Manuel de Oliveira Gomes da Costa, Portuguese general and politician, 10th President of Portugal (d. 1929)

Manuel de Oliveira Gomes da Costa (14 January 1863 – 17 December 1929), widely recognized simply as Manuel Gomes da Costa or Gomes da Costa, was a pivotal figure in early 20th-century Portuguese history. An accomplished Portuguese army officer and politician, he briefly served as the tenth President of the Portuguese Republic and was the second head of state during the nascent period of what became known as the National Dictatorship.

A Distinguished Military Career Across Colonies and World War I

Gomes da Costa forged a truly distinguished military career across Portugal's vast colonial empire, serving from 1893 until 1915. His extensive postings included Portuguese India (specifically Goa, then a Portuguese territory), Mozambique, Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe. During these formative years, he served under the command of prominent figures such as Joaquim Augusto Mouzinho de Albuquerque, a renowned Portuguese military officer and colonial administrator celebrated for his campaigns in Mozambique. Gomes da Costa's colonial service honed his leadership skills and strategic acumen, preparing him for future challenges. His military reputation soared even higher during World War I, where he commanded the 1st Division of the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps (Corpo Expedicionário Português - CEP). This corps played a crucial, albeit often challenging, role on the Western Front, particularly at the Battle of La Lys in April 1918, a major German offensive where Portuguese forces displayed immense courage despite overwhelming odds. His leadership during this period solidified his standing as a national hero and brought him significant public recognition.

Transition to Politics and the 1926 Coup

Following the conclusion of World War I, Gomes da Costa transitioned actively into the political arena. He emerged as a staunch opponent of the dominant Democratic Party, which had largely governed the First Portuguese Republic since 1910. The post-war period was marked by significant political instability, economic hardship, and a pervasive sense of discontent with the established parliamentary system. Gomes da Costa aligned himself with conservative and authoritarian movements that sought to overturn the liberal-democratic order. This opposition culminated in his instrumental involvement in the military and political movement that led to the 28 May 1926 coup d'état. This pivotal event effectively marked the end of the First Portuguese Republic and inaugurated a new, conservative, and authoritarian regime. The coup was motivated by a desire among military and conservative factions to restore order, combat perceived corruption, and suppress left-wing influences, laying the groundwork for what would later become the Estado Novo dictatorship.

A Brief Presidency and Subsequent Removal

Initially, the coup installed José Mendes Cabeçadas as the provisional leader, who had received executive and presidential powers from the removed Prime Minister António Maria da Silva and President Bernardino Machado. However, Gomes da Costa, representing the more hardline military factions, swiftly orchestrated a counter-movement on 17 June 1926. He successfully deposed the more moderate Cabeçadas, consolidating power and briefly holding the headship of both the government (as Prime Minister) and the state (as President of the Republic) during the summer of that year. His tenure was remarkably short-lived; on 9 July 1926, he was himself removed from power by yet another military coup, engineered by his rival and former ally, Óscar Carmona. This internal power struggle within the newly established dictatorship saw Carmona assume the presidency, a position he would hold with considerable authority for decades, providing the regime with a stability that Gomes da Costa's brief leadership could not.

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