António de Spínola facts for kids

Quick facts for kids His Excellency António de Spínola GCTE ComA
President of Portugal
In office 15 May 1974 – 30 September 1974
Prime Minister	Adelino da Palma Carlos Vasco Gonçalves
Preceded by	Américo Tomás
Succeeded by	Francisco da Costa Gomes
President of the National Salvation Junta
In office 25 April 1974 – 30 September 1974
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Francisco da Costa Gomes
Governor of Portuguese Guinea
In office 20 May 1968 – 6 August 1973
President	Américo Tomás
Preceded by	Arnaldo Schulz
Succeeded by	Bettencourt Rodrigues
Personal details
Born	(1910-04-11)11 April 1910 Estremoz, Kingdom of Portugal
Died	13 August 1996(1996-08-13) (aged 86) Lisbon, Portugal
Political party	MDLP
Spouse	Maria Helena Barros
Alma mater	Military Academy
Occupation	Politician Writer
Profession	Military officer
Portfolio	Overseas Colonial Territories
Awards	Order of the Tower and Sword Order of Aviz
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Portugal
Branch/service	Portuguese Army
Years of service	1920–1974, 1981
Rank	General (effective) Field Marshal (honorific)
Commands	345th Cavalry Battalion Military Governor of Guinea-Bissau Movimento das Forças Armadas
Battles/wars	Portuguese Colonial War Guinea-Bissau War of Independence

António de Spínola (born April 11, 1910 – died August 13, 1996) was a Portuguese military officer and politician. He played a very important part in helping Portugal become a democracy after a big event called the Carnation Revolution.

Early Life

António de Spínola was born in Estremoz, Portugal, in 1910. His parents were António Sebastião Spínola and Maria Gabriela Alves Ribeiro. They were both from the Madeira Islands.

Military Career

Spínola started his military journey in 1920 when he joined the Colégio Militar. By 1928, he was attending Portugal's Military Academy. He was known as a promising young cavalry officer.

In 1932, he married Maria Helena Martin Monteiro de Barros in Lisbon.

In 1939, he became an aide for the Republican National Guard. In 1941, he traveled to the German-Russian Front as an observer. He watched the movements of the German army during the siege of Leningrad.

Service in Africa

In 1961, Spínola volunteered to serve in Portugal's colonies in West Africa. From 1961 to 1963, he led the 345th Cavalry Battalion in Portuguese Angola. His unit performed very well during this time.

Later, in 1968 and again in 1972, he became the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in Portuguese Guinea. This was during the Overseas War. Spínola's leadership focused on respecting the local people and their traditions. He also tried different ways to deal with the war. He even met secretly with the President of Senegal, Léopold Sédar Senghor. He also led military actions into neighboring countries, like Operation Green Sea in Conakry, Guinea.

In November 1973, Spínola returned to Lisbon. He was asked to lead the Overseas department by Marcelo Caetano, who was Portugal's leader at the time. Spínola refused because the government was not flexible about the Portuguese colonies.

A month later, in January 1974, he was asked to be the Vice-Chief of the Defence Council of the Armed Forces. He was removed from this position in March. Soon after, he published a book called Portugal e o Futuro (Portugal and the Future). In his book, he suggested that the only way to end the Colonial Wars was to stop the fighting.

The Carnation Revolution

On April 25, 1974, a peaceful revolution happened in Portugal, known as the Carnation Revolution. Spínola was a representative for the MFA – Movement of the Armed Forces. He officially received the surrender of the government from Marcelo Caetano. Caetano insisted on surrendering power only to Spínola. This made Spínola a very important public figure in the revolution, even though the MFA had not planned for him to be the main leader.

After the revolution, the National Salvation Junta was formed. Spínola became the President of Portugal.

Talks about Angola

On September 15, 1974, Spínola met with other leaders. These included Mobutu Sese Seko, the President of Zaire, and officials from South Africa. They met on Sal Island in Portuguese Cape Verde. They discussed a plan for Angola's future. They wanted to support certain groups like the National Liberation Front of Angola and UNITA. They also wanted to reduce the influence of Agostinho Neto, another leader. This was partly because of the large oil reserves in the Cabinda region of Angola.

Later Life and Death

Spínola served as the first President after the revolution from May 15, 1974, to September 30, 1974. He was replaced by General Francisco da Costa Gomes. Spínola resigned because he felt the country was moving too far to the political left. He also disagreed with the rapid independence of the Portuguese colonies. He tried to influence the MFA's plans but realized he could not stop them.

After his resignation, Spínola tried to encourage the "silent majority" to resist the left-wing changes. He was also involved in a right-wing counter-movement in March 1975, after which he fled to Brazil. Between 1976 and 1980, he led a group called the Exército de Libertação de Portugal (ELP), which was an anti-communist group based in Brazil. He also led the MDLP – Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Portugal, another anti-communist group.

Despite these later actions, Spínola's role in the Carnation Revolution remained important. In 1981, he was promoted to the highest rank in the Army, Field Marshal. His reputation was officially restored on February 5, 1987, by President Mário Soares. He received the Grand Cross of the Military Order of the Tower and Sword. This award recognized his "heroic military and civic service" and for being "a symbol of the April Revolution and first President of the Republic after the dictatorship."

António de Spínola passed away in Lisbon on August 13, 1996, at the age of 86.

In the 2000 film Capitães de Abril, the actor Ruy de Carvalho played Spínola. In 2010, the mayor of Lisbon, António Costa, and President Aníbal Cavaco Silva honored Spínola's 100th birthday. They unveiled a plaque and named a new avenue in the capital after him.

Honours

• Officer of the Order of Aviz, Portugal (January 23, 1948)
• Commander of the Order of Aviz, Portugal (May 16, 1959)
• Grand Officer of the Order of the Tower and Sword, Portugal (July 6, 1973)
• Grand Master of the Honorific Orders of Portugal (May 15, 1974 – September 30, 1974)
• Grand-Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword, Portugal (February 13, 1987)

Foreign

• Knight Grand-Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, Spain (December 14, 1987)

Published Works

• Por Uma Guiné Melhor (1970)
• Linha de Acção (1971)
• No Caminho do Futuro (1972)
• Por Uma Portugalidade Renovada (1973)
• Portugal e o Futuro (1974)
• Ao Serviço de Portugal (1976)
• País sem Rumo (1978)

Images for kids

• 

  Arms of António de Spínola as knight of the Order of Isabella the Catholic

Sources

• Fotobiografias do Século XX, Photobiography of António de Spínola, Círculo de Leitores.

See also

In Spanish: António de Spínola para niños