In the general election of Jan. 1922, the Lisbon democratic candidate, Dr. Afonso Costa, was successful by a small majority. Successive revolutionary movements took place ; these had be come a regular political weapon and were attended by little loss of life. Those of April and July 1925 were of a more conservative character and showed an inclination on the part of the army to expel the politicians from power. In Aug. 1923 Sr. Teixeira Gomes, Portuguese Minister in London, was elected president of the republic in succession to Dr. Antonio Almeida (1866-1929), the first president to serve his full term of four years.
The elections of Nov. 8, 1925, gave a clear majority to the Democrats, who numbered 82 against 66 for all other parties, and it seemed at last that Portugal might achieve a compara tively stable government. The resignation of the president had long been expected, and when it took effect (Dec. io) the election of his successor Dr. Machado, took place without incident. The new Democrat ministry formed on Dec. 16 consisted of experi enced politicians, with Sr. Antonio da Silva once more as premier.
But on Feb. 2, 1926, a military revolt broke out in Lisbon. It was rapidly quelled and the leaders deported. On May 3o a more serious revolutionary attempt was made. Commander Mendes Cabecadas, leader of the revolt of July 1925, was one of the lead ers; the other, Gen. Gomes da Costa, had also been implicated in former risings. The outbreak of May 3o was a revolution led by the army and provoked by the corruption and inefficiency of suc cessive governments. On June i the whole country was in the hands of the revolutionaries, the president was deposed and ban ished, and Cabecadas then formed a provisional government with Gen. Gomes da Costa as minister of war. The May revolu
tion was the 18th pronunciamento since the foundation of the republic and Sr. da Silva's cabinet was the 4oth to be overthrown in the same brief period.
Differences were immediately manifest between the army lead ers and Corn. Cabecadas, representing the politicians. Gen. Gomes da Costa marched on Lisbon and Corn. Cabecadas resigned the premiership. Gen. Gomes da Costa, now premier and acting president, disagreed with his cabinet, and within a few weeks was deposed and deported to the Azores, being succeeded at Lisbon by his foreign minister, Gen. Carmona. The new government ruled peaceably (without parliament) for some months, but on Feb. 3, 1927, a revolution, fostered by Communists broke out at Oporto and Lisbon, where the marines and part of the republican guard were overcome through the energetic action of the minister of war, Col. Passos. This was the bloodiest revolution since Oct. 1910. On April is, 1928, Gen. Carmona was proclaimed president, having been elected by 750,000 votes. A new constitution, adopted on March 19, 1933, provided for the president's election for seven years by direct vote of the heads of families, a privy council of ten, a National Assembly of one chamber of 90 depu ties, elected for four years. Despite this constitution, the govern ment became in fact a dictatorship of the president and the prime minister. On Feb. 17, 1935, General Carmona was elected unani mously for a further term of 7 years. In 1936 the Spanish civil war, and Portugal's fear of a victory for the Spanish Left, empha sized the importance of Portugal in European politics.