  francisco higino craveiro lopes (), gcte, comc, gca, (12 april 1894 â 2 september 1964) was a portuguese politician and military man. decorated with the order of the bath and the royal victorian chain, he was the 12th president of the portuguese republic between 1951 and 1958. ==early life and career== born in lisbon, he was a son of joÃ£o carlos craveiro lopes, portuguese army general and 122nd governor-general of portuguese india (1929â1936) and his wife jÃºlia clotilde cristiano salinas. he concluded his colÃ©gio militar studies by 1911, having then entered the escola politÃ©cnica de lisboa, in the same year he joined a cavalry regiment. he succeeded his father as the 123rd general governor of portuguese india (1936â1938). ==presidency== salazar chose him as the regime's presidential candidate in 1951 to succeed the late oscar carmona. as the electoral system was heavily rigged in favour of salazar's national union, this made craveiro lopes' election a foregone conclusion. however, he was not content to be a mere puppet, as carmona had been. as a result, salazar picked the seemingly more pliant amÃ©rico tomÃ¡s as the regime's candidate in 1958. the democratic opposition then invited craveiro lopes to be their candidate, but he knew he stood no chance of winning and refused. the regime, however, as compensation promoted him to marshal. he was involved in the failed military attempt to overthrow salazar, in 1961, led by the defence minister, general jÃºlio botelho moniz.
1894_births 1964_deaths Field_marshals_of_Portugal Governors-General_of_Portuguese_India Marshals_of_the_air_force National_Union_(Portugal)_politicians People_from_Lisbon Portuguese_military_officers Presidents_of_Portugal Recipients_of_the_Royal_Victorian_Chain