João Teixeira da Rocha Pinto (22 March 1876 – 25 November 1917) 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 (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent c ...

who served throughout his career in the administration of Portuguese colonies of Africa. João Pinto bore the nickname ''The Devil's Chief'' ( Portuguese: ''Capitão Diabo).'' He gained distinction for his role in administering the military contingents of

Portuguese Mozambique Portuguese Mozambique () or Portuguese East Africa () were the common terms by which Mozambique was designated during the period in which it was a Portuguese Empire, Portuguese overseas province. Portuguese Mozambique originally constituted a str ...

during the late years of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He was killed in action in 1917.

Early life

João Teixeira da Rocha Pinto was named after his father João Teixeira Pinto, who was called ''o Kurika'' ( Kowanyama dialect: ''the Lion''). He acquired this nickname for his courage in the possession of the colony of

Portuguese Angola In southwestern Africa, Portuguese Angola was a historical Evolution of the Portuguese Empire, colony of the Portuguese Empire (1575–1951), the overseas province Portuguese West Africa of Estado Novo (Portugal), Estado Novo Portugal (1951–1 ...

. His mother was Margarida Conceição da Rocha Pinto. João da Rocha Pinto was married to ''Maria Amélia da Rosa Pacheco Teixeira Pinto''.

Military career

Pinto served as an officer in various Portuguese colonies in Africa. First from 1902 to 1911, in

, in following his fathers footsteps. In

Portuguese Guinea Portuguese Guinea (), called the Overseas Province of Guinea from 1951 until 1972 and then State of Guinea from 1972 until 1974, was a Portuguese overseas province in West Africa from 1588 until 10 September 1974, when it gained independence as G ...

, he played a decisive role in the pacification of the

Oio Region Oio (historically WoyeBühnen, Stephan (1992). ''Place Names as an Historical Source: An Introduction with Examples from Southern Senegambia and Germany.'' History in Africa, 19, 45-101. doi:10.2307/3171995. (UR(14-06-2021))) is a region in Guine ...

between 1912 and 1916. Between 1913 and 1915, Pinto used Askari troops to impose Portuguese rule and to crush resistance to hut tax by destroying villages and seizing cattle, which caused many to flee to Senegal or the forests. The cost of his forces and the return to budget deficits led to his recall in 1915. An outraged Portuguese lawyer later published a damning report on the atrocities committed by African mercenaries under the command of Abdul Injai and Pinto.

"Numerous bands, in which were also found the old, the crippled, women and children, fled, terrorized in the face of the triumphant march of the force of the irregulars he mercenaries And in the disorderly flight, numerous natives, men, women, old people, children and the crippled, perished, drowned in the river, and ... mercilessly killed by the same irregulars. Then followed assaults on the tabancas illages these being sacked and burned; their undefended inhabitants were slaughtered; the fields were devastated totally destroyed.... Today, the rich and extensive territory inhabited by Pepels is in the greatest desolation and misery."

Upon the onset of the Portuguese declaration of war against Germany in 1916, Pinto was transferred for the military administration of

. In Mozambique, Pinto oversaw troop movements and took command of several offensives into

German East Africa German East Africa (GEA; ) was a German colonial empire, German colony in the African Great Lakes region, which included present-day Burundi, Rwanda, the Tanzania mainland, and the Kionga Triangle, a small region later incorporated into Portugu ...

, in coordination with both the British and Belgian armies. The East African Campaign continued despite the majority of the colony being overrun. The Imperial German chief commander in East Africa,

Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck Paul Emil von Lettow-Vorbeck (20 March 1870 – 9 March 1964), popularly known as the Lion of Africa (), was a general in the Imperial German Army and the commander of its forces in the German East Africa campaign. For four years, with a force ...

(''The Lion of Africa''), decided to resist the occupying armies with the first modern use of guerrilla warfare tactics.

Battle of Ngomano and death

João Pinto was struck and killed fighting against a German attack in the defense of Fort Ngomano. The Portuguese suffered a heavy defeat in a rout, with all commanding officers killed in battle and all soldiers either became casualties or were captured. In all, 25 Portuguese and 162 Askari were killed while only a few Askari and one German died on the attacking side. Seven hundred prisoners of war were used by the Germans as porters for the 250,000 rounds of ammunition, six machine guns and several hundred rifles that were also captured. This much needed German victory effectively resupplied the whole of von Lettow-Vorbeck's army.

Legacy

Vila Teixeira Pinto (now Canchungo) was named after him.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pinto, João Teixeira 1876 births 1917 deaths Colonial people in Angola Portuguese murderers Portuguese military personnel killed in World War I Portuguese war crimes Mass murderers Deaths by firearm in Mozambique War criminals