Fidel Dávila

An Infantry officer, he fought in Cuba, in which he received the Cruz del Mérito Militar. He later entered the General Staff of the Army. He was then promoted to lieutenant colonel and assigned to Morocco. In 1929 he was promoted to brigadier general and was assigned to the VII Military district. Because of the military reforms of Prime Minister Manuel Azańa, he solicited permission to go into the reserves and settled down in Burgos, from where he participated in the military conspiracy to overthrow the Popular Front government. On the night of the 18 to the 19 of July 1936 he seized the civil government of Burgos. He was a member of the Junta de Defensa Nacional and president of the Technical board of the State, the core of the future national government, as well as chief of staff of the Army. He participated in the conquest of Biscay, Santander and Asturias. He was named minister of National Defense in the first government of Francisco Franco (February 1938), at the same time he was promoted to lieutenant general. He organized the campaign to isolate Catalonia and participated in the campaign of the Maestrazgo, the Battle of the Ebro and the final conquest of Catalonia. In August 1939 he received the Post of captain-general of the II Military district and the Headquarters of the General staff. In July 1945 he was designated minister of the Army and in 1949 he was named head of the government. In 1951 he happened to form part of the Council of the Kingdom and president of the Geographic Superior Council.