Mohamed Meziane
| Mohamed Meziane محمد أمزيان |
|
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Ben Mizzian |
| Born |
1 February 1897 Beni Ensar, Spanish Morocco |
| Died | 1 May 1975 (aged 78) Madrid, Spain |
| Buried at | Morocco |
| Allegiance |
 Kingdom of Spain (1913–1931) Spanish Republic (1931–1936) Francoist Spain (1936–1957) Kingdom of Morocco (1936–1975)
|
| Service/branch | Spanish Army |
| Years of service | 1913–1975 |
| Rank | General |
| Battles/wars |
Rif War Spanish Civil War Rif Rebellion (1958) |
| Awards |
_-_Template.svg){kind=small} Grand Cross of Military Merit Laureate Cross of St Ferdinand Order of Cisneros Military Medal Suffering for the Motherland |
| Commander of Regulares Spanish Kingdom / Spanish Republic
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In office July 1925 – 1937 |
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Colonel of the First Navarra Division 
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In office 1938–1953 |
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| Captain General of the VIII Military Region (Galicia)
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In office 1953–1955 |
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| Captain General of the Canary Islands
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In office 1955–1957 |
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Inspector of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces 
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In office 1957–1964 |
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| Minister of Defence
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In office 1964–1966 |
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| Ambassador of Morocco in Spain
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In office 1966–1970 |
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| Minister of State
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In office 1970–1975 |
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| Personal details | |
| Nationality | Spanish (until 1957) Moroccan (after 1957) |
| Spouse(s) | Fadela Amor |
| Children | 1 son and 6 daughters |
Mohammed Meziane or Mohamed ben Mizzian (Arabic: محمد أمزيان Full name: Mohamed Belkacem Zahraoui Meziane; 1 February 1897 - 1 May 1975), known by the Spaniards as Ben Mizzian, was a Moroccan general from Beni Ensar (near Nador). He was one of the sons of local Moroccan leader Mohammed Ameziane, also known in Spanish as El Mizzian, and was the only Moroccan to ever become a general in Spain.
During the Spanish Civil War he commanded a section of the Regulares Indígenas troops, who formed the shock troops of the Nationalist Army. Their fierceness in combat made them highly feared among Spanish Republican Army ranks. After holding many high military posts in Francoist Spain Mizzian reached the rank of Lieutenant General of the Spanish Army. Summoned by King Mohammed V, in 1957 he moved to Morocco following the independence of the country. In 1970, he was made a Field marshal (mushir) and is the only person to have ever held that title in the Moroccan Army.
Formed at the Military Academy in Toledo, Spain, which he joined in 1913, he was patronized by King Alfonso XIII following his father's death. After graduating as a junior officer (Alférez) Mizzian served for a long period in the Spanish army of the Spanish Protectorate of Morocco. He took part in 1921 in the Rif Wars against Abdelkrim. In 1923 he became a Captain and in 1925 a commander of the Spanish Colonial Army. During this time he established a deep friendship with Francisco Franco and once he even saved his life.
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Wikipedia