Sidónio Pais

His Excellency Sidónio Pais
4th President of Portugal
In office 27 December 1917 – 14 December 1918
Preceded by	Bernardino Machado
Succeeded by	João do Canto e Castro
66th Prime Minister of Portugal
In office 8 December 1917 – 14 December 1918
Preceded by	José Norton de Matos
Succeeded by	João do Canto e Castro
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 11 December 1917 – 9 May 1918
Preceded by	Revolutionary Junta
Succeeded by	Francisco Xavier Esteves
Minister of War
In office 11 December 1917 – 9 May 1918
Preceded by	Revolutionary Junta
Succeeded by	João Tamagnini Barbosa
Minister of Finance
In office 12 November 1911 – 16 June 1912
Prime Minister	Augusto de Vasconcelos
Preceded by	Duarte Leite
Succeeded by	António Vicente Ferreira
Minister of Commerce and Public Works
In office 3 September 1911 – 12 November 1911
Prime Minister	João Chagas
Preceded by	Manuel de Brito Camacho
Succeeded by	Estêvão de Vasconcelos
Personal details
Born	Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais (1872-05-01)1 May 1872 Caminha, Portugal
Died	Lisbon, Portugal
Political party	National Republican Party (Sidonist Party)
Spouse(s)	Maria dos Prazeres Bessa Ema Manso Preto (non-marital liaison)
Children	2 daughters and 2 sons
Occupation	Military officer (Major) Lecturer
Nickname(s)	Presidente-Rei (President-King)

Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais (Portuguese pronunciation: [siˈdɔniu ˈpajʃ]; 1 May 1872, in Caminha – 14 December 1918, in Lisbon) was a Portuguese military leader politician and diplomat, the fourth President in 1918. He was known as the President-King. On 5 December 1917, he led an uprising against Afonso Costa's Democratic Party government, and established an authoritarian regime and was elected President (unopposed) on 28 April 1918. He was murdered in central Lisbon, 11 days before Christmas 1918.

Family

He was the eldest child and son of Sidónio Alberto Marrocos Pais (Caminha, Nossa Senhora da Assunção, 1 November 1846 – Ferreira do Zêzere, Dornes, 27 August 1883), a Law Clerk and Public Notary in Caminha and later in Pedrógão Grande and Sertã of Barcelos New Christian Jewish ancestry (on his great-great-grandfather António Velho da Fonseca), and wife (m. Caminha, Nossa Senhora da Assunção, 22 June 1871) Rita Júlia Cardoso da Silva (Caminha, Caminha, 29 August 1844 – Caminha, Caminha, 9 March 1919). His brothers and sisters were Rita (b. Caminha, Caminha, 1873), Alberto (Caminha, Caminha, 1874 – Caminha, Caminha, 1877), António (Caminha, Caminha, 15 November 1876 – Lisbon, Hospital da Marinha, 27 June 1949), who was also a military and married at the Igreja Matriz de Caminha, Caminha, 7 May 1904 Júlia Cândida de Sant' Ana Cerqueira (Caminha, Caminha, 1 September 1881 – Lisbon, 6 June 1968) and had issue, Ana da Glória (b. Caminha, Caminha, 1878), Alberto (b. Pedrógão Grande, 1881, d. child) and Aureliano (b. Sertã, 1883, d. child).

Life

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 from 12 November 1911 he was the 4th 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.

Government and Presidency

On 5 December 1917, he led an uprising against Afonso Costa's Democratic Party government, and established an authoritarian regime. He became the country's 99th Prime Minister and was elected President (unopposed) on 28 April 1918. He also became the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 11 December 1917 until 9 May 1918.

File:Murder of Sidonio Pais at Lisboa-Rossio Railway Station.jpg

Assassination of Sidónio Pais on Rossio railway station.

His period in office was short but eventful. It saw a relaxation of governmental hostility to the Catholic Church, the extension of the electoral franchise, the smashing defeat of the ill-prepared Portuguese troops at La Lys in France, and the end of World War I.

Assassination

He escaped a first assassination attempt, but fell victim to the second. On 14 December 1918 he was shot dead by José Júlio da Costa, at Rossio railway station, in Lisbon, when he was preparing to board a train to Porto. His plan had been to negotiate with the monarchist leaders of the Northern Military Juntas.

Descendants

Street sign for Avenida de Sidónio Pais in Macau, Macao

He married in Amarante in 1895 Maria dos Prazeres Martins Bessa (Amarante, São Gonçalo, 1868/1869 – Porto?/Lisbon, 14 September 1945), daughter of Vitorino Ferreira Bessa (Penafiel, Luzim/Perozelo, 1810 – Amarante, São Gonçalo, 16 February 1894), a landowner, and wife Bernardina Joaquina/Augusta Pinto Martins (Valença, Santa Maria da Praça, Casa do Assento Militar, 1826 – 15 March 1905), the couple had five children, four sons and one daughter. Out of wedlock, by one Ema Manso Preto (born in 12 September 1871 and wife (m. 22 December 1900) of Álvaro Augusto Leite Ribeiro), he also had a daughter. He is the great-grandfather in the male line of pianist and composer Bernardo Sassetti.

References

• Fotobiografias do Século XX, Photobiography of Sidónio Pais, Círculo de Leitores.

External links

• Sidónio Pais page in the English version of the site of the Portuguese Presidency of the Republic
• Sidónio Pais at the Fundação Mário Soares page
• Sidónio Pais at the Portugal – Dicionário Histórico (Portugal – Historical Dictionary)
• Sidónio Pais in the Vidas Lusófonas (Lusophone Lives)

Political offices
Preceded by Bernardino Machado	President of Portugal 1917–1918	Succeeded by João do Canto e Castro
Preceded by José Norton de Matos	Prime Minister of Portugal 1917–1918	Succeeded by João do Canto e Castro

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