José Ibáñez Martín facts for kids
José Ibáñez Martín was a Spanish politician. He was born on December 18, 1896, in Valbona, Aragon, and passed away on December 21, 1969, in Madrid. He served for many years in the government of Francisco Franco. From 1939 to 1967, he was also the President of the Spanish National Research Council, which is a big organization for science and research in Spain.
Contents
Early Life and Political Beginnings
José Ibáñez Martín supported Miguel Primo de Rivera, 2nd Marquis of Estella when he was young. Later, he became a representative, or "deputy," for a political group called the Spanish Confederation of the Autonomous Right (CEDA). He was also an important member of the Asociación Católica Nacional de Propagandistas (ANCP). This group helped form a Catholic political party called Popular Action.
When the Spanish Civil War began, Ibáñez Martín joined the side that supported Francisco Franco. He became very loyal to Franco. During the war, Franco sent him to Latin America. His job was to tell people there about the Nationalist side of the war.
Minister of Education
In 1939, Ibáñez Martín became the Minister of Education. He held this important job until 1951. As Minister, he changed the education system in Spain. He replaced the previous system with one that followed the ideas and values of the Roman Catholic Church.
He was very religious and believed strongly in Catholicism. He was impressed by Josemaría Escrivá, who founded a Catholic organization called Opus Dei. As Minister of Education, Ibáñez Martín made sure that members of Opus Dei could get teaching jobs at universities. This helped Opus Dei grow much stronger. Even though he wasn't a member of Opus Dei himself, he was good friends with José María Albareda, who was part of the group. They met during the Civil War while staying in the Chilean embassy in Madrid.
Growing Influence
After Second World War ended, Ibáñez Martín's influence grew. Franco wanted to remove anyone from his government who had supported the Axis powers. Since Ibáñez Martín had not openly supported the Axis, he was given more power. He gained control over the press, while still being the Education Minister. His decision to rejoin the ANCP in 1944 helped him. This was because the monarchists, whom he supported, had little in common with the pro-Nazi parts of Franco's movement.
Later Career
From 1958 to 1969, José Ibáñez Martín served as Spain's ambassador to Portugal. An ambassador is a country's official representative in another country.
See also
In Spanish: José Ibáñez Martín para niños
