Francisco Craveiro Lopes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francisco Craveiro Lopes
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| President of Portugal | |
| In office 9 August 1951 – 9 August 1958 |
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| Prime Minister | António de Oliveira Salazar |
| Preceded by | Óscar Carmona |
| Succeeded by | Américo Tomás |
| Governor of Portuguese India | |
| Acting September 1936 – July 1938 |
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| President | Óscar Carmona |
| Preceded by | João Carlos Craveiro Lopes |
| Succeeded by | José Ricardo Pereira Cabral |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office 26 November 1945 – 18 June 1951 |
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| Constituency | Coimbra |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Francisco Higino Craveiro Lopes
12 April 1894 Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal |
| Died | 2 September 1964 (aged 70) Lisbon, Portuguese Republic |
| Political party | National Union |
| Spouse | Berta da Costa Ribeiro Arthur |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Lisbon Polytechnic School |
| Profession | Air force officer |
| Awards | Order of Christ Order of Aviz Order of the Tower and Sword Order of the Bath Royal Victorian Chain |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Portugal |
| Branch/service |  Portuguese Air Force |
| Years of service | 1911–1964 |
| Rank | Marshal of the air force |
| Commands |
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| Battles/wars | First World War |
Francisco Higino Craveiro Lopes (born April 12, 1894 – died September 2, 1964) was an important Portuguese Air Force officer and politician. He served as the 12th President of Portugal from 1951 to 1958. He was also a high-ranking officer, eventually becoming a Marshal in the Air Force.
Contents
Early Life and Military Career
Francisco Craveiro Lopes was born in Lisbon, Portugal. His father, João Carlos Craveiro Lopes, was also a well-known general in the Portuguese army. His father even served as the Governor-General of Portuguese India, which was a Portuguese territory at the time.
Francisco finished his studies at the Colégio Militar (Military College) in 1911. After that, he joined the Escola Politécnica de Lisboa (Polytechnic School of Lisbon) and a cavalry regiment in the same year. He followed in his father's footsteps, serving as the Governor of Portuguese India from 1936 to 1938.
He also commanded Portuguese volunteer forces during the Spanish Civil War. This was a conflict in Spain that took place before World War II.
Becoming President of Portugal
In 1951, the Prime Minister of Portugal, António de Oliveira Salazar, chose Craveiro Lopes to be the next presidential candidate. This was to replace the previous president, Óscar Carmona, who had passed away.
At first, another naval officer, Manuel Quintão Meireles, planned to run against him. This would have been a rare contested election during the time of the Estado Novo (New State) government in Portugal. However, Manuel Quintão Meireles later decided not to run. This meant that Craveiro Lopes was elected president without anyone running against him.
Craveiro Lopes' Presidency
During the Estado Novo period, the President of Portugal had a lot of power according to the country's rules. However, in reality, the previous president, Óscar Carmona, had mostly let Prime Minister Salazar make all the big decisions.
Craveiro Lopes was different. He didn't want to give Salazar as much freedom as Carmona had. He wanted to have more say in how the country was run. Even so, he did not use his power to remove Salazar from his position as Prime Minister. The President's ability to fire the Prime Minister was one of the only ways to limit Salazar's power.
Because Craveiro Lopes wanted more influence, Salazar decided to choose a different candidate for the next presidential election in 1958. He picked Américo Tomás, who he thought would be easier to control.
The political groups who disagreed with Salazar then asked Craveiro Lopes to be their candidate. But he knew he wouldn't win against Salazar's chosen candidate, so he refused. As a way to honor him, the government promoted him to the rank of Marshal of the Air Force.
Craveiro Lopes was also involved in a plan in 1961 to try and change the leadership of the country. This plan was led by the Defence Minister, Júlio Botelho Moniz, but it was not successful.
Francisco Craveiro Lopes passed away in Lisbon on September 2, 1964.
National and Foreign Honors
Throughout his life, Craveiro Lopes received many important awards and honors. These awards recognized his service to Portugal and his contributions to international relations.
Some of his national honors included:
- The Sash of the Three Orders
- The Grand Cross of the Military Order of Aviz
- The Commander of the Order of Christ
- The Knight of the Order of the Tower and Sword
He also received honors from other countries, showing his role in international diplomacy. Some of these foreign honors included:
- The Grand Collar of the Order of the Southern Cross from Brazil
- The Grand Cross of the National Order of Legion of Honour from France
- The Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer from Greece
- The Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath from the United Kingdom
Family Life
Francisco Craveiro Lopes was married to Berta Ribeiro Artur. They had four children together. Berta passed away in Lisbon in 1958.
Images for kids
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Francisco Craveiro Lopes' signature.
