Born Nov. 24, 1869, in Lisbon; died there Apr. 18, 1951. Portuguese statesman, marshal.
After graduating from the Royal Military College, Carmona served in the army in Portugal and in the colonies. From 1923 to 1926 he was minister of war. In May 1926 he joined General Gomes da Costa in a coup d’etat that established a military dictatorship. In July 1926 he ousted Gomes da Costa and became prime minister and chief of state; in 1928 he took the title of president. Carmona began to reform the state structure along fascist lines. In 1928 he brought A. Salazar into the government as minister of finance with extraordinary powers. He paved the way for Salazar’s takeover; Salazar, on becoming prime minister in 1932, established a fascist dictatorship in the country.