Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais (pronounced [siˈdɔniu ˈpaiʃ]; Caminha, Caminha, May 1, 1872–Lisbon, December 14, 1918) was a Portuguese politician and diplomat, 4th President in 1918. He was known as the President-King. He was the eldest child and son of Sidónio Alberto Marrocos Pais (Caminha, Nossa Senhora da Assunção, November 1, 1846[1] – Ferreira do Zêzere, Dornes, August 27, 1883), a Law Clerk and Public Notary in Caminha and later in Pedrógão Grande and Sertã, and wife (m. Caminha, Nossa Senhora da Assunção, June 22, 1871) Rita Júlia Cardoso da Silva (Caminha, Caminha, August 29, 1844 – Caminha, Caminha, March 9, 1919). His brothers and sisters were Rita (b. Caminha, Caminha, 1873), Alberto (Caminha, Caminha, 1874 – Caminha, Caminha, 1877), António (Caminha, Caminha, November 15, 1876 – Lisbon, Hospital da Marinha, June 27, 1949), who was also a military and married at the Igreja Matriz de Caminha, Caminha, May 7, 1904 Júlia Cândida de Sant' Ana Cerqueira (Caminha, Caminha, September 1, 1881 – Lisbon, June 6, 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). 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 November 12, 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. On December 5, 1917, he led an uprising against Afonso Costa's Democratic Party government, and established an authoritarian regime. He became the 99th Prime-Minister and was elected President (unopposed) on April 28, 1918. He also became the Minister for Foreign Affairs from December 11, 1917 until May 9, 1918.
Official portrait of President Sidónio Pais by Henrique Medina.
Avenida Sidónio Pais in Macau
His short period in office saw a warming of Church-state relations, the extension of the electoral franchise, and the smashing defeat of the ill-prepared Portuguese troops at La Lys, in France. He escaped a first assassination attempt, but was shot on December 14, 1918 by José Júlio da Costa (great-grandfather of the present Mayor of Lisbon António Costa), at Rossio railway station, in Lisbon, when he was preparing to board a train to Porto, to hold discussions with the monarchist leaders of the Northern Military Juntas. DescendantsMarried in Amarante in 1895 to Maria dos Prazeres Martins Bessa (Amarante, São Gonçalo, 1869–Porto?, September 14, 1945), the couple had five children, four sons and one daughter. Out of wedlock, by one Ema Manso Preto (born in September 12, 1871 and wife in December 22, 1900 of Álvaro Augusto Leite Ribeiro), he also had a daughter. He is the great-grandfather in male line of pianist and composer Bernardo Sassetti. AncestorsAncestors of Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais
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