28 May 1926 coup d'état
On 28 May 1926, Portugal’s military carried out a coup that ended the unstable First Republic and began the Ditadura Nacional, which later became the Estado Novo and lasted until 1974. The uprising was led by General Manuel de Oliveira Gomes da Costa, with other officers including Sinel de Cordes, Filomeno da Câmara, Passos e Sousa, and Raul Esteves. The plot had several failed attempts in 1925, but the conspirators kept plans going and gained broad support. The revolt started in Braga and quickly spread to Porto, Lisbon, Évora, Coimbra, and Santarém.
President Bernardino Machado tried to resist and appointed Mendes Cabeçadas as head of government on 30 May, then transferred presidential powers to Cabeçadas on 31 May. On 6 June, Gomes da Costa and about 15,000 troops marched into Lisbon. Cabeçadas’ forces began to withdraw, and on 17 June Cabeçadas resigned, transferring power to Gomes da Costa. Some generals tried to persuade Gomes da Costa to take the presidency, but he refused, was briefly imprisoned, and then sent to the Azores.
Óscar Carmona was made head of government, marking the start of the Ditadura Nacional. The regime would later be refined into the Estado Novo and endure until the Carnation Revolution in 1974.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:42 (CET).