Leopoldo O'Donnell, 1st Duke of Tetuan
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The Most Excellent The Duke of Tetuan GE KOGF |
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| Prime Minister of Spain | |
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In office 14 July 1856 – 12 October 1856 |
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| Monarch | Isabella II |
| Preceded by | The Duke of la Victoria |
| Succeeded by | The Duke of Valencia |
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In office 30 June 1858 – 2 March 1863 |
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| Monarch | Isabella II |
| Preceded by | Francisco Javier de Istúriz |
| Succeeded by | The Marquis of Miraflores |
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In office 16 September 1864 – 10 July 1866 |
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| Monarch | Isabella II |
| Preceded by | The Duke of Valencia |
| Succeeded by | The Duke of Valencia |
| Minister of State 1858, 1860–1863 | |
| Minister for War 1854 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 January 1809 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain |
| Died |
5 November 1867 (aged 58) Biarritz, French Empire |
| Political party | Unión Liberal |
| Spouse(s) | Manuela Barges |
Don Leopoldo O'Donnell y Jorris, 1st Duke of Tetuan, 1st Count of Lucena, 1st Viscount of Aliaga, Grandee of Spain, (Spanish: Leopoldo O'Donnell y Jorris, I duque de Tetuán, I conde de Lucena, I vizconde de Aliaga, grande de España) (12 January 1809 – 5 November 1867), was a Spanish general and statesman. He was of Irish paternal ancestry, a descendant of Calvagh O'Donnell, Rí of Tyrconnell.
He was born at Santa Cruz de Tenerife a son of Carlos O'Donnell y Anethan (born 1768) and wife Josefa Jorris y Casaviella, and paternal grandson of José O'Donnell y O'Donnell and wife Marie Anne d' Anethan. He had an uncle Francisco and an aunt Beatriz, married to Manuel Pombo y Ante (1769–1829), and had issue.
O'Donnell was a strong endorser of the liberal Cristinos and the regency of Maria Cristina during the 1830s. When General Baldomero Espartero seized power during 1840, O'Donnell went into exile with Maria Cristina, and was involved in an attempted coup against Espartero during 1841. O'Donnell was soon back in power and was sent to Cuba as Captain General during October 1843. He is credited with the massacre of 1844 known as the repression of La Escalera. Thousands of slaves and free-coloured people in Cuba were confined in dungeons, were tortured and executed in what became known as the 'year of the lash'. During 1854, he made a pronunciamento against the government and was named Prime Minister for a time. He served as War Minister of the Espartero government.
The Crimean War caused an increase of grain prices due to the blockade of Russia, causing a famine in Galicia during 1854. Riots against power looms spread through Spain, and General O'Donnell intervened, marching on Madrid. Espartero resigned power in O'Donnell's favour on 14–15 July 1856, and Isabella II asked him to form a government as the 44th Prime Minister of Spain. For his new administration, O'Donnell formed the Unión Liberal Party, which was designed to combine Progressive, Moderate, and Carlist factions. O'Donnell attempted to define moderate policies for Spain with this new party, advocating laissez-faire policies and confiscating church land. He was soon dismissed after only a few months in power on 12 October, and two years of reaction followed.
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