José Vicente de Freitas

José Vicente de Freitas, 2nd Baron of Freitas GCTE ComA GCA (; 22 January 1869 – 4 September 1952)

Military and academic career After his studies in Madeira - in Calheta and Funchal - 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 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 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 active participation in political life began in 1915 - when General Pimenta de Castro was President of the Republic and Manuel de Arriaga 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 began on May 28, 1926, with a march led by General Gomes da Costa 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, was elected president and appointed Vicente de Freitas to form government, as President of the Council of Ministers (Prime-Minister.) He appointed as Minister of Finance, the then Coimbra 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.

The Vicente de Freitas government resigned in July 1929, after a disagreement with a party represented by Mário de Figueiredo and Oliveira Salazar over separation of church and state.

Mayor of Lisbon Between 1926 and 1933 he was appointed Mayor of the Lisbon City Council Administrative Commission.

Following his resignation as Prime-Minister he expressed his dissenting position on a conservative, nationalist constitutional revision project and the rise of the National Union as a single party, contrary to the objectives of its creation. In his sharp criticisms, published in the media, he concluded that "If States have to be strong, then freedom of thought 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 ending his political career.

Honours National honours