Military Wiki
His Excelency
Francisco da Costa Gomes
File:Costa Gomes (official).jpg
Coat of arms of Portugal
15th President of Portugal

In office
30 September 1974 – 13 July 1976
Prime Minister Vasco Gonçalves
José Pinheiro de Azevedo
Vasco Almeida e Costa (acting)
Preceded by António de Spínola
Succeeded by António Ramalho Eanes
President of the Council of The Revolution

In office
14 March 1975 – 13 July 1976
Preceded by Office created
Succeeded by António Ramalho Eanes
President of the National Salvation Junta

In office
30 September 1974 – 14 March 1975
Preceded by António de Spínola
Succeeded by Himself (as President of the Council of The Revolution)
Personal details
Born (1914-06-30)30 June 1914
Chaves, Portugal
Died 31 July 2001(2001-07-31) (aged 87)
Lisbon, Portugal
Nationality Portuguese
Political party Independent
Spouse(s) Maria Estela Veloso de Antas Varajão
Occupation Military officer, politician
Profession High school mathematics teacher
Portfolio Military Region of Angola
Religion Roman Catholicism
Military service
Allegiance Portugal
Service/branch Portuguese Army
Years of service 1931–1976
Rank General (Effective)
Field Marshal (Honorific)

Francisco da Costa Gomes, ComTE, GOA (Portuguese pronunciation: [fɾɐ̃ˈsiʃku dɐ ˈkɔʃtɐ ˈɡomɨʃ]; 30 June 1914, in Chaves – 31 July 2001, in Lisbon, Lapa) was a Portuguese military officer and politician, the 15th President of the Portuguese Republic (the second after the Carnation Revolution).

Life[]

He was born one of the eleven children of António José Gomes, (Santo Estevão, Chaves, ? – Lisbon, 1 July 1922)and wife, Idalina Júlia Monteiro da Costa (Chaves, 27 May 1880 – Porto, 18 February 1967). On 8 December 1952, Gomes married Maria Estela Veloso de Antas Varajão (born 23 March 1927 in Viana do Castelo), daughter of João de Campos Varajão and his wife Angélica Martins Veloso (b. Barcelos, Barcelos), at the See of Viana do Castelo. The couple had only one son, Francisco da Costa Gomes.

Costa Gomes was involved in a revolutionary attempt in 1961 led by the Minister of Defense, General Botelho Moniz. In 1970 he occupied the post of Commander of the Military Region of Angola where he overhauled the chief-command and was the first to try to establish a military agreement with UNITA against the MPLA and the FNLA.

On 12 September 1972 he was called back to Portugal to occupy the post of Chief of the Armed Forces, replacing General Venâncio Deslandes. However he was replaced in March 1974, a few days before the Carnation Revolution of 25 April 1974, because he had refused to swear his loyalty to the President of the Council of Ministers Marcello Caetano in a public ceremony.

After the Revolution, he was one of the seven military leaders who made up the National Salvation Junta. Between 25 April and 30 September he was the second in command of the Portuguese state behind António de Spínola.

He assumed the Presidency of the Republic when named by the Junta after the resignation of Spínola on 30 September 1974 and occupied the post until 27 June 1976 when in the first Presidential election the Portuguese chose General Ramalho Eanes to succeed him. He received an honorary promotion to Field Marshal in 1982.

Personal[]

Gomes was one of eleven children of António José Gomes (Chaves, Santo Estêvão – Lisbon, Socorro, 1 July 1922) and wife (m. Chaves, 17 January 1901) and wife Idalina Júlia Monteiro da Costa (Chaves, 27 May 1880 – Porto, 18 February 1967)

See also[]

  • List of Presidents of Portugal
  • Estado Novo (Portugal)
  • History of Portugal
  • Timeline of Portuguese history
  • Politics of Portugal
Political offices
Preceded by
António de Spínola
President of the National Salvation Junta
1974–1976
Succeeded by
None, office abolished
Preceded by
António de Spínola
President of Portugal
1974–1976
Succeeded by
Ramalho Eanes
All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Francisco da Costa Gomes and the edit history here.