Manuel de Oliveira Gomes da Costa , commonly known as Manuel Gomes da Costa () or just Gomes da Costa (14 January 1863 – 17 December 1929), was a Portuguese army officer and

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

, the tenth

president of Portugal The president of Portugal, officially the president of the Portuguese Republic (, ), is the head of state and highest office of Portugal. The powers, functions and duties of prior presidential offices, and their relation with the prime minister ...

and the second of the National Dictatorship. Gomes da Costa had a distinguished military career in the country's

colonies A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their '' metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often or ...

, from 1893 to 1915, in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

, and São Tomé, having served under the command of Mouzinho de Albuquerque. After

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, in which he rose to greater prominence in the command of the 1st Division of the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps, he became actively engaged in politics, in staunch opposition to the dominant Democratic Party. In 1926, he was involved in the military and political movement that resulted in the

28 May 1926 coup d'état The 28 May 1926 coup d'état, sometimes called 28 May Revolution or, during the period of the Corporatism, corporatist ''Estado Novo (Portugal), Estado Novo'' (), the National Revolution (), was a military coup of a nationalist origin, that put a ...

that inaugurated a new conservative, authoritarian regime. Following the military coup, Gomes da Costa deposed moderate

José Mendes Cabeçadas José Mendes Cabeçadas Júnior, Order of the Tower and Sword, OTE, Order of Aviz, ComA, Medalha de Comportamento Exemplar, MPCE (), commonly known as Mendes Cabeçadas (19 August 1883 in Loulé – 11 June 1965 in Lisbon), was a Portuguese p ...

, who had received executive and presidential power from the removed Prime Minister António Maria da Silva and President Bernardino Machado, briefly holding the headship of government and of state in the summer of that year, until he was himself removed by another coup, to be replaced by Óscar Carmona.

Early life

Gomes da Costa was born to Carlos Dias da Costa and Madalena de Oliveira; he grew up with two younger siblings, Lucrécia and Amália. He began his military career at the Colégio Militar at age 10. Generais Tamagnini Hacking e Gomes da Costa

Generais Tamagnini Hacking e Gomes da Costa

Military career

As a soldier, he stood out in colonial campaigns in the

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n and Indian colonies. After Portugal had entered the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

(''See: Portugal in the Great War'') on the Allied side in early 1917, he commanded the Second Division of the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps. During the Battle of the Lys on 9 April 1918, the CEP lost 400 dead and around 6,500 prisoners, a third of its forces in the front line. Gomes da Costa's division was hit particularly hard and was all but wiped out. For his command in the war, he was made a

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

and a Grand Officer of the Military Order of Avis. Two years later, on 5 October 1921, he received the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Avis. Desfile de tropas 28 de Maio 1926

1926 coup

A convinced monarchist, Gomes da Costa had consorted with people of various political convictions. That, and his reputation as a soldier, led to his choice by right-wing revolutionaries to lead the

Braga Braga (; ) is a cities of Portugal, city and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugal, Portuguese Braga (district), district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality ...

that overthrew the Portuguese First Republic, after General Alves Roçadas, their original choice, had fallen fatally ill. After the success of the revolution he did not assume power at first, entrusting the posts of President of the Republic and President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) to

, the leader of the revolution in

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

. Soon the coup leaders disliked the attitude of Mendes Cabeçadas, a choice of the previous president Bernardino Machado and still sympathetic towards the old republic. He was replaced by Gomes da Costa in both posts in a meeting in Sacavém on 17 June 1926. The new government was the first to include the later prime minister and dictator of Portugal, Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, as finance minister.

Overthrow and exile

Gomes da Costa's government lasted about as long as Cabeçadas', because it was overthrown by a new coup on 9 July the same year. This attempt was initiated by João José Sinel de Cordes and Óscar Carmona, after Gomes da Costa attempted to have Carmona removed as minister for foreign affairs. Although more conservative than Cabeçadas, Gomes da Costa had no desire to institute a long-term military regime, which brought him into conflict with Carmona and others in the most conservative and authoritarian faction of the military leadership. Carmona succeeded Gomes da Costa as President of the Republic and of the Council of Ministers under the pretext that Gomes da Costa was "unfit for office." Gomes da Costa was

exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

d to the Azores Islands, but also promoted to

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

of the Portuguese Army.Gomes da Costa in Artigos de apoio Infopédia [em linha]. Porto: Porto Editora, 2003-2016. Accessed 28 December 2016.
/ref> In September 1927, he returned to mainland

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, already very ill; he died a few months later.

Personal life

On 15 May 1885 in Penamacor Gomes da Costa married Henriqueta Júlia de Mira Godinho (

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

, Santa Maria, 1863–1936), by whom he had three children. Gomes da Costa was the father-in-law of Pedro Francisco Massano de Amorim, Governor of Gaza, Angola, Mozambique and India.

Honours

PRT_Military_Order_of_Aviz_-_Grand_Officer_BAR

Grand Officer of the Order of Aviz,

(15 February 1919) * PRT_Military_Order_of_the_Tower_and_of_the_Sword_-_Grand_Officer_BAR

Grand Officer of the Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit, Portugal (14 September 1920) * PRT_Military_Order_of_Aviz_-_Grand_Cross_BAR

PRT_Military_Order_of_Aviz_-_Grand_Cross_BAR

Grand Cross of the Order of Aviz, Portugal (5 October 1921)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gomes da Costa, Manuel 1863 births 1929 deaths Politicians from Lisbon Presidents of Portugal Prime ministers of Portugal Government ministers of Portugal Portuguese military personnel of World War I Field marshals of Portugal 19th-century Portuguese military personnel 20th-century Portuguese politicians Portuguese revolutionaries Recipients of the Order of the Tower and Sword Grand Crosses of the Order of Aviz Grand Officers of the Order of Aviz 20th-century presidents in Europe Military personnel from Lisbon