What led to the “Bloody Night” of 1921 and the assassination of Prime Minister António Granjo?
On the morning of that day, seven thousand elements of the National Republican Guard commanded by Colonel Manuel Maria Coelho took up positions in the Rotunda, Parque Eduardo VII and Terreiro do Paço. The rebels’ main objective was to force the resignation of Prime Minister António Granjo, a moderate republican, and to reverse the recent relationship of forces between the democratic party, hegemonic until then, except during the presidential term of Sidónio Pais, and the Liberal Republican Party. . In parallel to the military revolution, a diffuse movement began, composed of military and civilians, which sought to settle accounts with “Sidonism”.
On the night of October 19, a “ghost truck” driven by Corporal Abel Olímpio, known as “Golden Tooth”, walked through the streets of Lisbon arresting and killing in a summary and indiscriminate way. Among the victims were Prime Minister António Granjo, as well as two of the main protagonists of October 5th, Machado dos Santos and José Carlos da Maia.
Tiago Pereira Santos
A relaxed dialogue around History, its greatest characters and events. ‘History repeats itself’ is not a class, but it aims to arouse curiosity about the past and build bridges with the present. Every week Henrique Monteiro and Lourenço Pereira Coutinho start from a point that can lead to many others… That’s what good conversations are like. Listen to other episodes here:
