José Antonio Aguirre (politician)
| José Antonio Aguirre | |
|---|---|
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| 1st [[President of the Basque Country]] | |
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In office 7 October 1936 – 22 March 1960 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Jesús María de Leizaola |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
José Antonio Aguirre Lecube 6 March 1904 Bilbao, Spain |
| Died | 22 March 1960 (aged 56) Paris, France |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Political party | Basque Nationalist Party |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
José Antonio Aguirre y Lecube (6 March 1904 – 22 March 1960) was a Basque politician and activist in the Basque Nationalist Party. He was the first president of the Provisional Government of the Basque Country, as well as the executive's defense advisor during the Spanish Civil War. Under his mandate, the Provisional Government formed the Basque Army and fought for the Second Spanish Republic.
José Antonio Aguirre was born in Bilbao, Spain, in the province of Biscay. He studied in the Basque Country's first Ikastola, a school where all lessons were given in the Basque language. He later studied law at the University of Deusto.
After his father's death in 1920, Aguirre moved with his family to Algorta, close to Bilbao. At 16 years of age, he had to become a father figure to his 10 younger brothers and sisters.
After finishing his law studies, he began working in the family business, Chocolates Aguirre. He later took responsibility for the business and introduced many reforms, including free health care and paid holidays, which significantly improved conditions for the workers in the factory. He also donated part of the business's revenue to the poor and advocated for social housing. Until 1937, Chocolates Bilbaínos S.A. was the second biggest business in its sector in Spain.
Aguirre was a football player for Athletic Bilbao. During the Spanish Civil War, he was one of the main promoters of the Basque Country national football team, which played in Europe and the Americas to raise funds for Basque refugee children whose parents had been forced into exile.
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