Victor Hugo de Azevedo Coutinho
Victor Hugo de Azevedo Coutinho (born November 12, 1871 in Macau , † June 27, 1955 in Lisbon ) was a Portuguese officer in the Navy , professor at the University of Coimbra and the Naval School and politician. He belonged to the Democratic Party . From December 12, 1914 to January 25, 1915 he was Prime Minister of his country and led one of the many short-lived governments of the First Republic . In March 1922 and August 1922 he was also temporarily Portuguese Foreign Minister .
With the exception of the interior minister at the time, the government led by Azevedo Coutinho had hardly any politically significant politicians. Real power rested with the leader of the Democratic Party, Afonso Costa , who largely directed the government.
Because of his first name and in allusion to Victor Hugo's novel Die Elenden , French Les Misérables , the government was also known as "Les Misérables de Victor Hugo" or in Portuguese "Os Miseráveis de Victor Hugo". After his resignation as prime minister, de Azevedo Costa served three times as naval minister. In 1923 he became High Commissioner in Mozambique .
Against the sole rule of the Democratic Party, there was increasing resistance from the conservative sections of society and especially from conservative sections of the officer corps. These were supported by President Manuel José de Arriaga , who, although himself from the Democratic Party, was now involved in a power struggle with Afonso Costa. On January 25, 1915, there was a military coup by the conservative military, which ended the Azevedo Coutinho government. Three days later, on January 28, President de Arriaga appointed the leader of the coup, General Joaquim Pimenta de Castro, as the new Prime Minister. This was followed by the military government of Joaquim Pimenta de Castro, which went down in Portuguese history as "Ditadura das Espadas" - "Dictatorship of Swords".
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Bernardino Machado |
Prime Minister of Portugal 1914–1915 |
Joaquim Pimenta de Castro |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Coutinho, Victor Hugo de Azevedo |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Portuguese officer and politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 12, 1871 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Macau |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 27, 1955 |
| Place of death | Lisbon |