Miguel Primo de Rivera | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Prime Minister of Spain | |
| In office 15 September 1923 – 28 January 1930 | |
| Monarch | Alfonso XIII |
| Preceded by | Manuel García Prieto |
| Succeeded by | Dámaso Berenguer |
| High Commissioner of Spain in Morocco | |
| In office 16 October 1924 – 2 November 1925 | |
| Monarch | Alfonso XIII |
| Preceded by | Luis Aizpuru y Mondéjar |
| Succeeded by | José Sanjurjo |
| Minister of State of Spain | |
| In office 20 February 1927 – 30 January 1930 | |
| Monarch | Alfonso XIII |
| Preceded by | José de Yanguas |
| Succeeded by | Jacobo Fitz-James Stuart (as Minister of State) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja 8 January 1870[1] Jerez, Spain |
| Died | 16 March 1930 (aged 60) Paris, France |
| Resting place | Church of La Merced, Jerez |
| Political party | Patriotic Union |
| Spouse |
Casilda Sáenz de Heredia
(m. 1902; died 1908) |
| Children | 6, including José Antonio, Miguel, and Pilar |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Spanish Army |
| Years of service | 1884–1923 |
| Rank | Lieutenant general[n. 1] |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand |
Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja, 2nd Marquis of Estella, GE (8 January 1870 – 16 March 1930), was a Spanish dictator and military officer who ruled as prime minister of Spain from 1923 to 1930 during the last years of the Bourbon Restoration.
He was born into a landowning family of Andalusian aristocrats. He met his baptism by fire in October 1893 in Cabrerizas Altas during the so-called Margallo War.[2] He moved up the military ladder, promoted to brigadier general (1911), division general (1914), and lieutenant general (1919).[3] He went on to serve as administrator of the Valencia, Madrid, and Barcelona military regions, distinguishing himself as a voice in favour of military withdrawal from Africa.
During the crisis of the Restoration regime, specifically upon political turmoil in the wake of setbacks in the Rif War and the ensuing spillover of the enquiries of the Picasso file, Primo de Rivera staged a military coup d'état on 13 September 1923 with help from a clique of Africanist generals close to King Alfonso XIII. The coup enjoyed the acquiescence of the monarch,[4] and Primo de Rivera was ensuingly tasked to form a government. He thereby proceeded to suspend the 1876 constitution and establish martial law.
His dictatorial rule was marked by authoritarian nationalism and populism.[5] Primo de Rivera initially said he would rule for only 90 days; however, he chose to remain in power, heading a military directorate. In December 1925, after the Alhucemas landing ended Rifian anti-colonial resistance, he installed the Civil Directory. From 1927 a policy of public spending on infrastructures was pursued and state monopolies such as oil company Campsa were created. Once economic tailwinds diminished, he lost the support of most of his generals, and he was forced to resign in January 1930 amid increasing inflation and civic unrest, dying abroad two months later.
Some of his children, such as José Antonio and Pilar, went on to become fascist leaders.
- ^ Charles Petrie; Charles Alexander Petrie, Sir bart. (1963). King Alfonso XIII and His Age. Chapman & Hall. p. 179.
- ^ Quiroga, Alejandro (2022). Miguel Primo de Rivera: Dictadura, populismo y nación. Editorial Crítica. ISBN 978-8491994671.
- ^ Casals, Xavier (2004). "Miguel Primo de Rivera, el espejo de Franco". Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja. Madrid: Ediciones B. pp. 152, 154, 162. ISBN 84-666-1447-8.
- ^ Television documentary from CC&C Ideacom Production,"Apocalypse Never-Ending War 1918–1926", part 2, aired on DR K on 22 October 2018
- ^ Canal, Jordi (27 January 2023). "Primo de Rivera, 'el inventor del populismo de derechas'". El País.
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