Pais, Sidónio

(1872-1918)

   Leading political figure during the First Republic, minister to Berlin for the republic, and ill-fated president of the republic (1917-18) as well as founder of the New Republic system. Born in the Minho district to a family of modest means, Sidónio Pais was one of the most brilliant students in mathematics of his generation at Coimbra University, the pre-1926 crucible for so many of Portugal's future political leaders. Following his doctorate in mathematics at Coimbra, he became a faculty member at that institution and entered republican politics. He joined Brito Camacho's moderate republican party, the Unionists, and served as Portugal's minister to Berlin, 1912-16.

   A reserve army major, Pais was ambitious as well as idealist ic, and sought to reform the republic's turbulent, inefficient system. He headed the military coup and insurrection of 5-8 December 1917, which overthrew the Afonso Costa government and ousted the Portuguese Republican Party from power. Sidónio Pais engineered a novel regime called the New Republic during 1917-18 and was elected president of the republic in the spring of 1918. This new government sought to reconcile monarchists and republicans and to stabilize politics. Described by admirers as "half prince, half condottiere" Sidónio Pais's experiment was short-lived and soon collapsed in chaos. Pais was assassinated by a fanatic republican at Rossio railroad station on 14 December 1918.