Salgueiro Maia
Encyclopedia
Fernando José Salgueiro Maia, GOTE
, GCL
(*July 1, 1944 in Castelo de Vide, Portugal
; †April 4, 1992 in Santarém
), commonly known just by Salgueiro Maia (saɫˈɡɐjɾu ˈmajɐ) was a captain of the Portuguese army. He made a significant contribution to the Carnation Revolution
, which resulted in the fall of the then ruling dictatorship.
In 1983 he received the Grand Cross of the Order of Liberty
; in 1992, posthumously, the degree of Grand Officer of the Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit; and in 2007, the Gold Medal of the city of Santarém
), Maia and his cadets grabbed their weapons and, against the will and even resistance of several regular officers (among them the commandant who was simply arrested by Maia) marched out, toward Lisbon
.
The other signal used was Grândola Vila Morena
, a folk song (later translated to other languages) by the great Portuguese singer and composer Zeca Afonso, which was the signal for the coup leaders to announce that they had taken control of strategic parts of the country. This song's theme is fraternity, equality, friendship and wisdom in the fidelity to those intemporal values.
Salgueiro Maia and his troops peacefully forced the then ruling dictatorship to resign and it is in a large part due to his brave intelligence, humble and sensible character and strategic/social genius that bloodshed was avoided at all cost during the Revolution and there were "only" four dead people during the Carnation Revolution
— these were not killed by the revolutionaries nor Maia's troops, but by the political police of the regime (PIDE
) itself, when civilians were peacefully demonstrating in front of its headquarters in Lisbon.
The red carnations became the beautiful symbol of the peaceful revolution because, besides having happened in the beginning of Spring, some of the soldiers and civilians asked to a flower seller
who was passing by for some flowers to put on the tip of their guns and tanks, as a sign that there would be no bloodshed. It was a celebration of life and Peace.
He later adopted 2 children. In 1989 he was diagnosed with a cancer and, after surgeries and a long painful process, Maia would die on the 4th of April 1992, only 48 years old.
Order of the Tower and Sword
The Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit is a Portuguese order of knighthood and the pinnacle of the Portuguese honours system. It was created by King Afonso V in 1459....
, GCL
Order of Liberty
The Order of Liberty, or Freedom, is a Portuguese honorific civil order that distinguishes relevant services to the cause of democracy and freedom, in the defense of the values of civilization and human dignification...
(*July 1, 1944 in Castelo de Vide, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
; †April 4, 1992 in Santarém
Santarém, Portugal
Santarém is a city in the Santarém Municipality in Portugal. The city itself has a population of 28,760 and the entire municipality has 64,124 inhabitants.It is the capital of Santarém District....
), commonly known just by Salgueiro Maia (saɫˈɡɐjɾu ˈmajɐ) was a captain of the Portuguese army. He made a significant contribution to the Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
, which resulted in the fall of the then ruling dictatorship.
Biography
Salgueiro Maia was one of the captains of the Portuguese Army who led the revolutionary forces during the Carnation Revolution. He was a son of Francisco da Luz Maia, a railway worker, and Francisca Silvéria Salgueiro. He attended the Primary School in São Torcato, Coruche, and would later relocate to Tomar where he studied at Colégio Nun'Álvares, but would finish his Secondary School education in the National Liceu of Leiria. Maia later graduated in Social and Political Sciences and Ethnological and Anthropological Sciences.In 1983 he received the Grand Cross of the Order of Liberty
Order of Liberty
The Order of Liberty, or Freedom, is a Portuguese honorific civil order that distinguishes relevant services to the cause of democracy and freedom, in the defense of the values of civilization and human dignification...
; in 1992, posthumously, the degree of Grand Officer of the Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of Valour, Loyalty and Merit; and in 2007, the Gold Medal of the city of Santarém
Santarém Municipality
Santarém Municipality is located in Santarém District and contains the city of Santarém.-Parishes:* Abitureiras* Abrã* Achete* Alcanede* Alcanhões* Almoster* Amiais de Baixo* Arneiro das Milhariças* Azoia de Baixo* Azoia de Cima* Casével...
Carnation Revolution
Salgueiro Maia, a young captain who drilled officers-in-training and sergeants-in-training, was informed about the plans of the Movimento das Forças Armadas (MFA) to bring down the dictatorship. The moment (10.55 pm) the signal for the uprising was played on the radio (E depois do adeusE Depois Do Adeus
"E Depois do Adeus" was the Portuguese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1974, performed in Portuguese by Paulo de Carvalho....
), Maia and his cadets grabbed their weapons and, against the will and even resistance of several regular officers (among them the commandant who was simply arrested by Maia) marched out, toward Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
.
The other signal used was Grândola Vila Morena
Grândola Vila Morena
"Grândola, Vila Morena" is a Portuguese song by Zeca Afonso, that tells of the fraternity among the people of Grândola, a town in the Alentejo. Salazar's Estado Novo regime considered the song to be associated with Communism, and as a result it was banned from being played or broadcast...
, a folk song (later translated to other languages) by the great Portuguese singer and composer Zeca Afonso, which was the signal for the coup leaders to announce that they had taken control of strategic parts of the country. This song's theme is fraternity, equality, friendship and wisdom in the fidelity to those intemporal values.
Salgueiro Maia and his troops peacefully forced the then ruling dictatorship to resign and it is in a large part due to his brave intelligence, humble and sensible character and strategic/social genius that bloodshed was avoided at all cost during the Revolution and there were "only" four dead people during the Carnation Revolution
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
— these were not killed by the revolutionaries nor Maia's troops, but by the political police of the regime (PIDE
PIDE
In 1969, Marcello Caetano changed the name PIDE to DGS . The death of Salazar and the subsequent ascension of Caetano brought some attempts at democratization, in order to avoid popular insurgency against censorship, the ongoing colonial war and the general restriction of civil rights...
) itself, when civilians were peacefully demonstrating in front of its headquarters in Lisbon.
The red carnations became the beautiful symbol of the peaceful revolution because, besides having happened in the beginning of Spring, some of the soldiers and civilians asked to a flower seller
Flower seller
A flower seller, normally a woman, traditionally sells flowers on the street. Often the flowers are carried, in a basket for example. The subject matter has been a favorite of artists. The profession has mostly died out in countries like the United Kingdom, but still exists in others such as India....
who was passing by for some flowers to put on the tip of their guns and tanks, as a sign that there would be no bloodshed. It was a celebration of life and Peace.
After the Revolution
Salgueiro Maia never wanted to assume any political power position after the Portuguese 1974 coup d'état. In 1981 he became a major.He later adopted 2 children. In 1989 he was diagnosed with a cancer and, after surgeries and a long painful process, Maia would die on the 4th of April 1992, only 48 years old.
Quotes of Salgueiro Maia
- "I came to see a mass of people, all raising their voices, placing flowers in the muzzles of the rifles. No one needed to kill or to be killed. No one needed to order an assault, or even the arrest of the king and his vassals."
- "When I became involved in the planning of this mission, I swore on my honour that I would see it through to its end. For this I would give my soul—my life."
- "There are three kinds of states: capitalist statesCapitalismCapitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
, socialist states, and the state we're in" (on the eve of the Carnation RevolutionCarnation RevolutionThe Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
, to the assembled soldiers who would march into Lisbon).
External links
- IMDB entry for April Captains
- Article about the Carnation Revolution
- Portuguese article about Salgueiro Maia, includes pictures of Maia in uniform and as a civilian.