José Mendes Cabeçadas Júnior, OTE, ComA, MPCE (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛ ˈmẽdɨʃ kɐβɨˈsaðɐʃ]), commonly known as Mendes Cabeçadas (19 August 1883 in Loulé – 11 June 1965 in Lisbon), was a Portuguese Navy officer, Freemason and republican, having a major role in the preparation of the revolutionary movements that created and ended the Portuguese First Republic: the 5 October revolution in 1910 and the 28 May coup d'état of 1926. In the outcome he became the minister of finance for one day only on 30 May 1926, then becoming interim minister for foreign affairs for two days between 30 May and 1 June,[2] after which he again became the minister for finance on the same day. He served as the ninth president of Portugal (the first of the Military dictatorship) and prime minister for a brief period of time.[3]

José Mendes Cabeçadas
Cabeçadas, c. 1940-50
9th President of Portugal
In office
31 May 1926 – 17 June 1926[1]
Preceded byBernardino Machado
Succeeded byManuel Gomes da Costa
Prime Minister of Portugal
In office
31 May 1926 – 17 June 1926
Preceded byNational Salvation Junta
Succeeded byManuel Gomes da Costa
President of the National Salvation Junta
In office
29 May 1926 – 31 May 1926
PresidentBernardino Machado
Preceded byAntónio Maria da Silva
(Prime Minister)
Succeeded byHimself
(Prime Minister)
Ministerial offices
1926–1926Acting Minister of the Interior
1926–1926Minister of Commerce and Communications
1926–1926Minister of Finance
1926–1926Minister of Justice
1926–1926Minister of the Navy
1926–1926Acting Minister of Agriculture
1926–1926Acting Minister of the Colonies
1926–1926Acting Minister of Public Instruction
1926–1926Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs
1926–1926Acting Minister of War
Personal details
Born
José Mendes Cabeçadas Júnior

(1883-08-19)19 August 1883
Loulé, Portugal
Died11 June 1965(1965-06-11) (aged 81)
Lisbon, Portugal
Political partyIndependent
Spouse(s)Maria das Dores Vieira
(m. 1911–1949); her death
Children4
OccupationNaval officer (Vice-admiral)
Signature
Military service
AllegianceKingdom of Portugal  Portugal
Branch/service Portuguese Navy

Career

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Mendes Cabeçadas was one of those responsible for the revolt on board the ship Adamastor, during the Republican Revolution of 1910. However he soon became disappointed with the regime he had helped to create. In 1926 he led the revolution against the First Republic in Lisbon after Gomes da Costa had started it in Braga. Prime Minister António Maria da Silva resigned and, just days later (31 May), President Bernardino Machado named him prime minister. On the same day the President also resigned and Mendes Cabeçadas assumed the role of President of the Republic.[4]

As a revolutionary with moderate tendencies, Mendes Cabeçadas thought it possible to form a government that wouldn't question the constitutional regime, but with no influence on the Democratic Party. However the other revolutionaries (among them Gomes da Costa and Óscar Carmona) judged him as incapable and in a meeting in Sacavém on 17 June 1926, Mendes Cabeçadas was forced to renounce the posts of president of the republic and president of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) in favour of Gomes da Costa.[3][2]

Mendes Cabeçadas joined the opposition to the regime for a third time, involving himself in several revolutionary attempts and subscribed to many manifestos against the dictatorship, until his death in 1965[5] during the period known as the Estado Novo (New State), headed by António de Oliveira Salazar.[4]

Personal life

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Mendes Cabeçadas married Maria das Dores Formosinho Vieira (Silves, 6 January 1880 – 22 December 1949) in Santa Isabel, Lisbon, in March 1911. The couple had four daughters.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Braga, Paulo Drumond (2010). "Os Presidentes da República Portuguesa : sociologia de uma função".
  2. ^ a b "Jose Mendes Cabeçadas - estado novo ist". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  3. ^ a b "Mendes Cabeçadas - ANTIGOS PRESIDENTES: - PRESIDENCIA.PT". www.presidencia.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  4. ^ a b "Museu da Presidência da República". Museu da Presidência da República (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  5. ^ Autarquia 360. ""José Mendes Cabeçadas Júnior: um percurso em defesa da República"". www.cm-loule.pt (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-05-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Preceded by President of Portugal
1926
Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Portugal
1926
Succeeded by