Thomás O'Ryan y Vázquez facts for kids
Thomás O'Ryan y Vázquez was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1821 and passed away in 1902. He was a very important Spanish military leader. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant General and even became the Minister of War. He also taught at the Academy of Military Engineering in Guadalajara, Spain. His family originally came from Ireland.
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Thomás O'Ryan's Military Life
Thomás O'Ryan started his military journey early. He was involved in the Spanish Revolution of 1848. This was a time of big changes in Spain.
Fighting in Cuba
When he was about 30 years old, O'Ryan served in Cuba. He helped defeat an attempt by a Venezuelan adventurer named Narciso López. López tried to invade Cuba by sea. He had help from people and money from the United States. This was against the rules between Spain and the USA.
Observing the Crimean War
In 1855, O'Ryan was a Lieutenant Colonel. He worked as a military attaché. This means he was an officer sent to another country to learn about their army. He was invited to watch the Crimean War. This war was fought between Russia and a group of countries including France and Britain. They were helping Turkey.
O'Ryan and his assistant, Andres Villalon Hechebarria, wrote a detailed report. It was about what they saw during the war. Their report was published in three books. It was called Reports on the military journey to the Crimea.
Later Career and Leadership
In 1859, O'Ryan became a Colonel. He was sent to observe the Italian War. He continued to serve his country in many important roles.
Governor and Minister
From 1864 to 1866, he was the Governor of Melilla. Melilla is a Spanish city in North Africa. He also became a personal helper to King Alfonso XII of Spain. Later, he served as the Minister of War. This meant he was in charge of the entire Spanish army. He worked in the government led by Prime Minister Praxedes Mateo Sagasta. He was also the General Director of the Infantry Corps.
Awards and Honours
Thomás O'Ryan received many important awards for his service. These included:
- The "Legion d'Honneur" medal from France.
- The "Order of the Concepcion de Villaviciosa" from Portugal.
- The "San Maurizio e San Lazaro" medal from Italy.
- The "Order of the Medjidie" from Turkey.
