Carlos Asensio Cabanillas (14 November 1896, in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

– 28 April 1969, in Madrid) was a Spanish soldier and statesman who fought for the Nationalist faction 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, link ...

, rising in command from

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 o ...

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

in Franco's Army of Africa. When Franco's military conspiracy flared into revolt in July 1936, Asensio Cabanillas and Colonel Sáenz de Buruaga easily secured

Tétouan Tétouan ( ar, تطوان, tiṭwān, ber, ⵜⵉⵟⵟⴰⵡⴰⵏ, tiṭṭawan; es, Tetuán) is a city in northern Morocco. It lies along the Martil Valley and is one of the two major ports of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea, a few miles so ...

for the rebels. In the first month of the war his column, fighting alongside

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 of ...

's troops, made an impressive forced march from

Seville Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...

, storming and taking the cities of

Badajoz Badajoz (; formerly written ''Badajos'' in English) is the capital of the Province of Badajoz in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is situated close to the Portuguese border, on the left bank of the river Guadiana. The populatio ...

, Toledo, and Talavera. His bloody advance into the University City during the Siege of Madrid would mark the farthest

Nationalist 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: Th ...

advance against the city until the end of the war. At the Jarama his column spearheaded the attack across the river but was stalled thereafter by the International Brigades. After the war Franco promoted Asensio Cabanillas to

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

. He served as the High Commissioner of the

Spanish protectorate in Morocco The Spanish protectorate in Morocco ; es, Protectorado español de Marruecos, links=no, was established on 27 November 1912 by a treaty between France and Spain that converted the Spanish sphere of influence in Morocco into a formal protect ...

from 1939 to 1941, and later as the Chief of Staff of the Army from 1941 to 1942, Minister of the Army from 1942 to 1945 and

Captain General Captain general (and its literal equivalent in several languages) is a high military rank of general officer grade, and a gubernatorial title. History The term "Captain General" started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of Comma ...

of the Balearic Islands from 1945 to 1948. Finally, he served as the Chief of the

Defence High Command The Defence High Command ( es, link=no, Alto Estado Mayor, AEM) was the principal staff body of the Spanish Armed Forces during the Francoist regime and the Spanish transition to democracy. It operated between 1939 and 1980, and was in charge of ...

(chief of staff of the Spanish Armed Forces), from 1955 to 1958. Asensio Cabanillas died in 1969.

References

1890s births 1969 deaths Military personnel from Madrid Spanish lieutenant generals People of the Rif War Spanish military personnel of the Spanish Civil War (National faction) Francoist Spain Politicians from Madrid Defence ministers of Spain Government ministers during the Francoist dictatorship {{Spain-mil-bio-stub