Baltasar Calvo facts for kids
Baltasar Calvo (born around 1768 – died July 3, 1808) was a Spanish priest, known as a canon, who became a rebel leader. He was put to death on July 3, 1808. This happened because he organized a terrible event where many French people were killed. He also tried to start a rebellion in Valencia during the time when France had taken over Spain. This was part of the Napoleonic Wars.
About Baltasar Calvo
Before the massacre
People described Calvo as a very determined and strong person. He was also seen as someone who could be cruel. His looks matched his personality, with a powerful body and a fierce face.
Calvo was born in Jérica, a town in the Province of Castellón. He was a canon from the Collegiate Church of San Isidro, Madrid. This means he was a type of priest with a special role in the church. He was known for his traditional views and did not like new, liberal ideas. He was also a strong critic of the French Revolution.
In 1808, after the French army invaded Spain, a French general named Joachim Murat sent Calvo to Valencia. His job was to calm down the people who were rebelling against French rule. However, when Calvo arrived in Valencia on June 1, he showed his real plan: he wanted to take control of the city and the area for himself.
A large number of French people lived in Valencia. Many of them worked in trade. Because they were from another country, some Valencians did not trust them. These French residents became scared and took shelter in the city's strong citadel. Calvo claimed that the French people in Valencia were secretly helping Murat take over the city. But many of these French families had lived in Spain for a long time and were considered part of Spanish society.
The massacre
Calvo gathered a large group of people who were angry at the French. This mob attacked the city's prison and let out many prisoners. A British official named Peter Carey Tupper, who was the British Consul in Valencia, saw that a terrible event was about to happen. He got permission from the Supreme Junta, which was the group governing the city, to try and stop it. He went to the citadel and offered to move the French people to six convents for safety. But the French people felt safe inside the citadel and refused to leave.
On June 5, Calvo's mob of rioters and freed prisoners stormed the citadel as evening came. They easily overpowered the guards. Every French person was taken to a room. There, they were forced to tell their sins to a group of monks whom Calvo had forced to come to the citadel. After confessing, the victims were led out of the room and killed by the mob. About 170 people were killed in this way.
As night fell, the Supreme Junta sent priests from the convents to the citadel to try and stop the killings. But Calvo ordered the priests to leave, threatening to kill them too. So, the monks went back.
When Calvo and his men woke up the next morning, Calvo showed his followers a fake letter. He claimed it was from a Frenchman who confessed to a plan to take over the city. The mob believed him and decided to kill the rest of the French people in the city. After killing 150 French people who were hiding inside the citadel, the rioters went into the streets. They knocked on doors, forced anyone they thought was French to confess their sins, and then killed them.
The Supreme Junta realized that Calvo was trying to take over the government in a coup d'état. Calvo had already said he planned to get rid of the Junta and take control of Valencia. He also reportedly planned to kill the archbishop. A priest named Father Rico, who was a member of the Junta, suggested inviting Calvo for talks. Calvo agreed. But at the end of the meeting, Father Rico stood up and called Calvo a traitor. Calvo was arrested and sent to Mallorca so his supporters in Valencia could not free him.
The killings lasted from June 5 to June 6. Calvo was captured on June 7. In total, about 400 French men, women, and children were killed by Calvo and his followers.
Prison and execution
Baltasar Calvo was held in prison in Palma de Mallorca. On July 3, 1808, he was found guilty by the courts of murder and high treason against the Spanish state. He was executed inside the Valencia Prison at 12:00 PM. He was about 40 years old.
Hundreds of rioters who had taken part in his rebellion were also put to death. Peter Carey Tupper, the British Consul, was given the title of "Baron Socorro." This was for hiding French civilians from Calvo's followers and trying to stop the massacre.
See also
In Spanish: Baltasar Calvo para niños
