Antonio Escobar Huerta (14 November 1879,
Ceuta – 8 February 1940) was a Spanish military officer.
Biography
Escobar was a Catholic and a conservative. At the outbreak of the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
, he was a
colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
of the
Spanish Civil Guard
The Civil Guard ( es, Guardia Civil, link=no; ) is the oldest law enforcement agency in Spain and is one of two national police forces. As a national gendarmerie force, it is military in nature and is responsible for civil policing under the a ...
in the city of
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
. He remained loyal to the republican government and on 19 July with his 800 men aided decisively to the defeat of the
''coup'' in Barcelona. Later he was promoted to General, and in January 1939, he led the Republican forces in the failed
Valsequillo Offensive. On 16 February 1939, he was one of the officers who said to the Prime Minister
Juan Negrin that further military resistance was impossible. In March 1939, he was the commander of the
Extremadura Army, supported
Casado's coup and crushed the Communist resistance in
Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real (, ; en, "Royal City") is a municipality of Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha, capital of the province of Ciudad Real. It is the 5th most populated municipality in the region.
History
It was founde ...
.
On 26 March 1939, he was captured by the
Nationalists
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: T ...
and executed on 8 February 1940 in Barcelona.
[ :es:Antonio Escobar Huerta] He was buried in the
Montjuïc Cemetery
Montjuïc Cemetery, known in Catalan as Cementiri del Sud-oest or Cementiri de Montjuïc, is located on one of the rocky slopes of Montjuïc hill in Barcelona.
History
It was opened on 17 March 1883 by the city of Barcelona as its main cemetery ...
, Barcelona.
See also
*
List of people executed by Francoist Spain
Notes
References
*Beevor, Antony. (2006). ''The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939.'' Penguin Books. London.
*Jackson, Gabriel. (1967). ''The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-1939.'' Princeton University Press. Princeton.
*Thomas, Hugh. (2001). ''The Spanish Civil War.'' Penguin Books. London.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Escobar Huertas, Antonio
1879 births
1940 deaths
People from Ceuta
Spanish army officers
Spanish military personnel of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction)
People executed by Francoist Spain
Executed Spanish people
Spanish Roman Catholics