António de Spínola

António Sebastião Ribeiro de Spínola (generally referred to as António de Spínola, ; 11 April 1910 – 13 August 1996) was a Portuguese military officer, author and conservative politician. During Estado Novo he became one of the most senior military commanders, leading military operations against independence movements. After the Carnation Revolution organised by under-ranked military captains, he was invited to be the first President of Portugal. His role in Portugal's transition to democracy was polemic, particularly regarding his role in leading the 11 March 1975 attempted coup and the terrorist organisation ''Movimento Democrático de Libertação de Portugal'' (Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Portugal). Provided by Wikipedia