Antonio Maura facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Most Excellent
Antonio Maura
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Photograph by Kaulak
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| Prime Minister of Spain | |
| In office 5 December 1903 – 16 December 1904 |
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| Monarch | Alfonso XIII |
| Preceded by | Raimundo Fernández |
| Succeeded by | Marcelo Azcárraga |
| In office 25 January 1907 – 21 October 1909 |
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| Monarch | Alfonso XIII |
| Preceded by | Antonio González de Aguilar |
| Succeeded by | Segismundo Moret |
| In office 22 March 1918 – 9 November 1918 |
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| Monarch | Alfonso XIII |
| Preceded by | Manuel García Prieto |
| Succeeded by | Manuel García Prieto |
| In office 14 April 1919 – 20 July 1919 |
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| Monarch | Alfonso XIII |
| Preceded by | Álvaro de Figueroa |
| Succeeded by | Joaquín Sánchez de Toca |
| In office 14 August 1921 – 8 March 1922 |
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| Monarch | Alfonso XIII |
| Preceded by | Manuel Allendesalazar |
| Succeeded by | José Sánchez-Guerra |
| Seat U of the Real Academia Española | |
| In office 29 November 1903 – 13 December 1925 |
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| Preceded by | Isidoro Fernández Flórez |
| Succeeded by | Leopoldo Eijo y Garay |
| Director of the Real Academia Española | |
| In office 30 October 1913 – 13 December 1925 |
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| Preceded by | Alejandro Pidal y Mon |
| Succeeded by | Ramón Menéndez Pidal |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Antonio Maura Montaner
2 May 1853 Palma de Mallorca (Balearic Islands), Spain |
| Died | 13 December 1925 (aged 72) Torrelodones (Madrid), Spain |
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Antonio Maura Montaner (born May 2, 1853 – died December 13, 1925) was an important Spanish politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Spain five different times! He was known for trying to make Spain a more modern and fair country.
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Early Life and Family
Antonio Maura was born in Palma, a city on the island of Mallorca in Spain. He later moved to Madrid to study law. In 1878, he married Constancia Gamazo y Calvo. They had several children who also became well-known in Spanish history.
Starting a Political Career
Maura began his political journey in 1881. He was first elected to the Cortes Generales (Spain's parliament) as a Liberal representative for Mallorca. Later, he joined the Conservative Party. In 1886, he became the vice president of the Congress of Deputies, which is like being a leader in the parliament.
Time as Prime Minister
As Prime Minister, Antonio Maura worked to improve Spain. He helped create the Spanish Institute of Provision, which was an important step for social welfare. He also tried to make big changes to how the country was run. However, some of his ideas were not supported by other political groups.
The Tragic Week and Its Impact
In 1909, there was a big uprising in Barcelona called the Tragic Week. Maura's government had to stop the protests. After this, a man named Francisco Ferrer was accused of leading the uprising and was executed. This event caused a lot of anger across Europe and led to Maura losing his position as Prime Minister.
Fighting for Fair Politics
Maura strongly believed in fighting against caciquismo. This was a system where powerful local bosses controlled elections and politics. Maura saw this as a major problem that stopped Spain from having true democracy. He wanted to create a fairer political system for everyone.
The Mauristas Movement
After his time as Prime Minister, a youth movement called the Mauristas grew up around Antonio Maura. These young people admired him and wanted him to lead Spain. Even though he was very ambitious, Maura did not support illegal ways to gain power. Many of his followers later supported a different leader, Miguel Primo de Rivera, but Maura stayed out of that movement.
Later Life and Hobbies
Antonio Maura continued to lead coalition governments in 1918, 1919, and from 1921 to 1922. He spent his summers at an old estate in Mallorca called Can Mossenya. This place was famous because the composer Chopin and writer George Sand had stayed there before. Maura was also a talented watercolor painter, often painting beautiful scenes of nature and old buildings.
He passed away in 1925 in Torrelodones, a small town near Madrid. A part of the historic estate in Mallorca was later named "Gate of Friendship – Azorín and Maura" to remember his visits and meetings there.
Descendants
Antonio Maura's family continued to be involved in public life.
- Gabriel Maura y Gamazo (son) – a historian and Minister of Labour.
- Miguel Maura y Gamazo (son) – served as Minister of Security.
- Constancia de la Mora Maura (granddaughter) – a writer.
- Jorge Semprún y Maura (grandson) – a writer and later Minister of Culture.
- Carlos Semprún y Maura (grandson) – a writer and journalist.
- Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo (great-granddaughter) – a Duchess.
- Jaime Chávarri y de la Mora (great-grandson) – a film director.
See Also
In Spanish: Antonio Maura para niños
