José Asensio Torrado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Asensio Torrado
|
|
|---|---|
| Birth name | José Asensio Torrado |
| Born | 1892 |
| Died | 1961 |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Spain (1904–1932) Spanish Republic (1931–1936) |
| Years of service | 1936–1939 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | Under-secretary of war 1936–1937 |
| Battles/wars | Spanish Civil War |
José Asensio Torrado (1892–1961) was an important Spanish general. He played a key role during the Spanish Civil War, fighting for the Republican government. He worked to organize and improve the Republican Army during a very difficult time.
Contents
Life of José Asensio Torrado
Before the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), José Asensio Torrado was a major in the Spanish Republican Army. He was also part of a group called the Republican Antifascist Military Union. This group was against fascism, a type of strict government.
Loyalty During the Civil War
When the Spanish Civil War began, many army officers joined the side against the government. However, José Asensio Torrado was one of the few officers who stayed loyal to the Republican government. These officers were sometimes called Africanistas because they had served in North Africa.
He led a group of citizen soldiers, called a militia column, on the Somosierra front. This was an important battle area. He also led Republican troops on the Tagus front. He tried to get the Republican troops organized again, but it was hard to stop the attacking forces.
New Role and Army Changes
On October 24, 1936, José Asensio Torrado was given a very important job. He was made the Under-secretary of War by the Prime Minister, Francisco Largo Caballero. In November 1936, he became the commander of the Central Army.
In this new role, he worked hard to reorganize the Republican Army. He helped create "mixed brigades." These brigades combined the citizen militia groups with the remaining soldiers from before the war. These new units were the first parts of the Republican Army that could fight well in open battles.
Challenges and Dismissal
Even though he was working to improve the army, some groups did not like José Asensio Torrado. The communists and anarchists did not agree with him. This was because he wanted to make the Republican Army more disciplined and organized.
The Soviet Ambassador, Marcel Rosenberg, also wanted him to be removed from his position. Because of these disagreements, José Asensio Torrado was dismissed from his job on February 21, 1937. This happened after the fall of Málaga, a major city that was captured by the opposing side.
See also
In Spanish: José Asensio Torrado para niños
