Sidónio Pais Sidónio Bernardino Cardoso da Silva Pais ( ; 1 May 1872 , in Caminha – 14 December 1918 , in Lisbon ) was a Portuguese politician and diplomat , the fourth President in 1918 . He was known as the " President - King " . Family . He was the eldest child and son of Sidónio Alberto Marrocos Pais ( Caminha , Nossa Senhora da Assunção , 1 November 1846 – Ferreira do Zêzere , Dornes , 27 August 1883 ) , a Law Clerk and Public Notary in Caminha and later in Pedrógão Grande and Sertã of Barcelos New Christian Jewish ancestry ( on his great - great - grandfather António Velho da Fonseca ) , and wife ( m . Caminha , Nossa Senhora da Assunção , 22 June 1871 ) Rita Júlia Cardoso da Silva ( Caminha , Caminha , 29 August 1844 – Caminha , Caminha , 9 March 1919 ) . His brothers and sisters were Rita ( b . Caminha , Caminha , 1873 ) , Alberto ( Caminha , Caminha , 1874 – Caminha , Caminha , 1877 ) , António ( Caminha , Caminha , 15 November 1876 – Lisbon , Hospital da Marinha , 27 June 1949 ) , who was also a military and married at the Igreja Matriz de Caminha , Caminha , 7 May 1904 Júlia Cândida de Sant ' Ana Cerqueira ( Caminha , Caminha , 1 September 1881 – Lisbon , 6 June 1968 ) and had issue , Ana da Glória ( b . Caminha , Caminha , 1878 ) , Alberto ( b . Pedrógão Grande , 1881 , d . child ) and Aureliano ( b . Sertã , 1883 , d . child ) . Life . He was an army officer and taught mathematics at the Army School , and later , at the University of Coimbra . He became a member of Parliament in 1911 , and from 12 November 1911 he was the 4th Minister of Finance for a short period . He was ambassador in Berlin from 1912 until 1916 , when Portugal joined the First World War on the Allied side . Government and Presidency . On 5 December 1917 , he led an uprising against Afonso Costa ' s Democratic Party government , and established an authoritarian regime . He became the 99th Prime - Minister and was elected President ( unopposed ) on 28 April 1918 . He also became the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 11 December 1917 until 9 May 1918 . His short period in office saw a warming of Church - state relations , the extension of the electoral franchise , and the smashing defeat of the ill - prepared Portuguese troops at La Lys , in France . He escaped a first assassination attempt , but was shot on 14 December 1918 by José Júlio da Costa , at Rossio railway station , in Lisbon , when he was preparing to board a train to Porto , to hold discussions with the monarchist leaders of the Northern Military Juntas . Descendants . He married in Amarante in 1895 Maria dos Prazeres Martins Bessa ( Amarante , São Gonçalo , 1868 / 1869 – Porto ? / Lisbon , 14 September 1945 ) , daughter of Vitorino Ferreira Bessa ( Penafiel , Luzim / Perozelo , 1810 – Amarante , São Gonçalo , 16 February 1894 ) , a landowner , and wife Bernardina Joaquina / Augusta Pinto Martins ( Valença , Santa Maria da Praça , Casa do Assento Militar , 1826 – 15 March 1905 ) , the couple had five children , four sons and one daughter . Out of wedlock , by one Ema Manso Preto ( born in 12 September 1871 and wife ( m . 22 December 1900 ) of Álvaro Augusto Leite Ribeiro ) , he also had a daughter . He is the great - grandfather in male line of pianist and composer Bernardo Sassetti .