Juan Antonio Ansaldo y Vejarano (24 June 1901 – 29 April 1958) was a Spanish
monarchist
Monarchism is the advocacy of the system of monarchy or monarchical rule. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government independently of any specific monarch, whereas one who supports a particular monarch is a royalist. ...
and aviator. He was a lifelong friend and supporter of
José Sanjurjo
José Sanjurjo y Sacanell (; 28 March 1872 – 20 July 1936), was a Spanish general, one of the military leaders who plotted the July 1936 ''coup d'état'' which started the Spanish Civil War.
He was endowed the nobiliary title of "Marquis o ...
, the senior of the three generals who launched the coup of July 1936, which started 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 ...
. When Sanjurjo needed to be flown in from
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, he chose Ansaldo as his pilot, but the overloaded plane crashed on take-off, which killed the general. Ansaldo would later fall from grace with
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...
and go into exile.
Early life and career
Born in
Aretxabaleta
Aretxabaleta is a town in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Autonomous Community of Basque Country, northern Spain.
It is located on the Bergara road, almost adjacent to its larger northern neighbor, the city of Arrasate, and the smaller Eskoriat ...
,
Gipuzkoa
Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French depa ...
into a noble family, his father being the Viscount of San Enrique, Ansaldo joined the army air service (''Aviación Militar'') to fight in the
Rif War
The Rif War () was an armed conflict fought from 1921 to 1926 between Spain (joined by History of France, France in 1924) and the Berbers, Berber tribes of the mountainous Rif region of northern Morocco.
Led by Abd el-Krim, the Riffians at ...
. On 22 March 1924, in a combined operation with a squadron of
De Havilland DH-4 commanded by
Joaquín Loriga
Joaquín Loriga Taboada (Lalín, 23 September 1895 – Cuatro Vientos Airport 18 July 1927) was a Galician aviation pioneer. In 1926 as a Captain promoted, together with two pilots and three mechanical engineers, and completed the first long-distan ...
,
his unit, composed of
Bristol F.2 Fighter
The Bristol F.2 Fighter is a British First World War two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft developed by Frank Barnwell at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, ''"Brisfit"'' or ''"Bif ...
s, destroyed a
Dorand AR.2, the only plane held by the
Republic of the Rif
The Republic of the Rif (Tarifit: ''Tagduda n Arrif'', ''Jumhūriyya ar-Rīf''), unofficially The Confederal Republic of the Tribes of the Rif, also recorded as the Riff, was a short-lived republic in northern Morocco that existed between 192 ...
, and hidden by the Rifians at Tizzi Moren, southwest of
Alhucemas Alhucemas is a Spanish name which may refer to:
*The Moroccan Rif city of Al Hoceima
Al Hoceima ( ber, translit=Lḥusima, label= Riffian-Berber, ⵍⵃⵓⵙⵉⵎⴰ; ar, الحسيمة; '' es, Alhucemas'') is a Riffian city in the north of M ...
. Ansaldo was wounded by small-arms fire during this action.
In September 1925, Ansaldo's squadron air support was key to the relief of the Spanish stronghold of Kudia Tahar, east of
Tetouan, and, just a few days later, his unit took part of the already ongoing
Alhucemas landing
The Alhucemas landing ( es, Desembarco de Alhucemas; also known as Al Hoceima landing) was a landing operation which took place on 8 September 1925 at Alhucemas by the Spanish Army and Navy and, in lesser numbers, an allied French naval and aeri ...
. Ansaldo remained in the army air service until 1931 and the proclamation of the
Second Spanish Republic
The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII, and was di ...
, and retired with the rank of major.
Philip Rees
Philip Rees (born 1941) is a British writer and librarian formerly in charge of acquisitions at the J. B. Morrell Library, University of York. He has written books on fascism and the extreme right.
Works
*'' Fascism in Britain'' (Harvester Pr ...
, ''Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890
The ''Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890'' is a reference book by Philip Rees, on leading people in the various far right movements since 1890.
It contains entries for what the author regards as "the 500 major figures on the ...
'', Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1990. p. 12
A great admirer of
Charles Maurras
Charles-Marie-Photius Maurras (; ; 20 April 1868 – 16 November 1952) was a French author, politician, poet, and critic. He was an organizer and principal philosopher of ''Action Française'', a political movement that is monarchist, anti-parl ...
and his ''
Action française
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 f ...
'', Ansaldo flirted with various shades of
far-right
Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
politics before and during 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 ...
. A member of
Ramiro de Maeztu
Ramiro de Maeztu y Whitney (May 4, 1875 – October 29, 1936) was a prolific Spanish essayist, journalist and publicist. His early literary work adscribes him to the Generation of '98. Adept to Nietzschean and Social Darwinist ideas in his youth, ...
's ''
Acción Española
Acción Española (, ''Spanish Action'') or AE was a Spanish cultural association active during the Second Spanish Republic, meeting point of the ultraconservative and far right intellectual figures that endorsed the restoration of the Monarchy. It ...
'', he was a devoted follower of the monarchist General
José Sanjurjo
José Sanjurjo y Sacanell (; 28 March 1872 – 20 July 1936), was a Spanish general, one of the military leaders who plotted the July 1936 ''coup d'état'' which started the Spanish Civil War.
He was endowed the nobiliary title of "Marquis o ...
. By 1932 Ansaldo's holiday home in
Biarritz
Biarritz ( , , , ; Basque also ; oc, Biàrritz ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Spain. ...
was playing host to various leading monarchists, and the group grew close to the ''
Unión Militar Española'', which was planning to overthrow the republican government. Ansaldo was also a founder and leading member of ''
Renovación Española
Spanish Renovation ( es, Renovación Española, RE) was a Spanish monarchist political party active during the Second Spanish Republic, advocating the restoration of Alfonso XIII of Spain as opposed to Carlism. Associated with the Acción Españo ...
'', another group dedicated to restoring the monarchy in the
Alfonsist tendency.
Ansaldo visited
Fascist Italy the same year in an attempt to drum up support for the conspiracy, particularly from fellow aviator
Italo Balbo
Italo Balbo (6 June 1896 – 28 June 1940) was an Italian fascist politician and Blackshirts' leader who served as Italy's Marshal of the Air Force, Governor-General of Libya and Commander-in-Chief of Italian North Africa. Due to his young a ...
, with whom he had contact. He and
José Calvo Sotelo
José Calvo Sotelo, 1st Duke of Calvo Sotelo, GE (6 May 1893 – 13 July 1936) was a Spanish jurist and politician, minister of Finance during the dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera and a leading figure during the Second Republic. During t ...
would make a return visit the following year, but neither trip produced any concrete results.
However, Ansaldo's efforts in that and other areas raised a total of 3 million pesetas to fund the conspiracy.
In 1934, Ansaldo was at the centre of a coup plot in which it was arranged for him to fly Sanjurjo back from exile in
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
. The plan was for Sanjurjo to link up with
Juan Yagüe
Juan Yagüe y Blanco, 1st Marquis of San Leonardo de Yagüe (19 November 1891 – 21 October 1952) was a Spanish military officer during the Spanish Civil War, one of the most important in the Nationalist side. He became known as the "Butcher o ...
and to lead a coup. The plotters waited at the
philologist
Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defined as th ...
Pedro Sainz Rodríguez
Pedro Sainz Carlos Rodríguez (1897 in Madrid – 1986) was a Spanish writer, Philology, philologist, publisher and politician, an adviser to Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and one of the main architects of the reign of Juan Carlos I of Spa ...
's house, but word came through from
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...
that the time was not right and so Ansaldo's mission was abandoned.
Ansaldo was again called into action in July 1936 when it appeared that Franco was wavering in his command, and General
Emilio Mola
Emilio Mola y Vidal, 1st Duke of Mola, Grandee of Spain (9 July 1887 – 3 June 1937) was one of the three leaders of the Nationalist coup of July 1936, which started the Spanish Civil War.
After the death of Sanjurjo on 20 July 1936, M ...
ordered Ansaldo to pick up Sanjurjo from Portugal and fly him to
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
to relieve Franco of his command. The plan was again abandoned, however, when Franco returned to action a few days later.
Fascism
Although a monarchist, Ansaldo was drawn to the violent action and adventurism of
fascism
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...
and as such maintained close links with such groups. He helped to fund both the ''Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista'' and the ''Movimiento Sindicalista Española'' in the early 1930s and personally favoured the latter movement, which owed more to
Blackshirts
The Voluntary Militia for National Security ( it, Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale, MVSN), commonly called the Blackshirts ( it, Camicie Nere, CCNN, singular: ) or (singular: ), was originally the paramilitary wing of the Natio ...
of
Italian fascism in its character. With both of the groups floundering, he turned his attentions instead to the
Falange
The Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista (FET y de las JONS; ), frequently shortened to just "FET", was the sole legal party of the Francoist regime in Spain. It was created by General Francisco F ...
and formally joined the group in early 1934. He became ''jefe de commandos'' and took charge of the so-called ''Falange de la Sangre'' militia squads engaged in responding to the leftist attacks.
In that capacity, Ansaldo became noted for his extreme violence not only for preventing any socialist activity in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
on
May Day
May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. T ...
1934 but also for his proclaimed intention of killing any of his own men suspected of betraying the Falange. Nonetheless, Ansaldo did not abandon his earlier monarchist principles and hoped to turn the Falange to that ideology. To that end, he conspired to edge Primo de Rivera out of his position of leadership, which led to his expulsion from the movement in 1934.
He went into voluntary exile in France after this setback but continued to be closely involved in monarchist plotting from his new base.
Sanjurjo crash
In late July 1936, Ansaldo was finally called by General Mola to transport his mentor from exile in
Estoril
Estoril () is a town in the Municipality of Cascais, Portugal, on the Portuguese Riviera. It is a tourist destination, with luxury hotels, beaches, and the Casino Estoril. It has been home to numerous royal families and celebrities, and has host ...
. Flying only a small
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
, the flight hit difficulty when Sanjurjo, who was a very heavy man to begin with, insisted on carrying a large amount of luggage with him. Heavily weighed down, the plane crashed just after takeoff, which killed Sanjurjo.
Ansaldo survived the crash but suffered extensive injuries. The incident was to Franco's advantage as one of his two main rivals to power, the other being Mola, was eliminated.
Later life
Ansaldo returned to action during the Civil War, serving with the Nationalist air force in the northern campaign.
Following the Civil War, Ansaldo continued his career in the
Spanish Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = Spanish Air and Space Force Anthem
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 10 December
, equipment ...
, and rose to the rank of colonel by 1940. He served as an air attaché to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and then
Vichy France
Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...
.
By then, Ansaldo had become firmly estranged from Franco and was involved in a futile conspiracy with
Eugenio Vegas Latapie
Eugenio Vegas Latapie (1907–1985) was a Spanish monarchist writer, activist and conspirator who was noted for the extremism of his monarchism. A native of Irun, he was a leading member of the Acción Española.
In his later years, Vegas Lat ...
to restore the monarchy. He launched further clandestine initiatives with
Alfredo Kindelán
Alfredo Kindelán y Duany, 1st Marquess of Kindelán (13 March 1879, in Santiago de Cuba – 14 December 1962, in Madrid) was a Spanish general and politician. A close ally of Francisco Franco before and during the Spanish Civil War, their ...
and other monarchists when it became clear that Franco then had no intention of restoring the monarchy.
He was exiled from Spain in 1945 when Franco purged leading monarchists. Ansaldo initially fled to Portugal, then settled in France in 1947.
His disillusionment with the Franco regime was reflected in his 1951 memoir ''¿Para que...'' (''For What...?'') in which he criticised ''El Caudillo'' for betraying the war against the republicans by not restoring the monarchy.
[Preston, ''Franco'', p. 686] He died in
Ville-d'Avray
Ville-d'Avray () is a Communes of France, commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre zero, centre of Paris. The commune is part of the arrondissement of Boulogne-Billancourt in the Hauts-de-Seine Department ...
in 1958.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ansaldo, Juan Antonio
1901 births
1958 deaths
People from Debagoiena
Spanish Falangists
Spanish aviators
Spanish monarchists
Survivors of aviation accidents or incidents
Spanish exiles
Spanish military personnel of the Rif War
Air attachés
Spanish military personnel of the Spanish Civil War (National faction)