Segismundo Casado
Encyclopedia
Segismundo Casado López was a Spanish Army
officer in the Second Spanish Republic
during the Spanish Civil War
.
at age 15 and reached the rank of major by 1936, serving as head of the military household of President Manuel Azaña
.
and the battle of Jarama
. He was promoted to colonel in 1938 and fought in the battle of Brunete
. In 1938, he was the commander of one army (out of five) in the republican central zone. In 1939 he was given command of the Republican Central Army.
Casado's coup and the end of the war
On March 5, 1939 Casado, claiming that Prime Minister Juan Negrín
was planning a Communist takeover, conducted a coup d'état
with the support of the leader of the right-wing of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
, Julián Besteiro
, and disillusioned anarchist
leaders and established an anti-Negrín Junta de Defensa Nacional.
General José Miaja
in Madrid
joined the rebellion on March 6 by ordering the arrests of Communists in the city. Negrin, preparing to leave for France
, ordered Luis Barceló, commander of the 1st Corps of the Army of the Center, to try to regain control of the capital. His troops entered Madrid and there was fierce fighting for several days in the capital. Anarchist troops led by Cipriano Mera
managed to defeat the 1st Corps, and Barceló was captured and executed.
Casado then attempted to negotiate a peace settlement with General Francisco Franco
, but Franco refused anything less than unconditional surrender. Surviving members of the Republican Army were no longer willing to fight and the Nationalist Army entered Madrid virtually unopposed on March 27, 1939.
where he boarded an English ship at the end of March. He remained in exile in Venezuela until returning to Spain in 1961.
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:...
officer in the Second Spanish Republic
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....
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...
.
Early life
The son of a military man, he entered the Royal Cavalry Academy at ValladolidValladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
at age 15 and reached the rank of major by 1936, serving as head of the military household of President Manuel Azaña
Manuel Azaña
Manuel Azaña Díaz was a Spanish politician. He was the first Prime Minister of the Second Spanish Republic , and later served again as Prime Minister , and then as the second and last President of the Republic . The Spanish Civil War broke out while he was President...
.
Spanish Civil War
After the start of the Spanish Civil War, Casado helped to develop the tactics of the Republican Army in central Spain. He participated in the defense of MadridSiege of Madrid (1936-39)
The Siege of Madrid was a three-year siege of the Spanish capital city of Madrid, during the Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939. Madrid was held by various forces loyal to the Second Spanish Republic and was besieged by Spanish Nationalist and allied troops under Francisco Franco...
and the battle of Jarama
Battle of Jarama
The Battle of Jarama was an attempt by General Franco's Nationalists to dislodge the Republican lines along the river Jarama, just east of Madrid, during the Spanish Civil War...
. He was promoted to colonel in 1938 and fought in the battle of Brunete
Battle of Brunete
The Battle of Brunete , fought 15 miles west of Madrid, was a Republican attempt to alleviate the pressure exerted by the Nationalists on the capital and on the north during the Spanish Civil War...
. In 1938, he was the commander of one army (out of five) in the republican central zone. In 1939 he was given command of the Republican Central Army.
Casado's coup and the end of the warFinal offensive of the Spanish Civil WarThe Final offensive of the Spanish Civil War took place between the 26th of March and the 1st of April 1939, towards the end of the Spanish Civil War...
On March 5, 1939 Casado, claiming that Prime Minister Juan NegrínJuan 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...
was planning a Communist takeover, conducted a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
with the support of the leader of the right-wing of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
, Julián Besteiro
Julián Besteiro
Julián Besteiro Fernández was a Spanish socialist politician and university professor.-Early life:...
, and disillusioned anarchist
Anarchism in Spain
Anarchism has historically gained more support and influence in Spain than anywhere else, especially before Francisco Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939....
leaders and established an anti-Negrín Junta de Defensa Nacional.
General José Miaja
José Miaja
José Miaja Menant was a Spanish Army Officer in the Second Spanish Republic.-Early life:He entered the Infantry Academy at Toledo in 1896. His first post was in Asturias...
in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
joined the rebellion on March 6 by ordering the arrests of Communists in the city. Negrin, preparing to leave for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, ordered Luis Barceló, commander of the 1st Corps of the Army of the Center, to try to regain control of the capital. His troops entered Madrid and there was fierce fighting for several days in the capital. Anarchist troops led by Cipriano Mera
Cipriano Mera
Cipriano Mera Sanz was a Spanish military and political figure during the Second Spanish Republic.-Early life:...
managed to defeat the 1st Corps, and Barceló was captured and executed.
Casado then attempted to negotiate a peace settlement with General 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...
, but Franco refused anything less than unconditional surrender. Surviving members of the Republican Army were no longer willing to fight and the Nationalist Army entered Madrid virtually unopposed on March 27, 1939.
Exile
Casado fled to ValenciaValencia (city in Spain)
Valencia or València is the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 809,267 in 2010. It is the 15th-most populous municipality in the European Union...
where he boarded an English ship at the end of March. He remained in exile in Venezuela until returning to Spain in 1961.
Further reading
- Beevor, Antony. The battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939. Penguin Books. London. 2006.
- Burnett Bolloten The Spanish Civil War: Revolution and Counterrevolution UNC Press, 1991 ISBN 0807819069, 9780807819067. Chapter 64 "Segismundo Casado, Cipriano Mera and the Libertarians"
- Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2001. London.