Alfredo Kindelán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Most Excellent
The Marquess of Kindelán
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| Birth name | Alfredo Kindelán y Duany |
| Born | 13 March 1879 Santiago de Cuba, Captaincy General of Cuba |
| Died | 14 December 1962 (aged 83) Madrid, Spain |
| Years of service | 1899–1949 |
| Rank | Captain General |
| Battles/wars | Rif War Spanish Civil War |
Alfredo Kindelán y Duany (born March 13, 1879, in Santiago de Cuba; died December 14, 1962, in Madrid) was an important Spanish general and politician. He was known as the 1st Marquess of Kindelán.
Kindelán was a close friend and supporter of Francisco Franco. This was especially true before and during the Spanish Civil War. However, their friendship became difficult later on. Kindelán strongly believed that Spain should bring back its royal family, the monarchy, very quickly. He was part of the Kindelán family, a well-known Spanish family with roots in Ireland.
Contents
Alfredo Kindelán's Early Career
Kindelán was a very important person in the Spanish Armed Forces. He was also the person who started and led the Spanish Air Force. He was a strong supporter of the monarchy, which means he wanted a king or queen to rule Spain.
In April 1931, when Spain became a republic (a country without a king), Kindelán chose to leave Spain. He did not want to live in a republic. He was one of the first people to work closely with Francisco Franco. Other early supporters included José Millán Astray and Luis Orgaz Yoldi.
Role in the Spanish Civil War
Kindelán played a key role in the secret plans among the nationalist generals. When the Spanish Civil War began, he took charge of the Air Force's right wing. At first, he directed his operations from Gibraltar, where he was living in exile. Later, he returned to Spain to continue his work.
His importance in the actual fighting, and that of the Air Force, became less after planes from Fascist Italy arrived. These Italian planes soon became the main air combat unit. Even so, Kindelán remained an important leader and a smart planner.
Kindelán was one of Franco's most trusted helpers. It was Kindelán who first suggested that Franco should be the overall leader of the Nationalist forces. He also helped make sure that this role came with the promise that Franco would become the head of state. Kindelán believed Franco would bring back the monarchy as soon as possible.
When it came to how the war was fought, Kindelán was central to planning Emilio Mola's attack on northern Spain in March 1937. He had been convinced by Juan Vigón that the war needed to end quickly. Franco's choice not to follow this plan caused problems between them. Kindelán often wrote to Franco, asking him to stop attacking Valencia. He wanted Franco to focus all efforts on the war in the north instead. He also criticized Franco's involvement in the long Battle of the Ebro. Kindelán thought Franco's decision to fight there instead of attacking Barcelona added four months to the war.
Challenges and Setbacks
After the Nationalists won the war, Kindelán made it clear he saw Franco's rule as a temporary leadership. He wanted the royal family, the Alphonsine line, to be restored very soon. Kindelán often criticized Franco, whom he saw as an equal, not a boss.
Because of his criticisms, he was moved to a less important role in August 1939. He became the military commander of the Balearic Islands, which was like a demotion. He was also replaced as Air Force chief in 1939 by Juan Yagüe. Franco later said this change happened because the Axis powers wanted it. Kindelán was personally close to the United Kingdom. So much so that in 1942, British officials tried to use him to make Franco bring back the monarchy. They hoped this would push Spain away from the Axis powers. However, this plan did not work out.
Kindelán's standing improved a bit in 1941 when he became Captain General of Catalonia. Franco gave him this promotion to make the military stronger. This was meant to balance the power of Ramón Serrano Súñer and the Falange political party.
In November 1942, the Minister of the Army, Carlos Asensio Cabanillas, wanted Spain to join World War II. Kindelán secretly told Franco that if this happened, he would personally remove Franco from power and bring back the monarchy. Kindelán had the support of several important generals. Franco did not react at first. But after three months, he removed Kindelán from his new position.
Kindelán then became the head of the Escuela Superior del Ejército (Army High School). However, he was fired from this job in August 1945. This happened after he gave a strong speech that was very much in favor of the monarchy and critical of Franco. His personal writings, called memoirs, were also delayed until 1945. Even then, parts were censored (removed or changed) because they contained mild criticism of Franco's actions during the war in the north.
Later Years and Legacy
With less influence, Kindelán could spend his time on various secret plans among the upper class. These plans aimed to ensure that Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona would become the King of Spain. In 1946, a document called the 'Lausanne manifesto' was published. It called for the monarchy to be brought back right away. Franco believed Kindelán was the main leader of those who signed it. He ordered Kindelán to be put in prison.
However, Fidel Dávila Arrondo appealed to Franco. He reminded Franco of Kindelán's excellent service record and his old age. Franco then changed his mind. Instead of prison, Kindelán was sent away to the Canary Islands.
In 1961, Kindelán was given a noble title, becoming a Marqués. Some people thought Franco gave him this title as a joke. It was like Franco was mocking Kindelán because, despite all his efforts, Spain still did not have the monarchy he wanted. Kindelán died the next year, in 1962. Spain was still under Franco's rule at that time.
See also
In Spanish: Alfredo Kindelán para niños
