Portuguese military officer and politician. He was an observer for the Portuguese Army in Nazi Germany at the beginning of the Second World War, Minister of the Interior (1944-1947), military attaché in Madrid and Washington (1949-1951), prosecutor to the Corporative Chamber, 3rd Chief of the General Staff of the Portuguese Armed Forces (March 3, 1955 - August 13, 1958) and Minister of National Defense (1958-1961). After his nomination as Defense Minister in 1958 (succeeding Fernando Santos Costa), Botelho Moniz became receptive towards the discontent felt by certain members of the military hierarchy against the Estado Novo (New State) regime. In the spring of 1961, he was one of the main participants in an aborted coup d'état, also supported by the former President Craveiro Lopes and some of his colleagues. The attempt to overthrow António de Oliveira Salazar failed because the "coup" was badly prepared, enabling the dictator to react promptly. Some believe that Botelho Moniz developed contacts with the United States, as the Americans, under President John F. Kennedy's new policy, were allegedly willing to discreetly support changes in the political orientation of the Portuguese administration.
Portuguese military officer and politician. He was an observer for the Portuguese Army in Nazi Germany at the beginning of the Second World War, Minister of the Interior (1944-1947), military attaché in Madrid and Washington (1949-1951), prosecutor to the Corporative Chamber, 3rd Chief of the General Staff of the Portuguese Armed Forces (March 3, 1955 - August 13, 1958) and Minister of National Defense (1958-1961). After his nomination as Defense Minister in 1958 (succeeding Fernando Santos Costa), Botelho Moniz became receptive towards the discontent felt by certain members of the military hierarchy against the Estado Novo (New State) regime. In the spring of 1961, he was one of the main participants in an aborted coup d'état, also supported by the former President Craveiro Lopes and some of his colleagues. The attempt to overthrow António de Oliveira Salazar failed because the "coup" was badly prepared, enabling the dictator to react promptly. Some believe that Botelho Moniz developed contacts with the United States, as the Americans, under President John F. Kennedy's new policy, were allegedly willing to discreetly support changes in the political orientation of the Portuguese administration.
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