Vasco Goncalves

Vasco Gonçalves was a Portuguese general and politician who played a key role in the Carnation Revolution that ended the dictatorship of Estado Novo in 1974. He served as the prime minister of Portugal from July 1974 to September 1975, leading four provisional governments during a turbulent period of transition to democracy. He was a member of the Armed Forces Movement, a group of military officers who opposed the colonial wars in Africa and the authoritarian regime. He was also a supporter of the Communist Party and the radical left, and implemented several social and economic reforms, such as nationalizing banks, industries, and lands, granting independence to the African colonies, and promoting workers' rights and participation. He faced strong opposition from the moderate and conservative sectors of the society, as well as from some of his fellow revolutionaries who feared a communist takeover. He was eventually forced to resign after a failed coup attempt by the right-wing in March 1975 and a successful counter-coup by the moderate left in November 1975. He remained loyal to the revolution and the constitution, and retired from the army in 1980. He died in 2005 at the age of 83.