Valentín González
Encyclopedia
Valentín González González (November 4, 1904 – October 20, 1983) was a Republican
military commander during the Spanish Civil War
. Known as El Campesino (The Peasant), González was one of many competent officers to have served in the Ejército Popular (People's Army) of the Second Spanish Republic
.
Born in Malcocinado
, Badajoz
, Spain, Gonzalez worked as a miner and was a member of a communist party
, establishing one of the first militia
units to counter Francisco Franco
's Nationalist Army upon the outbreak of the Civil War. As a brigade commander, González personally took part in all of the major actions that occurred during the Nationalists' assault on Madrid
in 1936. He also commanded formations during the battles of the Corunna Road
(December 1936), the Jarama
, and Guadalajara
(March 1937). In the summer of 1937, after the Battle of Brunete
, González had 400 prisoners of war
ruthlessly executed in retaliation for atrocities on Republican captives.
He led his men in various battles during the campaigns in Aragon
, Teruel
, and Catalonia
throughout the war, before being forced to emigrate to the Soviet Union
upon the Nationalist victory in 1939. Soon, due to his independent character, he was imprisoned in Gulag
labor camp
s in Vorkuta
where he worked as a brigadier of miners. Later he ran away from the Soviet Union, reportedly after being assigned a mission by NKVD
.
He eventually moved to France
, where it is claimed by Burnett Bulloden that he published a book entitled La vie et la mort en U.R.S.S. (1939-1949), containing a legendary version of his life in the Soviet Union. However, authorship of this book is disputed by Herbert Southworth, who claims it was ghostwriten by Julián Gorkin
In 1963, he made several guerilla
-type incursions in Spain. After the fall of Francoist Spain in 1978, he returned to live in Spain. He died in Madrid
.
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....
military commander 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...
. Known as El Campesino (The Peasant), González was one of many competent officers to have served in the Ejército Popular (People's Army) of 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....
.
Born in Malcocinado
Malcocinado
Malcocinado is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2005 census , the municipality has a population of 486 inhabitants....
, Badajoz
Badajoz (province)
The province of Badajoz is a province of western Spain located in the autonomous community of Extremadura. It was formed in 1833. It is bordered by the provinces of Cáceres, Toledo, Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Seville, and Huelva, and by Portugal....
, Spain, Gonzalez worked as a miner and was a member of a 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...
, establishing one of the first militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
units to counter 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...
's Nationalist Army upon the outbreak of the Civil War. As a brigade commander, González personally took part in all of the major actions that occurred during the Nationalists' assault on 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...
in 1936. He also commanded formations during the battles of the Corunna Road
Battle of the Corunna Road
The Battle of the Corunna Road was a battle of the Spanish Civil War from 13 December 1936 to 15 January 1937, northwest of Madrid.-Background:...
(December 1936), the 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...
, and Guadalajara
Battle of Guadalajara
The Battle of Guadalajara saw the Republican People's Army defeat Italian and Nationalist forces attempting to encircle Madrid during the Spanish Civil War...
(March 1937). In the summer of 1937, after 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...
, González had 400 prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
ruthlessly executed in retaliation for atrocities on Republican captives.
He led his men in various battles during the campaigns in Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
, 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,...
, and Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
throughout the war, before being forced to emigrate to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
upon the Nationalist victory in 1939. Soon, due to his independent character, he was imprisoned in Gulag
Gulag
The Gulag was the government agency that administered the main Soviet forced labor camp systems. While the camps housed a wide range of convicts, from petty criminals to political prisoners, large numbers were convicted by simplified procedures, such as NKVD troikas and other instruments of...
labor camp
Labor camp
A labor camp is a simplified detention facility where inmates are forced to engage in penal labor. Labor camps have many common aspects with slavery and with prisons...
s in Vorkuta
Vorkuta
Vorkuta is a coal-mining town in the Komi Republic, Russia, situated just north of the Arctic Circle in the Pechora coal basin at the Usa River. Population: - Labor camp origins :...
where he worked as a brigadier of miners. Later he ran away from the Soviet Union, reportedly after being assigned a mission by NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
.
He eventually moved to 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...
, where it is claimed by Burnett Bulloden that he published a book entitled La vie et la mort en U.R.S.S. (1939-1949), containing a legendary version of his life in the Soviet Union. However, authorship of this book is disputed by Herbert Southworth, who claims it was ghostwriten by Julián Gorkin
Julián Gorkin
Julián Gómez García-Ribera, better known as Julián Gorkin was a Spanish revolutionary socialist, and a central leader of the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification during the Spanish Civil War. He was also a writer of many books on political and cultural themes, as well as novels and some plays...
In 1963, he made several guerilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
-type incursions in Spain. After the fall of Francoist Spain in 1978, he returned to live in Spain. He died 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...
.