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70-478: Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais CavC OA CavA ( pronounced [siˈðɔnju ˈpajʃ] ; 1 May 1872 – 14 December 1918) was a Portuguese politician , military officer , and diplomat , who served as the fourth president of the First Portuguese Republic in 1918. One of the most divisive figures in modern Portuguese history, he was referred to by the writer Fernando Pessoa as

140-491: A Stosstruppen battalion assaulted the Neuve-Chapelle and Fauquissart sectors. In the defence against this attack, 2nd Lieutenant Hernâni Cidade of the 35th Infantry Battalion stood out, being able to capture several German prisoners, including the captain who led the assault. In another German assault on 14 September, 2nd Lieutenant Gomes Teixeira, of the 7th Infantry Battalion, led a counterattack with his platoon, killing

210-554: A Lewis gun, single-handedly defeated two German assaults by laying down intense fire, covering his Portuguese and British comrades, despite coming under heavy attack himself. The last group of these units, under the command of Captain Bento Roma of the 13th Battalion, was able to resist the Germans in Lacouture until 11:45am on 10 April. The main gap in the line was filled by the deployment of

280-606: A distinguished mathematician, he remained in Coimbra, where he was appointed professor at the Faculty of Differential and Integral Calculus. He also worked as a professor at the Brotero Industrial School, where he was also a director from 1905 to 1909. On 23 October 1910 he was appointed vice-chancellor of the university, under Rector Manuel de Arriaga . As a leading Republican, Pais was catapulted into active political life after

350-523: A documentation center. The costs of the conversion are estimated to be one million Euros. There appears to have been made little to no progress after the mid-2010s, however. Order of Christ (Portugal) Heavily swayed by Philip IV of France , Pope Clement had the Knights Templar annihilated throughout France and most of Europe on charges of heresy , but Denis revived the Templars of Tomar as

420-467: A leader (and later, a cult figure) by pointing to his character: The writer Fernando Pessoa admiringly referred to Pais as the "President-King" ( Presidente-Rei ), a description that stuck in later years because it adequately symbolized his regime. Particularly among the most conservative Catholic groups, Pais entered the Portuguese imagination as a mix of a savior and a martyr, and caused the emergence of

490-403: A manpower of around 100,000 men against the 20,000 Portuguese defenders. The 4th Portuguese Brigade (defending the northern sector, with the 8th and 20th infantry battalions in the front line, the 29th in support and the 3rd in reserve) was attacked by the 42nd German Division. The 8th Battalion, reinforced by the 29th, valiantly resisted in the first line to the assault. By 8am, the left flank of

560-447: A popular cult, similar to the one existing around the figure of José Tomás de Sousa Martins , which endures until today. It is common to see fresh flowers and religious symbols being laid at his tomb. This is mainly due to his reversal of some early republican anti-clerical laws. But it seems somewhat ironic that his name lives on most vividly in these circles since Pais was not a particularly religious man himself. Pais must carry some of

630-612: A pro-active attitude until the pull back of its 1st Division. Just three days before that happened, on the dawn of 3 April, a company of the 2nd Infantry Battalion, under Captain Américo Olavo, assaulted the positions of the German 81st Reserve Division in Chapigny sector, occupying its 1st and 2nd lines and demolishing them, before withdrawing under enemy artillery fire. In April 1918, some cases of indiscipline began to be reported from amongst

700-558: A strong German attack was made against Chapigny and Neuve-Chapelle sectors, with a heavy artillery, gas, mortars and machine-gun fire preparation. At 5am, the Germans assaulted and took the Front Line, forcing the 4th Infantry Battalion to retreat to the Support Line. The Portuguese artillery reacted, launching about 1400 grenades against the Front Line. A counterattack made by the 4th Battalion, supported by 12th and 17th battalions, terminated

770-449: A wound which would prove fatal. Pais immediately fell to the ground, and a panic broke out. During the confusion, four innocent bystanders were fatally wounded by the guards; the assassin, who didn't try to escape, was arrested after being brutally beaten by the crowd. Pais was still alive at this point and was rushed toward St. Joseph Hospital, but he died of his wounds en route to the hospital shortly before midnight. Sidónio Pais's funeral

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840-402: The 11th Cyclist Battalion were sent and joined the 13th (5th Brigade) and 15th (3rd Brigade) Portuguese battalions on the south end of the line, which held their ground until the next morning and prevented any further advances to the south or south-west. Here occurred the famous episode of the 15th Portuguese Battalion's soldier Aníbal Milhais (nickname "Soldier Millions") who, armed only with

910-603: The 1st Division would later be returned to the front line for a short period. On 16 June 1918, the 1st Division, supplemented by British units, replaced the 14th British Division in the defence of the Liliers-Steenbekque line. In September 1918, already under the command of General Garcia Rosado, the remnants of the CEP started to be re-organised in order to re-enter combat. The objective was to form three brigades, composed of nine infantry battalions, that were to be organised with

980-495: The Battle of the Lys , and the Portuguese government was unable to bring in necessary reinforcements or even maintain a regular supply of troops. The situation reached such an extreme that, even after the end of the war, Portugal was unable to transport its troops back to the country. Social conflict had increased to the point of creating a permanent state of insurrection. This situation marked

1050-678: The Holy See , the Order of Christ of the House of Orléans-Braganza , and the Order of Christ of Kongo. The order's origins lie in the Knights Templar , founded circa 1118. The Templars were persecuted by the king of France and eventually disbanded by the pope in 1312. King Dinis I of Portugal created the Order of Christ in 1319 for those knights who survived their mass slaughter throughout Europe. In Portugal,

1120-536: The Northern Military Juntas . When he entered the station at around 11 PM, he was received by a Republican Guard ordered to protect the President. The earlier, failed assassination attempt on the President had led to an increase in security. However, this couldn't ruin the mood as a band played a popular song when the President entered the station. Inside the station, the left-wing activist José Júlio da Costa

1190-630: The Portuguese Government seized a number of merchant ships belonging to the Central Powers which were anchored in Lisbon . The German government took this as a hostile act and declared war. The Government announced it would raise an expeditionary force to fight on the Western Front , with the first units being raised by July. In early 1917, the force was split into two elements: Initially, CEP

1260-498: The "President-King", a description that stuck in later years and symbolizes his regime. Pais was born in Caminha, 1 May 1872, the eldest child of Sidónio Alberto Marrocos Pais, a notary of Jewish descent, and Rita Júlia Cardoso da Silva, both natives of Caminha. He completed his primary education in Sertã , where he lived between the ages of 7 and 11, and completed his secondary education at

1330-449: The 1st Bavarian Reserve Division. Finally, the 1st Bavarian Reserve was able to reach the 5th Brigade's HQ in Canse du Raux, overrunning it at 1pm, with the brigade commander, Colonel Manuel Martins, being killed in the combat. By 10:30am the Portuguese artillery batteries, which never stopped firing, even after the infantry positions defending them had been annihilated, started to be overrun by

1400-623: The Army School, Pais enrolled at the University of Coimbra, where he graduated in mathematics. He received his doctorate at the same university in 1898. Already during his time in Coimbra, in the waning years of the Portuguese Monarchy , Pais had given vent to his republican ideals. During this period he also belonged for a short period to a masonic lodge in Coimbra, although he does not appear to have been very active. By now considered to be

1470-452: The British 50th (Northumbrian) Division and 51st (Highland) Division . It was later calculated that the CEP lost 400 dead, with around 6,500 taken prisoner, on 9 April, a third of its forces in the front line. The – overwhelmingly negative – historical verdict on the battle was epitomized by the comment that the Portuguese "ruined Ludendorff and saved their allies by running away"; whilst

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1540-555: The Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) , and in addition accumulated the portfolios of War Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He also took over (on 27 December) the functions of President until a new election could be organized early in the new year. All of these actions were in direct violation of the Constitution of 1911, which he himself had helped to draft. During the coup and the early stages of his government, Sidónio Pais enjoyed

1610-556: The Ferme du Bois sector area. In this assault, the Portuguese forces were able to kill and capture a great number of German soldiers and to demolish several enemy fortified positions, suffering themselves 20 casualties. On 18 March, a company made up of 100 volunteers from the 14th Infantry Battalion, under the command of Captain Vale d'Andrade, assaulted the German positions on the Neuve-Chapelle sector, capturing three prisoners. CEP continued to have

1680-507: The German advance was superficially impressive, especially to begin with, it quickly lost momentum and stalled. However, it is likely that the collapse would have happened to any unit, not merely the weakened and demoralized Portuguese, as British troops in a similar position the previous month, in Operation Michael , had been overrun just as quickly. The remnants of the CEP were withdrawn for rear-area pioneer and security duties, though

1750-457: The German attack. In this action, the Portuguese incurred 146 casualties and the Germans over 200. Despite the difficulties, CEP not only withstood the violent activity of the Germans, but even took the initiative. On 9 March, under Captain Ribeiro de Carvalho, the 1st Company of the 21st Infantry Battalion, supported by a detachment of 25 sappers, launched a strong assault against the German lines in

1820-471: The German commander and other men and capturing four prisoners. Another 2nd Lieutenant, David Neto from the 4th Infantry Battalion, only supported by his orderly, captured an entire German patrol made up of one officer and seven men on 13 December. For the actions of these officers, the A-Line (Front Line) became known by the Portuguese troops as the "Line of the 2nd Lieutenants". These actions also made CEP one of

1890-407: The German forces. Most of them were able to resist and continued to fire until 11am. The bulk of 2nd Division ceased to exist as a fighting formation, retreating in such disarray that the divisional HQ had to relocate twice on 9 April. The mounted reserve held by XI British Corps was released to support the 3rd Portuguese Brigade in containing the German advance. The 1st King Edward's Horse and

1960-544: The Lyceum of Viana do Castelo ( Santa Maria Maior High School ), after which he went to Coimbra in order to take preparatory courses in mathematics and philosophy . In 1888, he decided upon a military career and entered the Army School, attending artillery courses. An outstanding student, he completed his courses with distinction, and was promoted to sub-lieutenant ( alferes ) in 1892, lieutenant in 1895, captain in 1906 and major in 1916. Upon completion of his courses at

2030-660: The Lys . The morning of 9 April found the CEP's 2nd Division with its 4th Brigade (Minho Brigade) in the frontline at the North, its 6th Brigade at the Centre and its 5th Brigade at the South. In a rear position, the 3rd Brigade (left as a reinforcement by the 1st Division) was in reserve. At about the 4am, the Germans started the Battle of the Lys with a violent bombardment, that lasted about two hours, made by 1700 artillery guns concentrated in front of

2100-577: The Order of Christ accumulated great riches and power during the Age of Discoveries . In 1789, Queen Maria I of Portugal secularized the order. In 1910, with the end of the Portuguese monarchy, the order was extinguished. However, in 1917, the order was revived, with its Grand Master to be the President of Portugal . The Military Order of Christ, together with the Military Orders of Aviz and of St. James of

2170-504: The Order of Christ, largely for their aid during the Reconquista and in the reconstruction of Portugal after the wars. Denis negotiated with Clement's successor, John XXII , for recognition of the new order and its right to inherit the Templar assets and property. This was granted in a papal bull, Ad ea ex quibus , on 14 March 1319. There exists also a parallel Supreme Order of Christ of

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2240-511: The Portuguese and German colonies in Africa, and his own increasingly Germanophile position. Despite these difficulties, he held the position until 9 March 1916, the date on which Germany declared war on Portugal following the seizure of German ships in ports under Portuguese control. Back in Portugal, he formed a natural rallying point for those who opposed Portugal's participation in the war, catalyzing

2310-446: The Portuguese forces started to be enveloped by the Germans, who penetrated the gaps opened by the collapse and fall back of the 40th British Division's 119th Brigade. Under the German pressure, the Portuguese retreated to Laventie (4th Brigade's HQ), where they made their last stand, being overrun by 11am. The 35th German Division assaulted the central sector, defended by the 6th Portuguese Brigade, quickly overrunning its battalions in

2380-402: The Portuguese sector. Despite the tremendous disadvantage, the Portuguese artillery immediately responded to the fire with their 80 guns. At 7am, eight German divisions ( 35th Infantry , 42nd Infantry , 1st Bavarian Reserve and 8th Bavarian Reserve in the first wave and 8th Infantry , 117th Infantry , 81st Reserve and 10th Ersatz in the second wave) attacked the Portuguese line, with

2450-573: The Portuguese support for the Allies into question and made it easier getting furlough . Many officers used this opportunity. Another factor was that the UK diverted its whole sea transport capacity for use by American forces after April 1917 when the United States declared war to Germany. Another major problem was a gradual loss of manpower; by April 1918, 10% of the CEP's strength had become casualties, due to

2520-549: The President by plebiscite , through universal suffrage. Making use of his popularity among Catholics, he was elected on 28 April 1918, obtaining 470,831 votes, an unprecedented number. He was proclaimed President of the Republic on 9 May of the same year, without even bothering to consult Congress, and enjoying direct democratic legitimacy, which he used – unsuccessfully – to crush opposition attempts. The decrees of February and March 1918, which because their profound contradiction with

2590-530: The Sword , formed the group of the "Ancient Military Orders", governed by a chancellor and a council of eight members, and appointed by the President of the Republic to assist him as Grand Master in all the order's administrative matters. The Order can be conferred for outstanding services to the Republic on military officers, and, despite its name, on civilians (including foreigners as well as Portuguese citizens) and on members of: Parliament or other branches of government,

2660-543: The award ceremony for survivors of the navy trawler Augusto de Castilho . Nine days later, however, he fell victim to the second. The president made his way to the Lisboa-Rossio Railway Station on the evening of 14 December 1918, after having enjoyed dinner at the restaurant Silva, located in the Chiado . He was accompanied by his brother and his son, planning to take the train to Porto in order to confer with

2730-402: The constant attrition of front-line service, and almost half of the officers were no longer present at the front. Replacements were not forthcoming, and so units became severely understrength: in order to cope, men were routinely denied leave, and units kept in the frontline for up to six months at a time, further lowering morale. From January 1918, the German activity intensified. On 2 March,

2800-585: The current constitution were labeled the "Constitution of 1918", profoundly altered the Portuguese Constitution of 1911 and lent the regime a clear presidential character, revamped electoral law, and changed the laws on the separation of Church and State and the very distribution of power among the organs of state. However, in April 1918, the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps was slaughtered at

2870-725: The diplomatic corps, the Courts of Justice, the Civil Service, and other public authorities. The Order of Christ, as awarded by the Portuguese government today, comes in six classes: [REDACTED]  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). " Order of the Knights of Christ ". Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company. Portuguese Expeditionary Corps The Portuguese Expeditionary Corps ( CEP , Portuguese : Corpo Expedicionário Português )

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2940-768: The end of absolutism. Hence, Pessoa's epithet of a "President-King" was well-deserved. In its objectives and in many of its forms, the New Republic was a precursor of the Estado Novo of António de Oliveira Salazar . In an attempt to normalize relations with the Roman Catholic Church Sidónio Pais amended the Law of Separation of Church and State on 23 February 1918. This prompted an immediate, fierce reaction from traditional Republicans and Freemasons, but garnered widespread support from Catholics, moderate Republicans, and

3010-430: The end of the regime's charmed existence. Between alternating strikes, conflicts, and conspiracies, from the summer of 1918 onwards attempts to end the "Sidonist" regime escalated in severity and violence, which led the President to declare a state of emergency on 13 October 1918. With that act, and the harsh repression of opposing movements, he was able to regain momentary control of the political situation, but his regime

3080-718: The establishment of the First Portuguese Republic in 1910. After a brief membership of the managing board of the national railway company, he was elected as a deputy of the National Constituent Assembly that was charged with drafting the Portuguese Constitution of 1911 . As a leading member of the Constituent Assembly, Pais was appointed Minister of Public Works in the government chaired by João Chagas , assuming his office on 24 August 1911. In this post, which he held until 3 November 1911, he represented

3150-548: The first units of First Army to comply with General Horne 's request for the need to capture German prisoners for obtaining intelligence . This resulted in a commendation to the CEP from the First Army high command. The First Army command recognized that the front of the Portuguese Sector was too long to be defended by only four brigades and reduced it to 12 km on 22 December 1917. From then on and until 6 April 1918, it

3220-408: The front line (1st and 2nd battalions). The southern sector was assaulted by the 1st and 8th Bavarian Reserve divisions. The 8th Bavarian Reserve overran the 17th Battalion of the Portuguese 5th Brigade in the front line and the 11th Battalion of the 6th Brigade, which was in support. The 5th Brigade's 10th Battalion in the front line and the 4th in support were able to hold and slow the progression of

3290-460: The gap and the 2nd Division taking up the remaining section of the line, now under the operational control of the XI British Corps . The 2nd Division itself, now holding twice the normal divisional frontage, was scheduled to withdraw on 9 April and to be replaced by two British divisions. That morning, however, the Germans opposite launched a major attack, which would develop into the Battle of

3360-578: The government during the festivities that marked the first anniversary of the Republic in the city of Porto . After the fall of the Chagas government, he kept his place in government by taking up the post of Finance Minister in Augusto de Vasconcelos ' "Government of concentration". Taking office on 7 November 1911, he held on to this position until 16 June 1912. At a moment when international tensions that would lead to World War I already made themselves felt, Pais

3430-407: The growing discontent caused by both the effects of the war effort at home and the poor results obtained by the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps at the front. He became the main leader of opposition to Afonso Costa 's Democratic Party government, and from 5 to 8 December 1917 , he led an insurrection by around 250 troops. The coup ended victoriously after three days of heavy confrontations, in which

3500-484: The last hope of a doomed country, and was widely perceived as such. This explains why his assassination had such a huge, and long-lasting influence on Portuguese politics. From then on, most political stability disappeared, leading to a permanent crisis that only ended nearly eight years later when the 28 May 1926 coup d'état set up the ensuing forty years of dictatorship. Douglas Wheeler tries to explain Pais' attractiveness as

3570-760: The legacy and associations of "Sidonism" to its advantage. For instance, when the Portuguese National Pantheon was inaugurated in 1966, the authorities had Pais's body transferred to it from the Room of the Chapter of the Jeronimos Monastery , where it had been interred previously. Pais married Maria dos Prazeres Martins Bessa ( Amarante , São Gonçalo, 1868/1869 – Porto ?/ Lisbon , 1945) in 1895. The couple had five children, four sons and one daughter. Out of wedlock, he also had one daughter by one Ema Manso Preto. He

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3640-446: The men. These culminated in the mutiny of the exhausted 7th Infantry Battalion on 4 April, the men from the unit refusing to return to the frontline, from where they had left just a few days before. The decision was then taken to pull the CEP out of the frontline and replace it with British units. On 6 April, the 1st Division was pulled back, with the British 55th (West Lancashire) Division extending its lines southwards to fill part of

3710-526: The regime a markedly presidential image. The President of the Republic in effect became Head of State and leader of the Government, which, significantly, was entirely composed of state secretaries instead of (higher-ranked) ministers. In this new political architecture, which his supporters called a "New Republic", the Head of State was placed in a position of power that had known no parallel in Portuguese history since

3780-517: The remnants of the former CEP's original infantry units. By the end of October, four battalions were already combat-capable. These four infantry battalions (I, IV, VIII and IX battalions), together with several artillery, engineer, heavy machine gun and other remaining CEP units, participated in the Hundred Days Offensive . The last Portuguese combat action in World War I happened on the day of

3850-471: The responsibility for subsequent dictatorships because of his autocratic style of government and the removal of any remaining checks on the regime. The ineffectuality of his regime failed to bring the order it had promised and only contributed to the chaos of the First Republic and the undermining of its legitimacy. The Estado Novo regime that controlled Portugal during much of the 20th century exploited

3920-552: The responsibility for an entire independent sector of the Western Front. The CEP was shipped to France in early 1917, where the first groups received training in trench warfare and were equipped with British small arms. The first units began to deploy in May, and a sector of the frontline was fully held by the CEP by November; by the end of October, just under 60,000 troops had been sent to France. From 6 November 1917, CEP took charge of

3990-426: The role of civil groups was decisive for the insurgents' success. On the morning of 8 December Costa handed over power to Pais' military junta . Instead of starting the usual consultation for the formation of a new government, the rebels took power, removing Bernardino Machado from the post of President of the Republic and forcing his exile. Subsequently, on 11 December 1917, Sidónio Pais took over as President of

4060-548: The rural population, then the vast majority of the Portuguese population. This decision also re-established diplomatic relations with the Vatican, which appointed Monsignor Benedetto Aloisi Masella (later to be nuncio in Brazil , cardinal , and camerlengo ) as apostolic nuncio in Lisbon on 25 July 1918. In another unconstitutional move, Pais on 11 March 1918 decreed the direct election of

4130-458: The support of various labor groups, in exchange for the release of imprisoned comrades, and because of expectations inside the influential National Workers' Union, which looked to position itself as a centre of power of the republican left. Subsequently, Pais issued a set of dictatorial decrees, without consulting the Congress of the Republic , and suspended important parts of the Constitution, giving

4200-434: The third line of defense. The Portuguese Sector was divided into four brigade sectors. Each brigade deployed two battalions at the front (each defending a sub-sector of the brigade sector), one in support and another in reserve. Each of the CEP's two divisions controlled two brigade sectors, with a third brigade in reserve. CEP suffered the first German attack on 4 June 1917, made against Neuve-Chapelle sector. The attack

4270-401: The whole "Portuguese Sector" of the Western Front, with a total frontage of 18 kilometres (11 mi). In accordance with Allied practice, the sector included three lines of defense. The first included the front line (A-Line), the support line (B-Line) and the reserve line (C-Line). The second included the village line (brigade headquarters line) and the corps line. Finally, the army line formed

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4340-549: Was appointed to the post of Minister Plenipotentiary (ambassador) of Portugal in Berlin on 17 August 1912. He remained in that important diplomatic post during the critical period that led to the outbreak of the war, maintaining a difficult balance between the pressures of the Portuguese Government, with increasingly pro-war and Anglophile viewpoints, attempts to settle diplomatically border conflicts in areas of contact between

4410-434: Was attended by tens of thousands of people, but multiple interruptions, some of them violent, took place as protesters mingled among the crowd. On 16 December, João do Canto e Castro was chosen as his successor by the Congress of the Republic rather than through a new plebiscite. The murder of Sidónio Pais heralded a traumatic time for the First Republic. Essentially a populist, charismatic leader, Pais portrayed himself as

4480-425: Was clearly mortally wounded. As the year came to an end, the political situation did not improve, despite the end of fighting with the Armistice of 11 November 1918 , an event accompanied by an affectionate message from King George V of the United Kingdom, who attempted to play down Sidónio Pais' previous, and well-known, pro-German attitudes. Pais escaped a first assassination attempt on 5 December 1918, during

4550-450: Was constituted as a single reinforced infantry division, organized according to the Portuguese model, in which divisions were much larger than the British ones. Subsequently, it was decided to reorganize the CEP according to the British model, allowing it to become an army corps of two divisions and corps support troops, just by adding some additional battalions. This new organization would allow it to have sufficient autonomy to be able to take

4620-441: Was constituted, from left to right, by the brigade sectors of Fauquissart, Chapigny, Neuve-Chapelle and Ferme du Bois. Morale was low throughout the winter of 1917–1918, partly due to bad weather and partly due to a perception among the soldiers that there was no reason for them to be in France. In December 1917, the Portuguese government was brought down; Sidónio Pais was declared to be the new president. The new government called

4690-422: Was repelled by the 35th Portuguese Infantry Battalion, which had deployed to the front trenches just two days before. On the night of 12 June, a more intense German attack was carried out against Ferme du Bois and Neuve-Chapelle sectors, being repelled by the 2nd, 3rd and 7th infantry battalions. On 14 August, the Germans launched a strong attack against the Portuguese lines. After an intense artillery bombardment,

4760-446: Was the great-grandfather in the male line of pianist and composer Bernardo Sassetti (1970–2012). In 2002, Caminha's Câmara Municipal purchased the ruin of Pais' birthplace for 175,000 Euros. The architect Nuno Brandão Costa was asked in 2009 to turn the house into a museum. The basement should house a room dedicated to Pais's presidency, with a second hall devoted to his life on the ground floor. The first floor will be turned into

4830-575: Was the main expeditionary force from Portugal that fought in the Western Front , during World War I . Portuguese neutrality ended in 1916 after the Portuguese seizure of German merchant ships resulted in the German Empire declaring war on Portugal. The expeditionary force was raised soon after and included around 55,000 soldiers. At the outbreak of the First World War, Portugal had declared its neutrality. The country remained neutral until 1916, though occasional skirmishes between Portuguese and German colonial troops occurred in Africa. In March 1916,

4900-409: Was waiting for him, concealing a pistol in his Alentejo cloak. When the President passed the assassin on the first floor of Rossio station, Da Costa penetrated the double police cordon that surrounded the President and fired two shots from the pistol hidden under his cloak. The first shot hit Pais in the right arm, where the bullet became lodged. The second shot hit the President in the stomach, causing

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