to Maria dos Prazeres Martins Bessa (1869September 14, 1945), the couple had five children, four sons and one daughter. Out of wedlock, by one Ema Manso Preto (circa 1895–), he also had a daughter. He is the great-grandfather in male line of pianist Bernardo Sassetti.
















Preceded by
Bernardino Machado
President of Portugal
19171918
Succeeded by
João do Canto e Castro
Preceded by
Afonso Costa
Prime Minister of Portugal
19171918
Succeeded by
João do Canto e Castro


Persondata
NAME Pais, Sidónio
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais
SHORT DESCRIPTION Portuguese president
DATE OF BIRTH May 1, 1872
PLACE OF BIRTH Caminha, Portugal
DATE OF DEATH December 14, 1918
PLACE OF DEATH Lisbon, Portugal