Rafael García Valiño
Encyclopedia
Rafael García Valiño was a Spanish
Army Officer who participated in the Spanish Civil War
.
, and enrolled in the Infantry Academy at age fifteen. In 1916 he earned his commission as a lieutenant
, volunteering to fight in the Spanish Army of Africa
. In Morocco
he was wounded several times and was promoted to major
due to his field performance. In 1935 he studied in the Superior Military School.
coast. He crossed enemy lines to reach Pamplona
to join up with the Nationalist Army of the North, led by Emilio Mola
. He commanded several Carlist
units, and with the First Navarrese Brigade participated in the campaign of the North. After he was promoted to colonel, he commanded the First Division of Navarre, with which he fought in Teruel
and in the campaign of Aragon
, along with those of Aranda, to the Mediterranean, thus cutting the Republican zone in two. He also commanded an army corps in the XYZ
battle, in the Battle of Ebro and participated in the offensive of Catalonia
.
, in Spanish Morocco
. In 1942 he became chief of staff of the Army. In 1944 he participated in the repression of the Valle de Aran
's invasion by the Spanish Maquis
. In 1947 he was promoted to lieutenant general and in charge of the captainship of the VII Military district. From 1951 to 1956 he was High Commissioner in Morocco. In 1957 he was named director of the Superior School of the Army and, later, commander in chief of the First Military district, a position that he occupied until 1964.
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...
Army Officer who participated 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 life
He was born in Toledo, SpainToledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
, and enrolled in the Infantry Academy at age fifteen. In 1916 he earned his commission as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, volunteering to fight in the Spanish Army of Africa
Spanish Army of Africa
The Army of Africa was a Spanish field army that garrisoned Spanish Morocco from the early 20th century until Morocco's independence in 1956....
. In Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
he was wounded several times and was promoted to major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
due to his field performance. In 1935 he studied in the Superior Military School.
Spanish Civil War
The outbreak of the Civil War surprised him, as he was spending the summer on the BasqueBasque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
coast. He crossed enemy lines to reach Pamplona
Pamplona
Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
to join up with the Nationalist Army of the North, led by Emilio Mola
Emilio Mola
Emilio Mola y Vidal, 1st Duke of Mola, Grandee of Spain was a Spanish Nationalist commander during the Spanish Civil War. He is best-known for having coined the term "fifth column".-Early life:...
. He commanded several Carlist
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...
units, and with the First Navarrese Brigade participated in the campaign of the North. After he was promoted to colonel, he commanded the First Division of Navarre, with which he fought in Teruel
Battle of Teruel
The Battle of Teruel was fought in and around the city of Teruel during the Spanish Civil War in December 1937 – February 1938. The combatants fought the battle during the worst Spanish winter in twenty years. It was one of the bloodier actions of the war. The city changed hands several times,...
and in the campaign of Aragon
Aragon Offensive
The Aragon Offensive was a Nationalist campaign during the Spanish Civil War, which began after the Battle of Teruel. The offensive began on March 7, 1938, and ended on April 19, 1938...
, along with those of Aranda, to the Mediterranean, thus cutting the Republican zone in two. He also commanded an army corps in the XYZ
XYZ Line
The XYZ Line, or Matallana Line, was a system of fortifications built during the Spanish Civil War in order to defend the capital of the Second Spanish Republic in Valencia, Spain...
battle, in the Battle of Ebro and participated in the offensive of Catalonia
Catalonia Offensive
The Catalonia Offensive was part of the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalist Army started the offensive on December 23, 1938, and rapidly conquered Republican-held Catalonia with its capital city from October 1937, Barcelona. Barcelona was captured on January 26, 1939. The Republican government...
.
Francoist dictatorship
After the civil war he was named commander-in-chief of MelillaMelilla
Melilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
, in Spanish Morocco
Spanish Morocco
The Spanish protectorate of Morocco was the area of Morocco under colonial rule by the Spanish Empire, established by the Treaty of Fez in 1912 and ending in 1956, when both France and Spain recognized Moroccan independence.-Territorial borders:...
. In 1942 he became chief of staff of the Army. In 1944 he participated in the repression of the Valle de Aran
Val d'Aran
The Val d'Aran is a valley in the Pyrenees mountains and a comarca in the northwestern part of the province of Lleida, in Catalonia, northern Spain. Most of the valley constitutes the only part of Spain, and of Catalonia, on the north face of the Pyrenees, hence the only part of Catalonia whose...
's invasion by the Spanish Maquis
Spanish Maquis
The Spanish Maquis were Spanish guerrillas exiled in France after the Spanish Civil War who continued to fight against the Franco regime until the early 1960s, carrying out sabotage, robberies , occupations of the Spanish Embassy in France and assassinations of Francoists, as well as contributing...
. In 1947 he was promoted to lieutenant general and in charge of the captainship of the VII Military district. From 1951 to 1956 he was High Commissioner in Morocco. In 1957 he was named director of the Superior School of the Army and, later, commander in chief of the First Military district, a position that he occupied until 1964.