Juan O'Donojú
| Juan O'Donojú | |
|---|---|
 |
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 Jefe Político Superior |
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| Monarch | Ferdinand VII of Spain |
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In office 3 August de 1821 – 27 September 1821 |
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| Preceded by | Juan Ruiz de Apodaca, 1st Count of Vendetta |
| Succeeded by | Agustín de Iturbide (President of the Regency of the Mexican Empire) |
| Regent of the Mexican Empire | |
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In office 28 September 1821 – 8 October 1821 |
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| Preceded by | Himself (as Jefe Político Superior) |
| Succeeded by | Agustín de Iturbide |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1762 Seville, Spain |
| Died | October 8, 1821 (aged 59) Mexico City, First Mexican Empire |
Juan de O'Donojú y O'Ryan (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxwan ˈde ˈoðonoˌxu ˈi ˈoˌɾʝan]; 1762 in Seville, Spain – October 8, 1821 in Mexico City) was a Spanish military officer and Jefe Político Superior (often translated as viceroy) of New Spain, from July 21 to September 28, 1821, during the Mexican War of Independence. He was the last Spanish ruler of the colony.
Born in Seville of Irish descent (O'Donoghue), O'Donojú joined the army at a young age. He served with distinction in the Peninsular War, also known as the Spanish War of Independence.
He was the Chief of staff to General Gregorio García de la Cuesta during the Battle of Talavera from July 27-28, 1809. In a somewhat strained meeting on July 11, O'Donojú served as an interpreter between Cuesta and the British commander Sir Arthur Wellesley, later known as the Duke of Wellington. As the two generals worked out a plan of campaign, Cuesta answered many of Wellesley's questions with a simple "yes" or "no," which O'Donojú tactfully explained.
In 1814, he was named Minister of War by the Regency. With the return of King Ferdinand VII, he became aide de camp of the king.
He was a liberal, and a friend of the liberal rebel Rafael de Riego. At the time of the re-establishment of the Spanish Constitution of 1812 in 1820, he was the captain general of Andalusia. He eventually reached the rank of lieutenant general and was a high officer in the Spanish Freemasons. In 1821 the Cortes Generales appointed him captain general and jefe político superior, which gave him the authority (but not the official title) of the former viceroys. At the time O'Donojú left for New Spain, the Cortes was considering to greatly expand the autonomy granted to the overseas Spanish possessions under the restored Constitution.
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