SALAZAR, Antonio de Oliveira

(1889-1970)
Born April 28, 1889 in the village Vimieiro near Santa Comba Dцёo. Graduated from University of Coimbra. In 1916-1928 - Professor of Economics University of Coimbra. One of the founders of the Catholic Center (1921), was elected to the Cortes. In 1926, after a military coup, was appointed minister of finance, but a few days later he resigned and returned to his professorial duties. In 1928, President Carmona Salazar invited to become finance minister with extraordinary powers.
In 1930 Salazar established the National Union Party, campaigned for the 'unitary corporate republic'. In 1932, became prime minister and drafted a constitution, which next year was adopted by referendum. The Constitution declared the establishment of a new State (Estado Novo), in which virtually all power had passed to Salazar. Salazar supported Franco during the Spanish Civil War, occupied the position of Portugal's neutrality during the Second World War, but allowed Britain to use the Azores as a military base. In 1949 Portugal joined NATO, and in 1955 - UN. In 1960 Salazar was trying to crush the independence movement in the Portuguese colonies in Africa. War noticeably weakened Portugal, and eventually led in 1975 to a coup which eliminated the new state. In 1968, Salazar withdrew from public activity. Salazar died in Lisbon on July 27, 1970.