Américo Thomaz

Infobox President
name = Américo Tomás


size = 200px
order = Minister for the Navy
office =
term_start = September 6, 1944
term_end = August 14, 1958
predecessor = Mesquita Guimarães
successor = Mendonça Dias
primeminister = António de Oliveira Salazar
office2 = 14th President of Portugal
(6th since the 1926 coup d'état;
4th of the "Estado Novo")
term_start2 = August 9, 1958
term_end2 = April 25, 1974
predecessor2 = Francisco Craveiro Lopes
successor2 = National Salvation Junta
António de Spínola
birth_date = birth date|1894|11|19|mf=y
birth_place = Lisbon, Kingdom of Portugal
death_date = Death date and age|1987|11|19|1894|9|18|df=yes
death_place = Cascais, Portuguese Republic
spouse = Gertrudes Ribeiro da Costa, Mrs. Thomaz
children = Maria Natália and Maria Madalena
party = National Union later renamed People's National Action
occupation = Naval officer (Rear Admiral)

Américo de Deus Rodrigues Tomás, GCC, GOA, GOSE (pronounced|ɐˈmɛɾiku dɨ ˈdeuʃ ʁuˈdɾigɨʃ tuˈmaʃ), also spelled Américo Thomaz (Lisbon, November 19, 1894 - Cascais, September 18, 1987). Portuguese admiral and politician, son of António Rodrigues Tomás (b. Ferreira do Zêzere, ca. 1870) and wife (m. Lisbon, Alcântara) Maria da Assunção Marques (b. Lisbon, Alcântara, ca. 1874).

In October 1922 he married Gertrudes Ribeiro da Costa (Lisbon, February 23, 1894 - May 25, 1991), daughter of António José da Costa and wife Adelaide do Carmo Ribeiro, by whom he had two daughters: Maria Natália Rodrigues Tomás, unmarried and without issue, and Maria Madalena Rodrigues Tomás, married to writer and historian Antero de Figueiredo, and had issue.

Minister of Navy in 1944. Elected president of the Republic in 1958 (in rigged elections), re-elected in 1965 and 1972 (by Parliament, whose elections were also rigged). During this time, Portugal was ruled by the authoritarian regime of António de Oliveira Salazar and the president of the republic had only a figurative role. Just once Tomás used his presidential prerogative: to dismiss Salazar when he became incapacitated by a severe stroke in September, 1968. Tomás appointed Marcello Caetano to replace Salazar as prime minister. He took a much more active role in the government after Caetano took power, and became the rallying point for hard-liners who thought that even Caetano's cosmetic reforms went too far.

When in April 25, 1974, the "Carnation Revolution" deposed Caetano, Tomás was also overthrown and sent to exile in Brazil until 1980, when he returned to Portugal.

The pompous style with which he was referred to by the compliant state media ("His Excellency the President of the Portuguese Republic Rear-Admiral Américo de Deus Thomaz"), as contrasted by the virtual powerlessness of his office under Salazar, made him a target of frequent jokes.

Persondata
NAME=Thomaz, Américo
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Rodrigues Thomaz, Américo de Deus (full name); Tomás, Américo (alternative spelling); Tomaz, Américo (alternative spelling), Rodrigues Tomás, Américo de Deus (alternative spelling full name); Rodrigues Tomaz, Américo de Deus (alternative spelling full name)
SHORT DESCRIPTION=President of Portugal
DATE OF BIRTH=November 19, 1894
PLACE OF BIRTH=Lisbon, Portugal
DATE OF DEATH=September 18, 1987
PLACE OF DEATH=Cascais, Portugal