José Sanjurjo
| José Sanjurjo y Sacanell, 1st Marqués del Rif | |
|---|---|
Picture of General José Sanjurjo
|
|
| Nickname(s) |
"El León del Rif" (The Lion of the Rif) |
| Born |
28 March 1872 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain |
| Died | 20 July 1936 (aged 64) Estoril, Portugal |
| Buried at | Valley of the Fallen (40°38′31″N 4°09′19″W / 40.641944°N 4.155278°W) |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of Spain (1896–1931) Spanish Republic (1931–1936) Nationalist Spain (1936)
|
| Service/branch | Spanish Army |
| Years of service | 1896–1932 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Battles/wars |
Cuban War of Independence Spanish–American War Rif War (1909) Rif War (1920) Spanish Civil War |
| Awards |
Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand Order of Charles III |
General José Sanjurjo y Sacanell, 1st Marquis of the Rif (Spanish: [saŋˈxuɾxo]; 28 March 1872 – 20 July 1936), was a General in the Spanish Army who was one of the chief conspirators in the military uprising that led to the Spanish Civil War.
Sanjurjo was born in Pamplona. His father, Captain Justo Sanjurjo Bonrostra, was a Carlist. His mother was Carlota Sacanell Desojo.
He served in Cuba in 1896, in the Rif War (1909) in Morocco, and in the Rif War (1920), including the reconquest of lost territory in Melilla after the Battle of Annual in 1921. In 1922, he was assigned to investigate corruption in the army command of Larache. He was High Commissioner of Spain in Morocco and reached the rank of lieutenant general. In 1925 he participated in the amphibious landing at Alhucemas. With the completion of the 1920 Rif War, King Alfonso XIII awarded him the Gran Cruz de Carlos III on 28 March 1931. In 1928 he was made chief of a main directorate of the Civil Guard.
Miguel Primo de Rivera came to power in a military coup in 1923. He ran Spain as a military dictatorship. Gradually, his support faded, and Primo de Rivera resigned in January 1930. General Dámaso Berenguer was ordered by the king to form a replacement government. This annoyed Sanjurjo, who considered himself far better qualified. Berenguer's dictablanda dictatorship failed to provide a viable alternative to Primo de Rivera. In the municipal elections of 12 April 1931, little support was shown for pro-monarchy parties in the major cities, and large numbers of people gathered in the streets of Madrid. Asked if the government could count on the support of Sanjurjo's Civil Guard, he rejected the suggestion.King Alfonso XIII abdicated. The Second Spanish Republic was formed.
...
Wikipedia