Pedro Gamero del Castillo
Encyclopedia
Pedro Gamero del Castillo (20 November 1910, Seville
– 9 December 1984, Madrid
) was a Spanish
politician and figure in the Spanish Civil War
.
where he was leader of the student movement. Initially a member of the monarchist Acción Española
he joined the Falange
in July 1936 and was soon appointed Civil Governor of Seville. He was an advocate of unity between the rightist forces during the civil war and in 1937 joined with Sancho Dávila y Fernández de Celis
in an attempt to persuade the Carlists
to merge with the Falangists. Following the establishment of the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista later that same year Gamero was appointed to its Junta Politica, confirming his status as the rising star of the movement. In the final days of the civil war he served with the Spanish Navy
.
and became his protege. Under his mentor's guidance he served as a Minister without Portfolio and vice-general secretary of the Movement from 1939. He was even acting General Secretary for a spell in 1940. However Gamero was no Francisco Franco
loyalist and his ambitions for Serrano Súñer led to problems for him. He consulted in January 1941 with Hans Lazar, the press secretary of the German
Embassy and told him that a Serrano Súñer government would commit to the Axis powers
and thus asked for him to arrange for the Nazis
to publicly back his mentor. Fearing the growing influence of Nazi agents Franco acted and in May 1941 Gamero was deprived of his position, along with a number of pro-Nazis such as Dionisio Ridruejo
and Sancho Dávila y Fernández de Celis
. Increasingly becoming noted for cronyism and financial corruption, Gamero was finally removed from his seat on the Council of State in 1943 after publicly calling for the restoration of the monarchy.
. However he retired from politics in 1946 and instead devoted his energies to the Union Española de Financiación and the Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval
, becoming a leading figure in both enterprises.
His son Pedro Gamero del Castillo y Bayo is currently one of Spain's leading businessmen.
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
– 9 December 1984, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
) was a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
politician and figure in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
.
Early years
Gamero first entered politics whilst attending the University of SevilleUniversity of Seville
The Universidad de Sevilla or University of Seville, in English, is a top-ranked European university in Seville, Spain. Founded under the name of Colegio Santa María de Jesús in 1505, the University of Seville, with a student body of over 50,000, is one of the top-ranked universities in the country...
where he was leader of the student movement. Initially a member of the monarchist Acción Española
Acción Española
Acción Española or AE was a Spanish far right Alfonsist monarchist organisation active before and during the Spanish Civil War, and a political magazine of the same name, published by the former...
he joined the Falange
Falange
The Spanish Phalanx of the Assemblies of the National Syndicalist Offensive , known simply as the Falange, is the name assigned to several political movements and parties dating from the 1930s, most particularly the original fascist movement in Spain. The word means phalanx formation in Spanish....
in July 1936 and was soon appointed Civil Governor of Seville. He was an advocate of unity between the rightist forces during the civil war and in 1937 joined with Sancho Dávila y Fernández de Celis
Sancho Dávila y Fernández de Celis
Sancho Dávila y Fernández de Celis was a Spanish Falangist politician. He was an important figure in the early history of the movement but later fell out of favour.-Falangism:...
in an attempt to persuade the Carlists
Carlism
Carlism is a traditionalist and legitimist political movement in Spain seeking the establishment of a separate line of the Bourbon family on the Spanish throne. This line descended from Infante Carlos, Count of Molina , and was founded due to dispute over the succession laws and widespread...
to merge with the Falangists. Following the establishment of the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista later that same year Gamero was appointed to its Junta Politica, confirming his status as the rising star of the movement. In the final days of the civil war he served with the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
.
Government role
After the war Gamero was taken under the wing of Ramón Serrano SúñerRamón Serrano Súñer
Ramón Serrano Súñer , was a Spanish politician during the first stages of General Francisco Franco's dictatorship, the Spanish State, between 1938 and 1942, when he held the posts of President of the Political Junta Política of Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS , and Interior and...
and became his protege. Under his mentor's guidance he served as a Minister without Portfolio and vice-general secretary of the Movement from 1939. He was even acting General Secretary for a spell in 1940. However Gamero was no Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
loyalist and his ambitions for Serrano Súñer led to problems for him. He consulted in January 1941 with Hans Lazar, the press secretary of the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Embassy and told him that a Serrano Súñer government would commit to the Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
and thus asked for him to arrange for the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
to publicly back his mentor. Fearing the growing influence of Nazi agents Franco acted and in May 1941 Gamero was deprived of his position, along with a number of pro-Nazis such as Dionisio Ridruejo
Dionisio Ridruejo
Dionisio Ridruejo Jiménez was a Spanish poet and political figure within the Falange...
and Sancho Dávila y Fernández de Celis
Sancho Dávila y Fernández de Celis
Sancho Dávila y Fernández de Celis was a Spanish Falangist politician. He was an important figure in the early history of the movement but later fell out of favour.-Falangism:...
. Increasingly becoming noted for cronyism and financial corruption, Gamero was finally removed from his seat on the Council of State in 1943 after publicly calling for the restoration of the monarchy.
Later years
Deprived of his government office Gamero was part of a 1944 monarchist plot to overthrow Franco. whilst he was also closely involved in the machinations of monarchist General Alfredo KindelánAlfredo Kindelán
right|thumb|Kindelán in aviator uniformAlfredo Kindelán y Duany was a Spanish general and politician.-Early career:...
. However he retired from politics in 1946 and instead devoted his energies to the Union Española de Financiación and the Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval
Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval
From 1909 up until the Spanish Civil War, the naval construction in Spain was monopolized by the Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval - also Spanish Society for Naval Construction was largely owned by the British , and therefore almost all ships were designed after Royal Navy vessels...
, becoming a leading figure in both enterprises.
His son Pedro Gamero del Castillo y Bayo is currently one of Spain's leading businessmen.