António de Spínola

António Sebastião Ribeiro de Spinola [ ɐtɔniw sɨβɐʃtiɐw ʁiβɐjɾu dɨ spinulɐ ] ( born April 11, 1910 in Estremoz, Alto Alentejo, † August 13, 1996 in Lisbon ) was a Portuguese general and politician.

During the Spanish Civil War, he fought on the side of Francisco Franco. At the Battle of Leningrad during the Second World War, he took part as an observer of the German army.

From 1968 to 1973 he was military governor of Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea- Bissau ), as such acts as supreme commander of the military action Mar Verde, and then deputy chief of staff. After the publication of his book Portugal eo Futuro ( "Portugal and the Future " ), in which he stated that the costly colonial war in Africa is not be won militarily, and for political reforms pleaded, he was removed in March 1974 from his post.

As part of the Carnation Revolution Spínola was the first provisional president of the Third Republic. At a press conference he promised free elections and announced the release of political prisoners and the lifting of press censorship. After clashes with the left wing of the MFA, he resigned in September 1974. Spínola increasingly became the central figure of a conservative opposition and had to flee from Portugal after an attempted coup in March 1975. In 1976, he returned from exile. Two years later he was rehabilitated, but played no political role. In 1981 he received an honorary title of marshal was awarded.

Spinola became internationally famous as the " man with the monocle ".