Francisco Llano de la Encomienda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francisco Llano de la Encomienda
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| Born | 17 September 1879 Ceuta, Spain
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| Died | 1963 (aged 73–74) Mexico City, Mexico
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| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Soldier |
| Known for | General in Spanish Civil War |
Francisco Llano de la Encomienda (born September 17, 1879 – died 1963) was a Spanish soldier. He served in Africa and became a General in 1931. During the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), he stayed loyal to the Second Spanish Republic, which was the government at the time.
He was in charge of troops in Barcelona when a military uprising happened on July 19, 1936. The rebels captured him, and after the revolt, he lost his command. In November 1936, he was given command of the Army of the North. However, he struggled to unite the different groups of soldiers. This was because of local rivalries and a mix of regular troops and volunteer fighters. He was removed from his position in May 1937, just before the northern part of Spain fell to the rebels. After the war, he moved to Mexico.
Contents
Life of Francisco Llano de la Encomienda
Early Military Career
Francisco Llano de la Encomienda was born in 1879. He gained important military experience in the Rif War in Morocco. He served in Morocco twice and was known for his excellent performance. In 1931, he was promoted to the rank of General.
Command in Barcelona
Leaders of the Spanish Republic trusted Llano de la Encomienda. They put him in charge of the Barcelona division in February 1936. This was the 4th Division of the army. Even though he was a brigadier general, which was a lower rank for that job, they trusted him.
When General Francisco Franco started his rebellion, Llano de la Encomienda spoke to his officers. On July 18, 1936, he said he supported the Republic. He also said he would side with the communists if he had to choose between extreme groups. That day, he told the Catalan president, Lluís Companys, that the troops in Barcelona were calm.
However, the troops began an uprising early on July 19, 1936. They quickly took control of important places in the city. There were about 2,000 military rebels. But the Republic had the support of the police. They could call on 3,000 Civil Guards, 3,200 Assault Guards, and 300 Mossos d'Esquadra (local police).
Llano de la Encomienda was unsure what to do during this crisis. He kept giving orders and making phone calls to try and stop the revolt. This caused some confusion among the rebels. The rebel General Manuel Goded Llopis arrived from Majorca. He then imprisoned Llano de la Encomienda.
Worker groups, especially anarchists from the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) and Federación Anarquista Ibérica (FAI), organized themselves. They joined with loyal troops and police. They fought back the next day. After tough fighting, they took back control of Barcelona. Llano de la Encomienda was removed from his command after this uprising. He was kept separate for a while. The Republican leaders were not fully sure of his loyalty after his poor performance.
Leading the Army of the North
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The Army of the North was in charge of the regions of Asturias, Cantabria, and the Basque Country. These areas had a lot of political and military freedom. In the mining area of Asturias, the volunteer fighters were led by Belarmino Tomás. In Santander (Cantabria), the armed forces were led by José García Vayas.
The Basque volunteer groups became part of the official military on October 26, 1936. José Antonio Aguirre, who was the president of the Basque Country, set up a military headquarters. He also put war factories under military control and called up reserve soldiers. By November 26, 1936, the Basque forces had 25,000 soldiers. They also had an artillery group and support services. They tried to create a Basque army, called the Eusko Gudarostea. However, the Spanish constitution did not allow this.
On November 15, 1936, Llano de la Encomienda was sent to Bilbao. He took over from Captain Francisco Ciutat de Miguel. Even though he was officially the commander of the Republican Army of the North, he could not create a single, united command. He did not have clear instructions about his role. Soon, problems began with Aguirre. The leaders of the three different volunteer forces did not want him to interfere. Llano de la Encomienda even had his belongings checked at a "border" crossing. This happened when he went from Asturias to Santander at Unquera. A piece of cheese was taken from him.
In November 1936, Llano de la Encomienda tried to capture Vitoria. This was a very important goal. Taking Vitoria would open a land route between the Basque Country and France. But the attempt failed.
On January 13, 1937, Aguirre told Llano de la Encomienda that the Basque government would control all war-related matters. This included human and material resources, except for leading military operations. Aguirre said he would coordinate actions between the Basque, Santander, and Asturian forces. He also promised to help the Santander and Asturias units. This meant that Aguirre had effectively removed the Basque forces from Llano de la Encomienda's command.
Llano de la Encomienda complained many times to the Spanish prime minister, Francisco Largo Caballero. He was upset about Aguirre's refusal to work together. Aguirre later said that Llano de la Encomienda's military advisors were trying to cause problems for the Basque Staff.
The rebel General Emilio Mola started a campaign in the north on March 31, 1937. His main goal was to capture the industrial areas of the Basque Country. This campaign was very harsh. It used huge artillery attacks and bombed cities like Guernica to break resistance. The Basque battalions finally followed Llano de la Encomienda's order to organize into brigades.
As the rebels moved towards Bilbao in April 1937, Aguirre asked for General José Asensio Torrado to be sent to Bilbao. This request was denied because Asensio was not trusted after the loss of Málaga. At the end of April, Aguirre asked for General Sebastián Pozas Perea. He said Llano de la Encomienda was not able to command the 60,000 men of the Basque forces. Aguirre called him "the personification of military incompetence." Aguirre himself took military command in May. On May 27, 1937, Llano de la Encomienda was officially replaced by General Mariano Gámir Ulíbarri.
Later Life and Exile
Bilbao fell to the rebels on June 19, 1937. Llano de la Encomienda stayed in Gijón until the very last moment. Then, he escaped by sea to France. He later returned to Barcelona. He faced a trial about his actions in the north, but he was found innocent.
Llano de la Encomienda was later put in charge of training soldiers. In April 1938, he was no longer considered fit for active command. However, he became the Inspector-General of Infantry. After Catalonia fell to the rebels, he went back to the central zone of Spain. At the end of the war, he escaped to France. Soon after, he moved to Mexico, where he passed away in 1963.
Sources
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Llano de la Encomienda para niños
