Francisco Espoz y Mina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francisco Espoz y Mina
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Portrait of General Espoz y Mina by José Vallespin
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| Born | 17 June 1781 Idocin, Navarre |
| Died | 24 December 1836 (aged 55) Barcelona, Catalonia |
| Allegiance |  Spain |
| Battles/wars | Peninsular War |
Francisco Espoz y Mina Ilundáin (1781–1836) was a brave Spanish general and a leader of guerrilla fighters. Guerrillas are small groups of fighters who use surprise attacks and quick movements against a larger, more traditional army.
Espoz y Mina is known as one of the most important guerrilla leaders during the Peninsular War (1808-1814). This was a big conflict where Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom fought against French forces. He was very effective because he kept his forces close to the French supply lines, constantly bothering them. His actions also made the French army use many soldiers to try and catch him, which meant those soldiers couldn't fight elsewhere. Unlike some other guerrilla leaders, he made sure his fighters didn't steal from local villages. Instead, he created a system to fund, arm, and feed his troops. He even collected taxes on French goods and used items captured from French convoys.
His actions were so disruptive that French marshals like Drouet and Masséna had to send thousands of soldiers to try and stop him. For example, in late 1810, about 38,000 French soldiers were busy trying to deal with Espoz y Mina, instead of helping in other important battles.
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Biography of a Spanish Hero
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Francisco Espoz y Mina was born in a town called Idocin in Navarre, a region in Spain. His parents, Juan Esteban Espoz y Mina and Maria Teresa Hundain y Ardaiz, were farmers. Francisco worked on the family farm until 1808.
Joining the Fight Against France
In February 1809, Espoz joined a military group in Jaca. When Jaca was captured by the French a month later, he managed to escape. He then joined a guerrilla group led by his nephew, Francisco Javier Mina. When his nephew was captured in March 1810, a small group of fighters chose to follow Francisco Espoz. On April 1, 1810, a Spanish governing body called the Junta of Aragon gave him command of the guerrilla fighters in Navarre.
In July of that year, near Estella, Espoz y Mina captured and executed a man named Echevarria. Echevarria had been pretending to be a guerrilla fighter but was actually a bandit. After this, Echevarria's 800 men joined Espoz's forces.
Becoming a Commander
Espoz y Mina wanted to be officially recognized as the leader of the Navarran guerrillas. However, a priest named Francisco Javier de Irujo was chosen instead. Irujo was even given a lot of money for this purpose. When Irujo showed up with his official papers in May 1810, Espoz accepted his authority. But when the priest left the battlefield at Estella, Espoz y Mina was able to take back command. By September, the Spanish government had promoted him to colonel and made him the main commander of all the guerrillas in Navarre. At this time, his forces included three battalions of infantry (foot soldiers) and a squadron of hussars (cavalry).
Espoz y Mina's Clever Strategies
While some people thought he wasn't the best leader in direct battles, Espoz y Mina was an excellent strategist. He was very good at organizing his forces. The French authorities were even forced to let him collect taxes on all goods brought into Spain, except for war supplies. He used this money to pay his fighters a regular salary. This helped him avoid taking too much from the local people and kept his men disciplined. By 1812, his forces were very effective.
Espoz y Mina claimed that his actions kept 26,000 French troops busy. He said these troops would otherwise have joined Marshal Marmont at the Battle of Salamanca, a major battle in 1812. In 1813 and 1814, he fought well under Field Marshal Wellesley, who later became the famous Duke of Wellington.
Espoz y Mina later stated that he had fought 143 battles, big and small. He was wounded many times by bullets, swords, and spears. He also captured 13 fortified places and took 14,000 prisoners. He was proud that the French never managed to surprise his forces.
French Efforts to Stop Him
Besides the attempts by Drouet's division in 1810, six French generals later tried to stop Espoz's operations. These generals, with 18,000 men, included Dorsenne, Reille, Caffarelli, D'Agoult, Roguet, and Paris. Despite their efforts, Espoz y Mina continued to be a major problem for the French.
Life After the War
After the war, when Ferdinand VII became king again, Espoz y Mina lost favor with the government. In September 1820, he tried to start an uprising in Pamplona to support the Liberal party, which wanted more freedom and rights for people. When this failed, he went into exile. He believed in democratic and radical ideas, and as a farmer, he didn't like the hidalgos (lower-ranking nobles).
The Revolution of 1820 brought him back to Spain. He served the Liberal party during a period called the Trienio Liberal in Galicia, Leon, and Catalonia. In Catalonia, he put up the strongest resistance against the French who came to help King Ferdinand VII. On November 1, 1823, he surrendered, and the French allowed him to escape to England by sea. In 1830, he took part in another uprising against Ferdinand, but it was not successful.
In 1825, Espoz y Mina published a book in London called A Short Extract from the Life of General Mina. It was written in both Spanish and English. Many history books about Spain in the early 1800s mention him.
Later Years and Death
After King Ferdinand VII died, Espoz y Mina was called back to Spain. In 1835, the government, led by the regent Christina, gave him command against the Carlists. The Carlists were a group who supported a different claim to the throne. Even though the government feared his radical ideas, they needed his military skills. By this time, his health was poor due to his age, hard life, and many wounds. He also faced Tomás de Zumalacárregui, an old officer of his who was an even better master of mountain warfare.
His poor health forced him to resign in April 1835. His later command in Catalonia is remembered because he helped force the regent to grant a constitution (a set of rules for governing) in August 1836. Francisco Espoz y Mina died in Barcelona on December 24, 1836.
His complete Memoirs (his life story) were published by his widow in Madrid in 1851–52.
The Plaza de Mina in Cadiz, Spain, is named after him to honor his memory.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Espoz y Mina para niños
