Emilio Esteban Infantes
Encyclopedia
Emilio Esteban Infantes y Martín (May 18, 1892 – September 6, 1962) was a Spanish
soldier and staff officer
who served during the Spanish Civil War
, and later in World War II
as commander of the Wehrmacht
's Blue Division
(Spanish
División Azul), or 250. Infanterie-Division of the German Army
integrated by Spanish falangist volunteers. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded by the Third Reich to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Military Infantry Academy where his fellow classmates included Francisco Franco
and Juan Yagüe
. Graduating in 1910, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant and was sent to join the Spanish African Army in Morocco
. In 1912, at only 20 years of age, he received a meritorious promotion to Captain during combat activity in the prolonged Rif War
which lasted from 1909 to 1927. By 1928 he had achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and in that year, following the end of the Moroccan war, was appointed a Professor at the Zaragoza
Military Academy by its new director, General Francisco Franco.
where he joined the Nationalist forces under Franco. As a result he was sentenced to death in absentia by the Republican government. During the war, he held various major military appointments including Chief of General Staff of the Castillian Army Corps during the Brunete offensive in July 1937 and the subsequent Battle of Teruel
between December 1937 and February 1938. He then took over as Colonel in command of the 5th Division of Navarre and received the Military Medal for his contribution to the ultimate success and victory of the Nationalist forces. In May 1940, a year after the civil war had ended, he was promoted to Brigadier-General in command of the Army General Staff of Morocco and Military Region IV.
against the Soviet Union in June 1941, Franco's government authorized the dispatch of a volunteer Spanish division under the overall command of the German Wehrmacht. This became the 250th Infantry Division (popularly known "Blue Division"), initially commanded by General Agustín Muñoz Grandes
. The Division was deployed within Army Group North under the overall command of Generalfeldmarschall
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb
, and engaged in several battles against the Red Army
near Leningrad
. However, despite being popular with his soldiers, Muñoz Grandes behavior began to show too much of a "pro-German slant" for Franco who, even in mid-1942, was preoccupied with the general direction and possible outcome of the war.
Esteban Infantes was close friend of the Minister of War, General José Enrique Varela
, and for several months he had been pressing for a transfer to a combat role with the Blue Division
. However, Varela knew that there was only room for one Brigade General and therefore Esteban Infantes could only be sent to the war zone in the Soviet Union as the commander of the division. The issue was finally resolved by Franco, who knew him well as a former colleague at both the Toledo and Zaragoza Academies. Franco viewed Esteban Infantes as a more moderate and diplomatic option compared to the more controversial Muñoz Grandes. Consequently Esteban Infantes was dispatched to Germany where he was inducted into the Wehrmacht
with the rank of Generalmajor and with the military oath being administered directly to Hitler at the Berghof
.
In December 1942, Esteban Infantes formally took command of the Blue Division. He faced a difficult situation replacing such a legendary and popular commander as Muñoz Grandes. The German generals also initially considered him to be too 'anglophile' in his outlook but Esteban Infantes soon won their respect as he began to demonstrate his considerable skill as a great military planner especially in more counter-offensive situations that developed on the Eastern Front
during 1943.
Esteban Infantes faced a major Soviet attempt to break the siege of Leningrad in February 1943, when the Soviet Army 55, reinvigorated after the epic victory at Stalingrad, attacked the Spanish positions at the Battle of Krasny Bor
, near the main Moscow-Leningrad road. Despite heavy casualties, the Spaniards were able to hold their ground against a Russian force 7 times larger and supported by tanks. The assault was contained and the siege of Leningrad was maintained for a further year. This victory established the reputation of Esteban Infantes both with his own soldiers and with the German general staff. The commander of 18th Army, Generaloberst Georg Lindemann
, came to visit him and to congratulate him on this great feat. He was promoted to Generalleutnant and awarded the German Gold Cross
. On October 3, 1943, he was finally also awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
.
After this, due to the course that the war was taking, Franco decided to withdraw the Blue Division and replace it with the smaller Blue Legion
. Esteban Infantes was responsible for the establishment of this smaller unit before handing the command over to Oberst
Antonio García Navarro. He then returned to Spain in December 1943, where he was promoted to Lieutenant General
and given command of Military Region IX.
. He published his memoirs in 1958: "Blue Division: Spanish Volunteers in the Eastern Front." He reaffirmed how proud he was to have participated in the Russian campaign and said that it served to counter the poor history of foreign Spanish military campaign
s during the nineteenth century.
His motto was: "Fighting is our glory! Our thought: Spain."
He died at home in Gijón on September 6, 1962, aged 70, after a long painful illness.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
soldier and staff officer
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
who served during the Spanish Civil War
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...
, and later in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as commander of the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
's Blue Division
Blue Division
The Blue Division officially designated as División Española de Voluntarios by the Spanish Army and 250. Infanterie-Division in the German Army, was a unit of Spanish volunteers that served in the German Army on the Eastern Front of the Second World War.-Origins:Although Spanish leader Field...
(Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
División Azul), or 250. Infanterie-Division of the German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
integrated by Spanish falangist volunteers. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded by the Third Reich to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Early career
Infantes was born in Toledo on May 18, 1892. In 1907, aged 15, he entered the ToledoToledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
Military Infantry Academy where his fellow classmates included Francisco Franco
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...
and Juan Yagüe
Juan Yagüe
Juan Yagüe y Blanco, 1st Marquis of San Leonardo de Yagüe was a Spanish army officer during the Spanish Civil War, one of the most important in the National side.-Early life:...
. Graduating in 1910, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant and was sent to join the Spanish African Army in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. In 1912, at only 20 years of age, he received a meritorious promotion to Captain during combat activity in the prolonged Rif War
Rif War
The Rif War, also called the Second Moroccan War, was fought between Spain and the Moroccan Rif Berbers.-Rifian forces:...
which lasted from 1909 to 1927. By 1928 he had achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and in that year, following the end of the Moroccan war, was appointed a Professor at the Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
Military Academy by its new director, General Francisco Franco.
Spanish Civil War
He was in Madrid on July 17, 1936 when the military insurrection against the Republican government began and had to quickly escape to BurgosBurgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
where he joined the Nationalist forces under Franco. As a result he was sentenced to death in absentia by the Republican government. During the war, he held various major military appointments including Chief of General Staff of the Castillian Army Corps during the Brunete offensive in July 1937 and the subsequent Battle of Teruel
Battle of Teruel
The Battle of Teruel was fought in and around the city of Teruel during the Spanish Civil War in December 1937 – February 1938. The combatants fought the battle during the worst Spanish winter in twenty years. It was one of the bloodier actions of the war. The city changed hands several times,...
between December 1937 and February 1938. He then took over as Colonel in command of the 5th Division of Navarre and received the Military Medal for his contribution to the ultimate success and victory of the Nationalist forces. In May 1940, a year after the civil war had ended, he was promoted to Brigadier-General in command of the Army General Staff of Morocco and Military Region IV.
Second World War
After Hitler launched Operation BarbarossaOperation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
against the Soviet Union in June 1941, Franco's government authorized the dispatch of a volunteer Spanish division under the overall command of the German Wehrmacht. This became the 250th Infantry Division (popularly known "Blue Division"), initially commanded by General Agustín Muñoz Grandes
Agustín Muñoz Grandes
Agustín Muñoz Grandes was a Spanish general, and politician, vice-president of the Spanish Government and minister with Francisco Franco several times; also known as the commander of the Blue Division between 1941 and 1943.-Biography:Born to a humble family in Madrid, Muñoz Grandes enrolled at the...
. The Division was deployed within Army Group North under the overall command of Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb
Wilhelm Josef Franz Ritter von Leeb was a German Field Marshal during World War II. - Youth :...
, and engaged in several battles against the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
near Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
. However, despite being popular with his soldiers, Muñoz Grandes behavior began to show too much of a "pro-German slant" for Franco who, even in mid-1942, was preoccupied with the general direction and possible outcome of the war.
Esteban Infantes was close friend of the Minister of War, General José Enrique Varela
José Enrique Varela
José Enrique Varela Iglesias was a Spanish military officer and Carlist noted for his role as a Nationalist commander in the Spanish Civil War.-Early career:...
, and for several months he had been pressing for a transfer to a combat role with the Blue Division
Blue Division
The Blue Division officially designated as División Española de Voluntarios by the Spanish Army and 250. Infanterie-Division in the German Army, was a unit of Spanish volunteers that served in the German Army on the Eastern Front of the Second World War.-Origins:Although Spanish leader Field...
. However, Varela knew that there was only room for one Brigade General and therefore Esteban Infantes could only be sent to the war zone in the Soviet Union as the commander of the division. The issue was finally resolved by Franco, who knew him well as a former colleague at both the Toledo and Zaragoza Academies. Franco viewed Esteban Infantes as a more moderate and diplomatic option compared to the more controversial Muñoz Grandes. Consequently Esteban Infantes was dispatched to Germany where he was inducted into the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
with the rank of Generalmajor and with the military oath being administered directly to Hitler at the Berghof
Berghof
Berghof or Berghoff may refer to:* Herbert Berghof, founder of HB Studio in New York City* Berghof , Adolf Hitler's home in the mountains of Bavaria* Berghof Foundation for Conflict Studies* The Berghoff , Chicago...
.
In December 1942, Esteban Infantes formally took command of the Blue Division. He faced a difficult situation replacing such a legendary and popular commander as Muñoz Grandes. The German generals also initially considered him to be too 'anglophile' in his outlook but Esteban Infantes soon won their respect as he began to demonstrate his considerable skill as a great military planner especially in more counter-offensive situations that developed on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
during 1943.
Esteban Infantes faced a major Soviet attempt to break the siege of Leningrad in February 1943, when the Soviet Army 55, reinvigorated after the epic victory at Stalingrad, attacked the Spanish positions at the Battle of Krasny Bor
Battle of Krasny Bor
The Battle of Krasny Bor was part of the Soviet offensive Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda. The Soviet offensive called for a pincer attack near Leningrad, to build up on the success of Operation Iskra and completely lift the Siege of Leningrad, encircling a substantial part of the German 18th Army. ...
, near the main Moscow-Leningrad road. Despite heavy casualties, the Spaniards were able to hold their ground against a Russian force 7 times larger and supported by tanks. The assault was contained and the siege of Leningrad was maintained for a further year. This victory established the reputation of Esteban Infantes both with his own soldiers and with the German general staff. The commander of 18th Army, Generaloberst Georg Lindemann
Georg Lindemann
Georg Heinrich Lindemann was a German cavalry officer and field commander who served in the German army during World War I and World War II . He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, came to visit him and to congratulate him on this great feat. He was promoted to Generalleutnant and awarded the German Gold Cross
German Cross
The German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
. On October 3, 1943, he was finally also awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
.
After this, due to the course that the war was taking, Franco decided to withdraw the Blue Division and replace it with the smaller Blue Legion
Blue Legion
The Blue Legion was officially called the Legión Española de Voluntarios was created from 1,500 pro-Fascist volunteers who remained behind at the Eastern Front, after most of the Spanish Blue Division had been repatriated in March 1944, because Francisco Franco had started negotiations with the...
. Esteban Infantes was responsible for the establishment of this smaller unit before handing the command over to Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. The Swedish rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
Antonio García Navarro. He then returned to Spain in December 1943, where he was promoted to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
and given command of Military Region IX.
Later career
After the war he occupied various posts including President of the Supreme Council of Military Justice, Commander of the VII Military Region and Head of the House Military of France before finishing his career as Chief of Central General StaffGeneral Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
. He published his memoirs in 1958: "Blue Division: Spanish Volunteers in the Eastern Front." He reaffirmed how proud he was to have participated in the Russian campaign and said that it served to counter the poor history of foreign Spanish military campaign
Military campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
s during the nineteenth century.
His motto was: "Fighting is our glory! Our thought: Spain."
He died at home in Gijón on September 6, 1962, aged 70, after a long painful illness.