Rafael Sánchez Mazas facts for kids
Rafael Sánchez Mazas (born February 18, 1894 – died October 1966) was a Spanish writer and a key leader of the Falange. The Falange was a right-wing political group that started in Spain before the Spanish Civil War.
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Early Life and Career
Rafael Sánchez Mazas studied law at the Real Colegio de Estudios Superiores de María Cristina. In 1915, he published a book called Pequeñas memorias de Tarín. He then worked as a writer for different newspapers and magazines. These included Hermes, ABC, El Sol, and El Pueblo Vasco.
His work as a journalist took him to interesting places. In 1921, he traveled to Morocco. The next year, in 1922, he went to Rome, Italy. He lived in Italy for seven years and got married to Liliana Ferlosio. While living there, he became interested in the new political movement called fascism.
Joining the Falange
When Sánchez Mazas returned to Spain in 1929, he became an advisor to José Antonio Primo de Rivera. Primo de Rivera was the main thinker behind the Falange movement. In 1933, Sánchez Mazas helped start a weekly newspaper called El Fascio. However, the government quickly banned the newspaper after only two issues were printed.
The Falange Española group was officially created on October 29, 1933. Sánchez Mazas was chosen to be a member of its main council. He stayed an active member until the Spanish Civil War began in July 1936. In February 1934, he wrote a piece called Oración por los muertos de Falange. He also helped write Cara al Sol, which became the anthem (or official song) of the Falange Española.
During the Spanish Civil War
In March 1936, Sánchez Mazas was arrested and put in prison in Madrid. This happened because the Falange group was made illegal. He was allowed to leave prison for a short time when his fourth son was born. But he did not go back to prison. Instead, he found safety at the Chilean Embassy in Madrid.
In 1937, he tried to leave Spain, but he was caught in Barcelona in November. He was held on a prison-ship called Uruguay until January 24, 1939. After that, he was taken with about fifty other prisoners to a monastery in Girona to be executed.
Escape and Survival
The execution happened on January 30. As the soldiers fired at the prisoners, Sánchez Mazas quickly jumped away from the group. He managed to escape into the nearby forest. A search party was sent to find him. Soon after, he was found hiding under some bushes. However, the soldier who found him decided not to tell anyone. This brave act saved Sánchez Mazas's life. After a few days, he was able to join the Nationalist side of the war.
Post-War Role
After the Civil War, Sánchez Mazas was known as one of the camisas viejas. This Spanish phrase means "old shirts" and referred to people who were Falangists before the war. On August 8, 1939, he was chosen to be part of Francisco Franco's government. He became a minister without portfolio, which means he was a minister without a specific department. He was also the vice-president of the Junta Política.
In June 1940, Spanish troops took control of Tangier, a city that was managed by many countries. Sánchez Mazas gave a speech saying that Tangier was a Spanish city. This speech caused some trouble. Franco's brother-in-law and fellow minister, Ramón Serrano Suñer, was very angry. He even said he tried to punch Sánchez Mazas.
In 1940, Sánchez Mazas was chosen to be a member of the Real Academia Española. This is a very important group that looks after the Spanish language. However, he did not go to his official welcome ceremony.
Legacy
Rafael Sánchez Mazas's life story was so interesting that it inspired a famous novel. Javier Cercas wrote Soldados de Salamina (Soldiers of Salamina) in 2001. A movie with the same name was later made by David Trueba. His sons, Rafael Sánchez Ferlosio and Chicho Sánchez Ferlosio, and his grandson, Máximo Pradera, are all well-known artists.
