Valentín Galarza facts for kids

Colonel Valentín Galarza Morante (born 1882 in El Puerto de Santa María – died 1951 in Madrid) was a Spanish military officer and a politician. He supported the idea of a king ruling Spain, known as a monarchist. He was connected to a political group called the Falange, but he often disagreed with their ideas.

Early Life and Military Plans

Valentín Galarza Morante was born in 1882. He became a colonel in the Spanish army. He believed Spain should have a king, which made him a monarchist.

Joining Secret Groups

Galarza supported José Sanjurjo, a general who tried to start a rebellion in 1932. Even though the rebellion failed, Galarza was not punished. After this, he secretly tried to get other high-ranking officers to join future plans. One of these officers was his friend, Francisco Franco.

Galarza helped start a group called the Unión Militar Española (Spanish Military Union). This group secretly worked to bring about changes in the government. Galarza helped them stay in touch with other secret plans led by people like Juan Antonio Ansaldo and Juan Vigón. Because he knew so many people, he became an important part of the group of officers around Franco and Emilio Mola. He was especially important to Franco, acting as his main contact with the Spanish Military Union.

A Failed Plan in 1934

In 1934, Galarza was involved in a plan to take over the government. The idea was for General Sanjurjo to fly back from Portugal and join forces with another general, Juan Yagüe, to lead a takeover. However, Franco sent a message saying that the time was not right, and the plan was stopped. Galarza continued to be a key figure in these secret plans. Since he worked in the War Ministry in Madrid, he was very important for sending messages between the generals just before the Spanish Civil War began.

Working in Government

Because Galarza played a big part in planning the uprising and had a good relationship with Franco, he was given a job in the government after the Spanish Civil War.

Becoming Interior Minister

Galarza first worked as an under-secretary, helping Franco stay informed about how the government was running. On May 5, 1941, he was made the Interior Minister. Franco appointed Galarza to this role to reduce the growing power of Ramón Serrano Súñer. Galarza was known for not supporting the Falange.

After he became minister, the Falange newspapers often criticized Galarza. But he fought back by firing all the Falange members who worked under him, including Dionisio Ridruejo, who had written harsh articles about him. However, Galarza's strong opposition to the Falange also led to his dismissal in 1942. He was a close supporter of José Enrique Varela, who also opposed the Falange. Franco worried about Varela's growing influence and removed his supporters, like Galarza, from important positions.

Later Years and Monarchist Efforts

After he was removed from his government job, Galarza joined a group of monarchists who wanted to bring back the king. In June 1943, he was one of many important monarchists who signed a letter to Franco. This letter asked Franco to restore the monarchy right away. However, Franco rejected their plan. As a result, Galarza and other signers were removed from the Cortes Generales, which was Spain's parliament.