Fernando Santos Costa
Encyclopedia
Colonel Fernando dos Santos Costa (December 19, 1899 - October 15, 1982) was a Portuguese army officer who held the office of Minister of War in the government of António Salazar
between 1944 and 1958.
Still later, he was involved in the 1926 coup
, that by degrees turned Portugal into an entrenched right-wing dictatorship. The decisive moment came in 1928 with the appointment of Salazar as Minister of Finance. Salazar went on to become Prime Minister in 1932, and established a Benito Mussolini
-style corporate state, governed by 'non-party' specialists. One such specialist was Santos Costa, who became Deputy Minister of War in 1936, even though he still only held the junior rank of captain in the army.
Santos Costa was set to become one of the leading figures of the New State, the style adopted by the Salazar dictatorship, responsible for the reforms intended to improve the fighting efficiency of the army. After the outbreak of the Second World War
in 1939, he was also strongly associated with the faction in both the state and army that desired a German victory, even though this went against the good relations that Portugal traditionally enjoyed with England
. Although far more right-wing than Salazar himself, and something of a dangerous political maverick, he was finally appointed full minister of war in 1944, because of his skill in ensuring that the army remained an effective prop for the dictatorship.
In August 1958, in a surprise move by Salazar, Santos Costa was finally dropped from the government, along with Marcelo Caetano
, from the more liberal wing of the New State apparatus. Nevertheless, he remained politically active, supporting his old boss at one moment, only to plot against him at the next. His ambitions to replace Salazar as premier were well-known, causing one member of the opposition to remark "If it is inevitable that we are going to have Santos Costa, we shall say mass every morning that the good Lord preserve Salazar."
António de Oliveira Salazar
António de Oliveira Salazar, GColIH, GCTE, GCSE served as the Prime Minister of Portugal from 1932 to 1968. He also served as acting President of the Republic briefly in 1951. He founded and led the Estado Novo , the authoritarian, right-wing government that presided over and controlled Portugal...
between 1944 and 1958.
Early career
Santos Costa and Salazar met at the University of Coimbra in 1917, where they were both members of a Catholic student organisation, the Academic Centre for Christian Democracy. Santos Costa went on to join the army and, as a second-lieutenant, took part in the abortive royalist uprising against the Portuguese Republic in 1919.Still later, he was involved in the 1926 coup
28th May 1926 coup d'état
The 28 May 1926 coup d'état, sometimes called 28 May Revolution or, during the period of Estado Novo , National Revolution , was a military action that put an end to the unstable Portuguese First Republic and initiated the Ditadura Nacional , later, renamed the Estado Novo, an authoritarian...
, that by degrees turned Portugal into an entrenched right-wing dictatorship. The decisive moment came in 1928 with the appointment of Salazar as Minister of Finance. Salazar went on to become Prime Minister in 1932, and established a Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
-style corporate state, governed by 'non-party' specialists. One such specialist was Santos Costa, who became Deputy Minister of War in 1936, even though he still only held the junior rank of captain in the army.
Santos Costa was set to become one of the leading figures of the New State, the style adopted by the Salazar dictatorship, responsible for the reforms intended to improve the fighting efficiency of the army. After the outbreak of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939, he was also strongly associated with the faction in both the state and army that desired a German victory, even though this went against the good relations that Portugal traditionally enjoyed with England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Although far more right-wing than Salazar himself, and something of a dangerous political maverick, he was finally appointed full minister of war in 1944, because of his skill in ensuring that the army remained an effective prop for the dictatorship.
Post-war career
After the war Santos Costa was among the more reactionary members of the government, resisting all attempts at liberalisation. Following the death in 1951 of General Carmona, the head of state, he supported the restoration of monarchy, along with the monarchist wing of the New State. Most of the regimen leaders disagreed. Salazar seeing no advantages in the return of the monarchy, also supported the keeping of the elective President of the Republic.In August 1958, in a surprise move by Salazar, Santos Costa was finally dropped from the government, along with Marcelo Caetano
Marcelo Caetano
Marcelo José das Neves Alves Caetano, GCTE, GCC, also spelled Marcello Caetano , was a Portuguese politician and scholar, who was the last prime minister of the Estado Novo regime, from 1968 until his overthrow in the Carnation Revolution of 1974....
, from the more liberal wing of the New State apparatus. Nevertheless, he remained politically active, supporting his old boss at one moment, only to plot against him at the next. His ambitions to replace Salazar as premier were well-known, causing one member of the opposition to remark "If it is inevitable that we are going to have Santos Costa, we shall say mass every morning that the good Lord preserve Salazar."