The Municipal Library Elevator Coup ( Portuguese : Golpe do Elevador da Biblioteca ), also known as The Elevator Coup ( Intentona do Elevador ) or 28 January 1908 Coup ( Golpe de 28 de Janeiro de 1908 ), was the name given for the attempted coup d'état in Lisbon , capital of Portugal, by members of the Portuguese Republican Party and Progressive Dissidency against the administrative dictatorship of Prime Minister João Franco (and the political ascendancy of the Liberal Regenerator Party ). The event was not confined to the Municipal Library Elevator, but was so named for the arrest of many conspirators at the structure on the afternoon of 28 January 1908. Although the coup was prevented by government forces, it failed to capture all the conspirators, which contributed to the assassination of the monarch Carlos I of Portugal and the heir to the throne, the Prince Royal, Luís Filipe . These events would continue legislative instability and lead to the Portuguese First Republic , the raison d'être of the coup conspirators.
53-611: Since King Carlos I of Portugal had decided to support the Liberal-Regenerator leader João Franco and allow him to run the government as an administrative dictatorship (without parliament, but maintaining civil liberties), the parties in the Cortes had vocally rebelled. The traditional parties (the Regenerator and Progressive Parties) were the most critical, since they were fearful of losing their political clout within
106-522: A republic as the better goal. Various versions of the plan existed, although they all shared the same goal of removing the dictator João Franco without forcing the intervention of the military, and thus escalating the conflict into a civil war. In its final version, brigades of Carbonária would neutralize the lines of communication, the mounted cavalry in the Largo do Carmo, the Municipal Guard in
159-469: A Republic and/or assassinate Prime Minister João Franco . The coup failed when the police were tipped-off to the conspiracy and had reinforced strategic posts throughout the city. As several members of the Republican registry were rounded-up, Alfredo Costa was able to escape the police sweep, as he was not at his pre-designated post for the coup. In fact, the prisons were full of high-ranking members of
212-478: A box of explosives (which the proprietor presented him) reported of the conspiracy to his superiors. Informed of the possible conspiracy in the works, João Franco ordered the imprisonment of Republican leader António José de Almeida , the Carbonária head Luz de Almeida , the republican journalist João Chagas and other suspects, as well as ordering the reinforcement of strategic points throughout Lisbon. With
265-525: A daughter from an American. By Grimaneza Viana de Lima, a Peruvian widow of a Brazilian diplomat, he possibly had a daughter called Maria Pia, born before 1902. Grimaneza was his last great passion. Allegedly, he also had, from the Brazilian Maria Amélia Laredó e Murça, another bastard daughter, born in 1907 and also called Maria Pia . During his life, Carlos I never officially recognized the paternity of any bastard child, despite
318-726: A functional parliament, united the leaders of the Dissidency and Republican Party in a conspiracy to take power by force. The Dissidency would provide the money and arms; and the Republicans, with their contacts within Portuguese secret societies (principally the Carbonária and Freemasons ) would provide the men. Originally, the conspirators hoped to force the abdication of the King Carlos I , but decided on proclaiming
371-458: A member of the Associação dos Empregados do Comércio de Lisboa (English: Association of Commerce Workers of Lisbon ), and learned the alphabet in his shop. On meeting Alfredo Luís, Raul Pires described him as "...of a serious physiognomy, almost tragic" and with "big brown eyes, slow-moving, with a stance that appeared sleep-walking...with a moustache on his face, the nose lightly bent to
424-591: A patron of science and the arts, King Carlos took an active part in the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the birth of Prince Henry the Navigator in 1894. The following year he decorated the Portuguese poet João de Deus in a ceremony in Lisbon. Carlos took a personal interest in deep-sea and maritime exploration and used several yachts named Amélia on his oceanographical voyages. He published an account of his own studies in this area. On 1 February 1908,
477-443: A rifle hidden under his long overcoat. The king died immediately, his heir Luís Filipe was mortally wounded, and Prince Manuel was hit in the arm. The queen escaped injury. The two assassins were killed on the spot by police, and an innocent bystander, João da Costa, was also shot dead in the confusion. The royal carriage turned into the nearby Navy Arsenal, where, about twenty minutes later, Prince Luís Filipe died. Several days later,
530-579: A turn in the events, many of the remaining conspirators begin to congregate at the Elevator. Their appearance was scrutinized by a policeman, who became suspicious because the Elevator was out of service. He called for reinforcements, and a group of officers detained and arrested the group of men, which included Afonso Costa, António Egas Moniz , Álvaro Poppe , Francisco Correia de Herédia (the Viscount of Ribeira Brava) and others. While José Maria de Alpoim
583-560: The Alto de São João Cemetery . Arriving, the coffins were sealed and buried (in markers 6044 e 6045); in 1914 the bones of the assassins were transferred to the mausoleum chamber 4251. Ironically, the acclamation government of Ferreira do Amaral permitted public mourning by republicans, who had apologized for the assassinations and who considered the assassins friends of the Fatherland. Approximately 22,000 people would pay their respects at
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#1732772546424636-722: The British government prevented the marriage. He then met and married Princess Amélie of Orléans , eldest daughter of Philippe, comte de Paris , pretender to the throne of France. Carlos became king on 19 October 1889. After the 1890 British Ultimatum , a series of treaties were signed with the United Kingdom . One signed in August 1890 defined colonial borders along the Zambezi and Congo rivers, whereas another signed on 14 October 1899 confirmed colonial treaties dating back to
689-540: The Lisbon Regicide . Although the assassins ignored João Franco's carriage, he was held responsible for the lack of police security and a naive over-confidence that allowed the monarch to travel in an uncovered landau . The assassination failed to overthrow the monarchy immediately. The traditional parties were able to impose an acclamation solution, with the establishment of a unity government presided over by an independent ( Francisco Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral ),
742-561: The Portuguese Republican Party , at the time a radical group of socialists, anarchists and nationalists intent on taking power by force. João Franco was also interested in marginalizing the Republicans by co-opting many of the planks of the other parties in order to form a program that would reduce the existing political instability. The election of 5 April 1908, which could have ushered in a legislative victory for João Franco's Liberal-Regenerators, and possibly installed
795-474: The Terreiro do Paço fronting on the river. In spite of recent political unrest there was no military escort, except for a single mounted officer riding by the carriage. While the carriage was crossing the square at dusk, shots were fired from amongst the sparse crowd by two republican activists, Alfredo Luís da Costa and Manuel Buíça . Buíça, a former army sergeant and sharpshooter, fired five shots from
848-584: The 17th century. These treaties stabilised the political balance in Africa, ending Portuguese claims of sovereignty on the Pink Map , a geographical conception of how Portuguese colonies would appear on a map if the territory between the coastal colonies of Angola and Mozambique could be connected with territory in central Africa. These central African territories became part of the British Empire with
901-699: The Diplomat ( Portuguese : o Diplomata ), the Martyr ( Portuguese : o Martirizado ), and the Oceanographer ( Portuguese : o Oceanógrafo ), among many other names, was King of Portugal from 1889 until his assassination in 1908. He was the first Portuguese king to die a violent death since King Sebastian in 1578. Carlos was born in Lisbon , Portugal , the son of King Luís and Queen Maria Pia , daughter of King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy , and
954-514: The King. This change in plans is harder to pinpoint, but a recent study points to the end of 1907. José Maria Alpoim, who associated with members of the Carbonária, was responsible for a plan to acquire arms, promulgate a revolution, and two plans to execute the Prime Minister and the monarch. Whether republican leaders were aware of these plans is unclear; the relationships that existed between
1007-581: The Largo dos Lóios, the barracks in the Cabeço de Bola and the naval officers in the Vale de Zebo, while the remaining conspirators would take the municipal office buildings and eliminate João Franco. On 27 January 1908 the plan to remove the dictator was approved by Afonso Costa and Francisco Correia Herédia (Viscount of Ribeira Brava) for both groups of dissidents. Meanwhile, other conspirators were not only interested in removing João Franco, but also eliminating
1060-459: The Lisbon city hall authorities in their petition). The monument was eventually dismantled by the Estado Novo government and the bodies transferred to other locations within the cemetery, and the monument's elements were abandoned. The final report into the assassination of King Carlos and Prince Royal, which was ready for judicial investigation disappeared (on 25 October 1910), shortly after
1113-411: The Portuguese concession becoming a source of national resentment in the country. Domestically, Portugal declared bankruptcy twice – on 14 June 1892, then again on 10 May 1902 – causing industrial disturbances, socialist and republican antagonism and press criticism of the monarchy. Carlos responded by appointing João Franco as prime minister and subsequently accepting parliament's dissolution. As
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#17327725464241166-638: The Quartel dos Lóios. Later they confronted several members of the Guarda Municipal (English: Municipal Guard ) near Rua de Santa Bárbara when they were waiting for a mortar explosion to signal the main attack. Planned, financed and armed by elements of the Portuguese Republican and Progressive Dissidency Parties, the coup d'etat was to be carried out by members of the Carbonária , Formiga Branca and masonry in order to proclaim
1219-585: The Quinta do Xexé, in Olivais , where they finalized the assassination of João Franco and members of the Royal Family. It is unclear when the decision was made to kill the King, but it was part of the instructions given to the cell that Alfredo Costa and Manuel Buíça belonged to, during the Elevator coup attempt. At about two in the afternoon, Manuel Buíça and three others had lunch in a corner-table near
1272-403: The assassin to the police quadrant near the city hall. At the entrance he was shot by an unidentified officer or member of the Municipal Guard, which perforated his lung, killing him. Alfredo Costa was buried on 11 February 1908. The day before, a group of three men, members of the Associação do Registo Civil (English: Civil Registry Association ) who appeared outside the morgue to convince
1325-529: The assassination of King Carlos I of Portugal and the Prince Royal, Luis Filipe , during the events that became known as the 1908 Lisbon Regicide (on 1 February 1908), ultimately leading to his death. He was born to Manuel Luís da Costa and Maria João da Costa in the small village of Casével , Castro Verde . From a small farm in the Alentejo , he travelled to Lisbon where he worked for his uncle,
1378-545: The carriage and fired two shots into the already lifeless body of the monarch: Buíça had already killed the King with his first shot. The Queen confronted Costa with her bouquet of flowers, yelling: "Infames! Infames!" (English: Infamous ). Costa turned to the Prince Royal and fired a shot that hit him in the chest, but being of a small calibre it did not penetrate the sternum, and the Prince opened fire on Costa, firing four rapid shots with his service revolver. Costa fell from
1431-400: The carriage; later, in the autopsy, it was learned that the shots fractured Costa's left humerus and although it was not fatal, it impeded him from holding onto the edge of the landau. A mounted cavalry officer, Lieutenant Figueira, then attacked Costa with his sabre, wounding him in the back and face. The municipal police then committed to the attack, and two agents apprehended him and dragged
1484-490: The city, congregating with republican elements, while exhorting his peers to continue the struggle. During an encounter with Machado Santos and Soares Andrea at the Café Gelo, shortly after the attempted coup, he affirmed: This refrain was followed by a conspicuous patting of his coat, where he carried his Browning revolver. On the morning of 1 February 1908, Alfredo Costa met with Manuel Buíça and other Carbonárias in
1537-414: The conspiracy who were easily picked up as they meandered through the city. In the backroom of the Café Gelo, a popular and frequented destination of the Carbonária and republicans was relatively empty. With a small group, that included Manuel Buíça , Alfredo Costa continued to gather in the cafe, even as others silently or quickly passed by without entering. Actually, Costa continued to freely walk through
1590-409: The conspirators and instigators of the coupe were later suppressed. But, these competing motivations likely played a part in the disorganization on the eve of the coupe, which was planned for either 31 January or 1 February. Regardless, the confidence of the conspirators was so high that a shop-owner, Vitor dos Santos, attempted to bribe a police officer to join the conspiracy. The officer, after seeing
1643-602: The criminal investigation was rendered ineffective. These events only encouraged the republicans to attempt another coup d'état 33 months later, led by the same people, that succeeded in establishing the Portuguese First Republic . The events that gave rise to the attempted coup on 28 January were the last attempts to reform the constitutional monarchy. Carlos I of Portugal Dom Carlos I ( Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈkaɾluʃ] ; Charles ; 28 September 1863 – 1 February 1908), known as
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1696-410: The director to provide a civil funeral. Autopsied in the early evening of the same day, the coroner found a total of 11 wounds throughout his body. There were three wounds in his head, two on the back and one in the chest which were caused by a sword, but were not considered fatal. A seventh wound corresponded to a wound on the left side of his face. The rest of the wounds were caused by gunshots: one in
1749-492: The fact that he himself was responsible for fueling suspicions about his illegitimate offspring. Alfredo Lu%C3%ADs da Costa Alfredo Luís da Costa (24 November 1883 – 1 February 1908) was a Portuguese publicist, editor, journalist, shop assistant and salesman who was part of the Portuguese Carbonária and a Mason , best remembered for being one of the two assassins (with Manuel Buíça ) credited in
1802-546: The graves of Costa and Buíça; the civil ceremony was organized by the Civil Registry Association, which furnished the flowers and paid 500 réis per person and 200 réis per child that appeared at the graves. After the establishment of the Republic, the same Association acquired land in the cemetery in order to construct a monument to the heroic liberators of the Fatherland (as written on the request to
1855-616: The kitchen in the Café Gelo. The assassins talked quietly, as Alfredo Costa quickly ate his meal. Manuel Buíça was the first to get up, and he advised his cohorts that he would go catch "the boat" (referring to his intent to meet the King's ferry as it arrived). By four o'clock, Alfredo Costa, Fabrício de Lemos and Ximenes, assumed positions under the arcade of the Minister of the Kingdom in the Terreiro do Paço . Manuel Buíça with Domingos Ribeiro and José Maria Nunes, positioned themselves within
1908-528: The leadership of the movement almost decapitated, it fell to Afonso Costa to salvage the group's plans. The government had placed many sites under observation and the military was supported by government forces. A few, still belligerent conspirators, attempted to attack these forces in the bairro of Rato, in the civil parish of Alcântara , at the Campo de Santana and along the Rua da Escola Politécnica : one policeman
1961-521: The left. It is probable that he had untreated tuberculosis...and a perceptible bend in his back..." Later, Costa would continue as a sales clerk, after leaving the employ of his uncle, and traveling the country. Self-trained and a natural rebel, in Angra do Heroísmo he worked for a labour newspaper for workers in commerce, where as an able journalist he continued to submit weekly dispatches. While in Angra, he
2014-412: The lower back, one straight through wound in the armpit and the humerus wound (both attributed to Prince Luís Filipe) and finally, a wound caused by a bullet that hit him in the upper part of his chest and perforated his lung, crossed his thorax , fracturing and lodging itself in a rib. This last wound was fatal, and responsible for Costa's death. The projectile was not recovered, but from the description,
2067-492: The modern civilization of his time. In 1883, 1886 and 1888, he ruled as Regent as his father was traveling in Europe, as had become traditional among the Portuguese constitutional kings. His father Luis I advised him to be modest and to study with focus. His first bridal candidate was one of the daughters of German Emperor Frederick III , but the issue of religion presented an insurmountable problem, and diplomatic pressure from
2120-401: The ostracising of João Franco's supporters, and the repeal of Francist decrees. However, the death of the King and heir apparent caused continuing instability, which led to ultimate success for the republicans. The acclamation policies were effectively a surrender: many of the conspirators were released from prison, the assassins (who had been killed in the square) were eulogized as martyrs, and
2173-455: The palace of Vila Viçosa on 30 January). The King and Royal Family returned to the capital on 1 February 1908 to present a semblance of order, following a route through the Terreiro do Paço to the Palácio das Necessidades . But, even though the coup leaders were imprisoned, the square was encircled by gunmen of the Carbonária, who assassinated the King and Prince Royal in what became known as
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2226-524: The regime, and distributed them door-to-door. This included his A Filha do Jardineiro (English: The Gardener's Daughter ) an ironic romance that disparaged the royal family over seven decades, and which consumed most of his savings. A republican radical, though not an extremist, he was a mason in the Lisbon Mountain Lodge with contemporaries such as Aquilino Ribeiro , Luz de Almeida and Machado Santos . By 31 January 1908 he lived in
2279-492: The rotativist system that existed (an inefficient system of rotating governments in which the main parties alternated via gentlemen's agreements ). The Progressive Dissidency , which had been created exclusively by José Maria de Alpoim to obtain power, was likewise positioned in a way to remain on the fringes of power. Although it was officially monarchist, the Party was willing to abandon its platform in order to align itself with
2332-543: The royal family was returning to Lisbon from the Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa in Alentejo , where they had spent part of the hunting season during the winter. The royal party traveled by train to Barreiro , from there taking a steamer to cross the Tagus River and disembarking at Cais do Sodré in central Lisbon. On their way to the royal palace, the open carriage containing Carlos I and his family passed through
2385-605: The second-floor apartment at Rua dos Douradores, 20 in Lisbon . Costa was single, childless, an employee in commercial business, while collaborator in several publications and administrator of the weekly O Caixeiro . On the disastrous evening of the Municipal Library Elevator Coup (28 January 1908) Costa lead a group of 20 men (with Manuel Buiça ) to assault the Royal Palace of Necessidades , but modified their strategy and, instead, attacked
2438-472: The square, near the statue of D. José across from the Ministry, alongside a tree and kiosk . The six-man cell await along the planned route of the Royal Family, along with the rest of the gathered population, eyeing the arrival of the boat on which they travelled. After the disembarking, around twenty minutes past five in the afternoon, Manuel Buíça had opened fire on the landau . Alfredo Costa jumped on
2491-525: The younger son, Prince Manuel , was proclaimed king of Portugal. He was the last of the Braganza-Saxe-Coburg and Gotha dynasty and the final king of Portugal. Carlos I was married to Princess Amélie of Orléans in 1886. She was a daughter of Philippe, Count of Paris , and Princess Marie Isabelle of Orléans . Their children were: Allegedly, Carlos I had several extramarital relationships, from which some bastards were born. He may have had
2544-535: Was a member of the House of Braganza . He had a brother, Infante Afonso, Duke of Porto . He was baptised with the names Carlos Fernando Luís Maria Víctor Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Francisco de Assis José Simão . He had an intense education and was prepared to rule as a constitutional monarch. In 1883, he traveled to Italy, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, where he increased his knowledge of
2597-454: Was a small 5–10 mm bullet from a 6.35–7.65 calibre automatic, which was not standard for the Portuguese police at that time. This reinforced a theory that was promulgated by conspiracy theorists: that Alfredo Costa was killed by people who did not wish the assassins to be interrogated. Costa's body, along with that of Manuel Buíça and João Sabino (an unfortunate victim of the chaos) were prepared and delivered (except for Sabino's body) to
2650-509: Was able to escape to Spain, in all 100 people were arrested during the crackdown, including the Viscounts of Pedralva and Ameal, João Pinto dos Santos, Cassiano Neves and Batalha de Freitas. The coup was crushed. With the coup conspirators imprisoned, the King signed a decree (written by João Franco) to establish sentences of exile or expulsion to the colonies for those individuals caught for contravening regulations of public order (signed at
2703-542: Was also the driving force behind the Núcleo da Juventude Anarco-Sindicalista (English: Center for Anarchist-Syndicalist Youth ) He continued his career in 1903, in Estremoz , where he was a republican propagandist, contributing to local newspapers with an unlimited dedication. With a small loan from a colleague he founded a small bookstore, A Social Editora , with Aquilino Ribeiro , where he edited several pamphlets against
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#17327725464242756-686: Was killed. Alfredo Luís da Costa , supported by members of the Progressive Dissidency, took their positions under the conspirator's plan, at the Municipal Library Elevator . The Municipal Elevator, also known as the Library Elevator or Elevator of São Julião , was the seventh public elevator to be constructed in Lisbon. It was inaugurated on 12 January 1897 under the supervision of its designer, Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard , and operated until 1915 when it
2809-638: Was permanently taken out of service. It connected the Largo da Biblioteca near the Municipal Library (today, the Academy of Fine Arts) with the municipal square, Largo de São Julião (today, the Praça do Município ), through the buildings at 13 Largo de S. Julião and the terrace of the Palácio do Visconde de Coruche . Waiting for confirmation from the leadership to execute their plans, and hopeful of
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