Antonio Cordón García
Encyclopedia
Antonio Cordón García. was a Spanish soldier, born in Sevilla, who commanded during the Spanish Civil War
.
Career soldier as an artilleryman in the Spanish Army
, he passed into the reserves in the early 1930s, but reenlisted into active duty upon the beginning of the Spanish Civil War to join the Republican
cause. He was a key entity in the conversion of the Popular Front
's militias into a disciplined standing army, able to fight Franco's
Nationalist Front.
His career was brilliant and was parallel to his promotions in the Communist Party
, being promoted to Subsecretary of Defense and achieving a close relationship with Prime Minister
Juan Negrín
until he was finally promoted to the position of general.
He participated in many of the battles in the major theaters of wars, including the Siege of the Santa María de la Cabeza Sanctuary, in Teruel
, and the Battle of Belchite
, in 1938.
Antonio Cordón also actively contacted with the Soviet Union over the provision of war materials, including T-26
light tanks and Polikarpov I-16
s. Finalizing the war, Antonio Cordón immigrated to the Soviet Union and formed part of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party, working closely with Dolores Ibárruri
and Santiago Carrillo
, who he coincided in Paris with for a short while. He also had close relations with figures such as Rafael Alberti and Teresa León, who fled Spain from the Monovar aerodrome with Negrín and Ibárruri.
Despite having a wife and six children in Spain, he never married again but had another child. In the Soviet Union, he wrote his memoirs Trayectoria. He died in Rom in 1968. After the death of Francisco Franco in 1976 and the change of the political climate in Spain, his remains were transferred to Spain.
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...
.
Career soldier as an artilleryman in the Spanish Army
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
, he passed into the reserves in the early 1930s, but reenlisted into active duty upon the beginning of the Spanish Civil War to join the Republican
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
cause. He was a key entity in the conversion of the Popular Front
Popular Front (Spain)
The Popular Front in Spain's Second Republic was an electoral coalition and pact signed in January 1936 by various left-wing political organisations, instigated by Manuel Azaña for the purpose of contesting that year's election....
's militias into a disciplined standing army, able to fight Franco's
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
Nationalist Front.
His career was brilliant and was parallel to his promotions in the Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
, being promoted to Subsecretary of Defense and achieving a close relationship with Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Juan Negrín
Juan Negrín
Juan Negrín y López was a Spanish politician and physician.-Early years:Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Negrín came from a religious middle-class family...
until he was finally promoted to the position of general.
He participated in many of the battles in the major theaters of wars, including the Siege of the Santa María de la Cabeza Sanctuary, in Teruel
Teruel
Teruel is a town in Aragon, eastern Spain, and the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 34,240 in 2006 making it one of the least populated provincial capitals in the country...
, and the Battle of Belchite
Battle of Belchite (1937)
Battle of Belchite was a group of military operations that took place in the Spanish Civil War between 24 August and 7 September 1937 nearby the town of Belchite, in Aragon.-Prelude:...
, in 1938.
Antonio Cordón also actively contacted with the Soviet Union over the provision of war materials, including T-26
T-26
The T-26 tank was a Soviet light infantry tank used during many conflicts of the 1930s as well as during World War II. It was a development of the British Vickers 6-Ton tank and is widely considered one of the most successful tank designs of the 1930s....
light tanks and Polikarpov I-16
Polikarpov I-16
The Polikarpov I-16 was a Soviet fighter aircraft of revolutionary design; it was the world's first cantilever-winged monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. The I-16 was introduced in the mid-1930s and formed the backbone of the Soviet Air Force at the beginning of World War II...
s. Finalizing the war, Antonio Cordón immigrated to the Soviet Union and formed part of the Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
of the Communist Party, working closely with Dolores Ibárruri
Dolores Ibárruri
Isidora Dolores Ibárruri Gómez , known more famously as "La Pasionaria" was a Spanish Republican leader of the Spanish Civil War and communist politician of Basque origin...
and Santiago Carrillo
Santiago Carrillo
Santiago Carrillo Solares is a Spanish politician who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain from 1960 to 1982.- Childhood and early youth :...
, who he coincided in Paris with for a short while. He also had close relations with figures such as Rafael Alberti and Teresa León, who fled Spain from the Monovar aerodrome with Negrín and Ibárruri.
Despite having a wife and six children in Spain, he never married again but had another child. In the Soviet Union, he wrote his memoirs Trayectoria. He died in Rom in 1968. After the death of Francisco Franco in 1976 and the change of the political climate in Spain, his remains were transferred to Spain.