José Vicente de Freitas, 2nd Baron of Freitas
GCTE (; 22 January 1869 – 6 September 1952) was a Portuguese
military officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...
and
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
.
De Freitas was born in
Calheta,
Madeira
)
, anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira")
, song_type = Regional anthem
, image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg
, map_alt=Location of Madeira
, map_caption=Location of Madeira
, subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...
. He fought in
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
during
Portuguese participation in World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, and was awarded the Grand-Cross of the
Order of the Tower and Sword
The Ancient and Most Noble Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of the Valour, Loyalty and Merit ( pt, Antiga e Muito Nobre Ordem Militar da Torre e Espada, do Valor, Lealdade e Mérito), before 1910 Royal Military Order of the Tower an ...
, the highest Portuguese decoration.
He was a colonel when the
28 May 1926 movement took place. He supported the ''
Ditadura Nacional
The ''Ditadura Nacional'' (, National Dictatorship) was the name given to the regime that governed Portugal from 1926, after the re-election of General Óscar Carmona to the post of President, until 1933. The preceding period of military dicta ...
'' and was Instruction Minister from 1927 to 1929. He served as 98th
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
(President of the Council of Ministers), from 18 April 1928 until 8 July 1929, shortly after being promoted to general. He died in
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
with the rank of General.
Family
He was son of José Joaquim de Freitas and Sophia Amélia de Freitas, who had seven children.
Vicente de Freitas was brother to:
* Jorge Joaquim de Freitas (1870-1941)
* Manuel dos Passos Freitas ( 1872- 1952) - Lawyer and Musician
* Francisco João de Freitas (1874 -?)
* João Nepomuceno de Freitas (1877-1953) - Colonel and doctor. As his brother he joined
CEP in the
battle of La Lys. He was later appointed Grand-Nurse in 1927, during the tenancy of Óscar Carmona's Government, while his brother was Minister of Interior.
* José Maria de Freitas (1879-1958)
* Júlio de Freitas (1881-1882)
* Maria José de Freitas Fernandes ( 1885-1952)
Military and Academic Career
After his studies in Madeira - in Calheta and
Funchal
Funchal () is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Madeira, Autonomous Region of Madeira, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The city has a population of 105,795, making it the sixth largest city in Portugal. Because of ...
- he left for the mainland to start a military career, where he volunteered for the Hunter Regiment No. 12 (1887), as 1st Corporal, then as 1st Corporal Junior Officer (1889), being promoted to Second Lieutenant (1891), Lieutenant (1886), Captain (1904), Major (1913), Lieutenant Colonel (1917), Colonel (1919) and having reached General (1928).
In his military capacity coordinated
cartography
Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...
works, including the Lisbon Plan with all the improvements made and projected in the city (circa 1910), a map of outstanding technical and artistic quality.
During his military career, he played an important role, having been part of the
Portuguese Expeditionary Corps
The Portuguese Expeditionary Corps (CEP, Portuguese: ''Corpo Expedicionário Português'') was the main military force from Portugal that fought in the Western Front, during World War I. Portuguese neutrality ended in 1916 after the Portuguese ...
in France during World War I (1917–18).
He has also devoted himself to teaching, either as author of drawing textbooks for secondary education or as a course organizer for the Army Corporal and Sergeant School. He was professor of the National School since 1895, an institution of which he was director after 1917.
After his political career, he rejoined the military career, ending it as director of the Military Academy(1935–1939).
Political career
As a military man, he did not intend to get involved in politics, but events and his prestige determined that he should, for the positions he eventually held in the political context.
Thus, in a country in political turmoil, since the events leading up to the coup of
5 October 1910 then as captain, he supported King
Manuel II.
His most active participation in political life began in 1915 - when General
Pimenta de Castro was
President of the Republic and
Manuel de Arriaga
Manuel José de Arriaga Brum da Silveira e Peyrelongue (; 8 July 1840 – 5 March 1917) was a Portuguese lawyer, the first attorney-general and the first elected president of the First Portuguese Republic, following the deposition of King Ma ...
was head of government - he was invited to the position of Civil Governor of Funchal between February and May 1915. He would later be elected as a deputy by the Funchal circle through the Governmental Party.
His greatest involvement in national political life starts on May 28, 1926 with a march led by General
Gomes da Costa
Manuel de Oliveira Gomes da Costa , commonly known as Manuel Gomes da Costa () or just Gomes da Costa (14 January 1863 – 17 December 1929), was a Portuguese army officer and politician, the tenth president of Portugal and the second of ...
from Braga to Lisbon, to restore normalcy and order, following the instability and governing crisis of the
First Republic. This march would then give rise to the
II Republic, that would become in 1933 known as Estado Novo.
Prime-Minister of Portugal
In 1928, General
Óscar Carmona
António Óscar de Fragoso Carmona (; 24 November 1869 – 18 April 1951) was a Portuguese Army officer and politician who served as prime minister of Portugal from 1926 to 1928 and as the 11th president of Portugal from 1926 until his death i ...
, is elected President and appoints Vicente de Freitas to form government, as President of the Council of Ministers (Prime-Minister), to which he agrees. Due to the financial crisis that stroke the country and in an attempt to different parties the country he appoints as
Minister of Finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...
, the then
Coimbra
Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of .
The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto Metropolitan Area, Porto, and Bra ...
Professor,
António Oliveira Salazar.
In February 1928, Vicente de Freitas visited
Fátima, as a sign of validation of his political power and his commitment to the
apparitions/visions.
Following the Ordinance of the Bells - an ordinance that authorized the use of bells by churches, without limitations, but that an edict by the Governor of Évora created hourly limitations for this - which generated controversy and divisions in government among the unconditional supporters of the
Church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Chris ...
(among which Oliveira Salazar) and Vicente de Freitas, the later would file resignation.
Mayor of Lisbon
Between 1926 and 1933 he was appointed Mayor of the
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
City Council Administrative Commission.
Following his resignation as Prime-Minister he expresses his dissenting position on a conservative, nationalist constitutional revision project and the rise of the
National Union as a
single party
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
, contrary to the objectives of its creation. In his sharp critics, published in the media, he concluded that "If States have to be strong, then
freedom of thought
Freedom of thought (also called freedom of conscience) is the freedom of an individual to hold or consider a fact, viewpoint, or thought, independent of others' viewpoints.
Overview
Every person attempts to have a cognitive proficiency by ...
cannot cease to exist.", this would motivate Oliveira Salazar to dismiss him from the capital, on 15 February 1933, his term would nevertheless end on paper on 31 December 1934, thus ceasing its political career.
Honours
National Honours
*
![PRT_Military_Order_of_Aviz_-_Commander_BAR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/PRT_Military_Order_of_Aviz_-_Commander_BAR.svg)
Commander of the
Order of Aviz
The Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz ( pt, Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis, ), previously to 1910 ''Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz'' ( pt, Real Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis), previously to 1789 ''Knights'' (of ...
, (15 February 1919)
*
![PRT_Military_Order_of_the_Tower_and_of_the_Sword_-_Grand_Cross_BAR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/PRT_Military_Order_of_the_Tower_and_of_the_Sword_-_Grand_Cross_BAR.png)
Grad-Cross of the
Order of the Tower and Sword
The Ancient and Most Noble Military Order of the Tower and of the Sword, of the Valour, Loyalty and Merit ( pt, Antiga e Muito Nobre Ordem Militar da Torre e Espada, do Valor, Lealdade e Mérito), before 1910 Royal Military Order of the Tower an ...
, (25 August 1928)
*
![PRT_Military_Order_of_Aviz_-_Grand_Cross_BAR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/PRT_Military_Order_of_Aviz_-_Grand_Cross_BAR.svg)
Grand-Cross of the
Order of Aviz
The Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz ( pt, Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis, ), previously to 1910 ''Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz'' ( pt, Real Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis), previously to 1789 ''Knights'' (of ...
, (24 June 1932)
Foreign Honours
*
![Cavaliere_di_Gran_Croce_OCI_Kingdom_BAR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Cavaliere_di_Gran_Croce_OCI_Kingdom_BAR.svg)
Grand-Cross of the
Order of the Crown of Italy
The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civi ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
(4 August 1930)
*
![Order_of_Carlos_Manuel_de_C%C3%A9spedes_-_Grand_Cross_(Cuba)_-_ribbon_bar_v](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Order_of_Carlos_Manuel_de_C%C3%A9spedes_-_Grand_Cross_%28Cuba%29_-_ribbon_bar_v._1926.png)
Grand Officer of the
National Order of Merit of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
(24 June 1932)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freitas, Jose Vicente De
1869 births
1952 deaths
Madeiran politicians
20th-century Portuguese politicians
Portuguese generals
Prime Ministers of Portugal
Finance ministers of Portugal
Mayors of Lisbon
People from Madeira
Portuguese military personnel of World War I
Recipients of the Order of the Tower and Sword
Commanders of the Order of Aviz
Grand Crosses of the Order of Aviz