Alfredo Kindelán y Duany, 1st Marquess of Kindelán (13 March 1879 – 14 December 1962) was a Spanish general and politician. A close ally of Francisco Franco before and during the Spanish Civil War , their relationship would later become strained as Kindelán emerged as a leading advocate for a swift restoration of the monarchy. He belonged to the Kindelán family, a noted Spanish family of Irish origin.
50-599: Kindelán was a prominent figure within the Spanish Armed Forces and was founder and head of the Spanish Air Force . A staunch supporter of the monarchy , he took voluntary exile in April 1931 rather than live in a republic. Kindelán was one of the earliest collaborators of Francisco Franco , along with José Millán Astray , Luis Orgaz Yoldi and the leader's brother Nicolás. Kindelán was central to
100-698: A Boeing 707 of supplies transport of the Air and Space Force . The cost of these missions abroad amounts to approximately 800 million euros per year. The commander in chief of the Armed Forces is the King of Spain ; with the ex officio rank of Capitán General in the Army, Navy and Air and Space Force. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 states in article 62(h) that the King of Spain shall have "supreme command of
150-584: A regency and sought a restoration of the Alphonsine line as soon as possible. Prone to criticism of Franco, whom he considered an equal rather than a superior, he was sidelined in August 1939 when he was given the role of military commander of the Balearic Islands , an effective demotion. He was also replaced as Air Force chief in 1939 by Juan Yagüe in a move Franco later claimed had been done at
200-754: A few examples. Spain participated along with France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, the United States and Canada in the 2011 intervention against Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, contributing a tanker , 4 F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, a frigate , a submarine and a surveillance aircraft , along with logistical support from the Naval Station Rota and the Morón Air Base . Spain has belonged to NATO since 1982. The decision
250-624: A harmonious synthesis of that order and freedom upon which is based the Christian concept of the state. Millions of Spaniards of the most varied ideologies are convinced of this truth and see in the monarchy the only saving institution. When General Franco declared Spain a monarchy in 1947, he characterized it as a "restoration". However, Franco was afraid that Juan would roll back the Spanish State because he favoured constitutional monarchy , which would restore parliamentary democracy . As
300-631: A party hosted by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy on the day before his sister (Infanta Beatriz) was to be married. He married Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies (1910–2000), known in Spain as Doña María de las Mercedes de Borbón-Dos Sicilias y Orleans, in Rome on 12 October 1935. Just before the birth of the Infante Juan Carlos, the Count of Barcelona decided to go hunting, with
350-583: A professional force with a strength in 2017 of 121,900 active personnel and 4,770 reserve personnel. The country also has the 77,000 strong Civil Guard which comes under the control of the Ministry of defense in times of a national emergency. The Spanish defense budget is 5.71 billion euros (US$ 7.2 billion) a 1% increase for 2015. The increase comes because of security concerns in the country. The Spanish Army consists of 15 active brigades and 6 military regions. Modern infantry have diverse capabilities and this
400-477: A result, in 1969, Franco passed over Juan in favour of Juan's son, Juan Carlos, who Franco believed would be more likely to continue the dictatorship after his death. Juan Carlos later surprised many by his support of democratising Spain . Franco and Juan did not have a good relationship, with the latter constantly pressing Franco to restore the monarchy. Relations soured further when Juan called Franco an "illegitimate usurper". Juan formally renounced his rights to
450-553: A series of important reforms in the armed forces and the economy, notably those of Charles III of Spain. Thanks to these reforms, Spain performed well during the war of Jenkins' Ear defending overseas territory, won the war of Austrian Succession but had mixed result during the Seven Years' War. Spain had also led successful campaigns in the American Revolutionary War . Spain had recovered considerably by
500-696: A sovereign title associated with the Spanish crown. In 1936, his father sent him to participate in the Spanish Civil War but he was arrested near the French border, and sent back by General Emilio Mola . On 19 March 1945, he announced a manifesto in Lausanne , demanding he replace Francisco Franco : Today, six years after the Civil War, the regime established by General Franco, inspired from
550-405: A support regiment ( Regimiento de Apoyo a Emergencias ) and an aerial group ( Agrupación de Medios Aéreos ). It is responsible for providing disaster relief principally throughout Spain but also if necessary abroad. The activities including handling natural hazards such as floods and earthquakes, forest fires, chemical and nuclear accidents, and other emergency situations recognized as such by
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#1732773384712600-648: A total of 13% being the first empire which the Sun never sets. By the mid 17th century Spain had been militarily weakened by the Thirty Years War , the Eighty Years War along with financial problems, and the lack of reforms, though still holding firm to the bulk of the American Continent . During the 18th century the new Bourbon dynasty revived Spain's economic and military power through
650-671: Is an independent unit of the Spanish Armed Forces whose primary task is the military protection of the King of Spain and the Spanish royal family . It also protects visiting Heads of State. The Royal Guard's history dates back to medieval times , the Corps of Gentlemen of the Chamber, the " Monteros de Espinosa ", dating to 1006. It currently has a strength of 1,900 troops, constituting a fully functional combat unit drawn from
700-702: Is reflected in the varied roles assigned to them. There are four operational roles that infantry battalions can fulfil: air assault, armoured infantry, mechanised infantry, and light role infantry. Under the command of the Spanish Admiral Chief of Naval Staff , stationed in Madrid , the Spanish Navy has four area commands: The current flagship of the Spanish Navy is the amphibious assault ship /aircraft carrier Juan Carlos I . In addition,
750-535: The Aviazione Legionaria from Fascist Italy which soon became the main air combat unit. Nonetheless, he remained an influential figure and an important strategist. One of Franco's most trusted aides, it was Kindelán who initially raised the prospect of Franco as overall commander of the Nationalist forces. He also helped to ensure that the role came with the promise of Franco ultimately assuming
800-475: The Escuela Superior del Ejército although he was sacked from this position in August 1945 after a stinging attack on Franco in a fiercely pro-monarchist speech. Meanwhile, his memoirs were delayed until 1945 and even then were censored due to a passage of fairly restrained criticism dealing with Franco's conduct of the war in the north. Removed from influence, Kindelán was free to devote his time to
850-651: The Navy , the Royal Guard , and the Military Emergencies Unit , as well as the so-called Common Corps . Spain is one of the most militarily powerful nations of the European Union ( EUFOR ) and Eurocorps . It also occupies a prominent position in the structure of NATO , which it joined in 1982. It also has the oldest Marine Infantry in the world and the oldest permanent military units in
900-673: The Second World War ( non-belligerent ), although they did intervene in the Spanish Civil War and in some colonial conflicts. After the arrival of democracy in 1978, they underwent a strong modernization process, becoming modern armed forces. In 1982 Spain entered NATO . Recently, in the last decades of the 20th century and the first decades of the 21st, Spanish troops have participated together with their Western allies in operations such as Gulf War , NATO bombing of Yugoslavia , KFOR , War on terror , 2011 military intervention in Libya , Combined Task Force 150 or UNIFIL , to name
950-833: The Airbus A400M Atlas airlifter. Both are manufactured with Spanish participation; EADS CASA makes the Eurofighter's right wing and leading edge slats, and participates in the testing and assembly of the airlifter. Its aerobatic display team is the Patrulla Aguila, which flies the CASA C-101 Aviojet.Its helicopter display team, Patrulla Aspa, flies the Eurocopter EC-120 Colibrí. In July 2014 the Spanish Air Force joined
1000-578: The Armed Forces"; however under article 64, all official acts of the King must be countersigned by the President of the Government (or other competent minister) to become valid. The President of the Government (also known as Prime Minister in English translations), as the head of government , is responsible under article 97 for "domestic and foreign policy, civil and military administration and
1050-771: The Aztec Empire , the conquest of the Inca Empire and the conquest of the Philippines ensued propelling Spain to the foremost military superpower of the time. Spain was also victorious over the French in the Italian Wars , annexing southern Italy. During the reign of Charles V and Philip II, Spain reached the peak of its power with the Spanish Empire spanning 19.4 million square km of the Earth's surface,
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#17327733847121100-855: The Cortes Generales before sending the armed forces abroad. The Chief of the Defense Staff directs the Defense Staff and is the senior military advisor to the Minister and the Government. The military leadership of the three military services are: the Chief of Staff of the Army , the Chief of Staff of the Air and Space Force and the Chief of Staff of the Navy . The structure, and incumbents as of 2021 , are: The Spanish armed forces are
1150-900: The Democratic Republic of the Congo. Spain also participated in the Iraq War between 2003 and 2004, in Gabon and in Senegal to safeguard maritime traffic in the Horn of Africa (with 33 Civil Guards and national police officers, two patrol vessels and a helicopter). In 2015, 46 UME soldiers and 12 Civil Guards of the High Mountain Group went to help and rescue in the Nepal earthquake , along with six dogs, three scientific police and
1200-609: The European Air Transport Command, headquartered at Eindhoven Airbase in the Netherlands. The Common Corps are four corps that provide professional services to all the branches of the Armed Forces and the Civil Guard. The Common Corps were created in the 1980s to unify the specialist corps of the different branches for operational reasons. The Common Corps are: The Royal Guard ( Guardia Real )
1250-616: The National Security Department of Spain (DSN), these are the current missions of the armed forces and civil guard: The Spanish Armed Forces also participated in the last few years in other missions, above all humanitarian and observation: in Albania in 1999, Mozambique in 2000, Republic of Macedonia in 2001, Haiti in 2004 and Indonesia in 2005. In 2006, Spain participated in Darfur , Sudan by sending observers, and in
1300-471: The Prime Minister of Spain. Official website Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona (Juan Carlos Teresa Silverio Alfonso de Borbón y Battenberg; 20 June 1913 – 1 April 1993), was a claimant to the Spanish throne as Juan III . He was the third son and designated heir of King Alfonso XIII of Spain and Queen Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg . His father
1350-683: The Spanish military was in poor condition and political instability resulted in the loss of most of Spain's former colonies, who had rebelled against Spanish rule in the Spanish American wars of independence , except Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. These too would be lost later in the Spanish–American War . In the 20th century, the Spanish armed forces did not intervene in the First World War ( neutrality ) or in
1400-473: The Spanish throne eight years after being displaced as recognised heir to the throne by Franco, and two years after his son, Juan Carlos, had become king. In return, his son officially granted him the title of Count of Barcelona, which he had claimed for so long. After his death in 1993, he was buried with honours due a king, under the name Juan III (his title if he had become king) in the Royal Crypt of
1450-515: The conspiracies amongst the nationalist generals and took command of the right wing of the Air Force upon the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War . In the early stages of the war he directed his operations from his place of exile in Gibraltar before returning to Spain. His importance to the actual war effort in the field, as well as that of the Air Force as a whole, declined after the arrival of
1500-426: The country. The Air and Space Force operates a wide-ranging fleet of aircraft, from fighters to transport aircraft and passenger transports to helicopters. It maintains some 450 aircraft in total, of which around 130 are fighter aircraft (Eurofighter Typhoons and F-18 MLU). The Spanish Air and Space Force is replacing older aircraft in the inventory with newer ones including the recently introduced Eurofighter Typhoon and
1550-658: The defense of the State", and thus bears the ultimate responsibility before the Cortes Generales , and the Spanish electorate. The Minister of defense is in charge of running the Ministry of defense , which carries out the day-to-day administration of the forces. The President of the Government and the Minister of defense are civilians . No provision in the Constitution requires the Government to seek approval from
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1600-540: The defunct Spanish throne. He thus received the title Prince of Asturias when he was serving with the Royal Navy in Bombay . In March 1935, he was appointed honorary sub-lieutenant and passed his naval exams in gunnery and navigation , which would have entitled him to a lieutenant ’s commission in the Royal Navy if he gave up his Spanish nationality. This, however, he refused to do. He met his future wife at
1650-439: The doctor telling him and his wife that the future king would not be born for weeks. When he was told of the birth, he drove to the hospital so quickly that he broke an axle spring. They had four children: They lived in Cannes and Rome, and, with the outbreak of World War II , they moved to Lausanne to live with his mother, Victoria Eugenie . Afterwards, they resided at Estoril , on the Portuguese Riviera . In 1931, Juan
1700-399: The fleet consists of: 2 amphibious transport docks , 11 frigates , 3 submarines , 6 mine countermeasure vessels, 23 patrol vessels and a number of auxiliary ships. The total displacement of the Spanish Navy is approximately 220,000 tonnes. As of 2012, the Armada has a strength of 20,838 personnel. The Marines, in Spanish, Infanteria de Marina , are the marine infantry of the Spanish Navy,
1750-402: The following year with Spain still under Franco. Spanish Armed Forces The Spanish Armed Forces are in charge of guaranteeing the sovereignty and independence of the Kingdom of Spain , defending its territorial integrity and the constitutional order, according to the functions entrusted to them by the Constitution of 1978 . They are composed of: the Army , the Air and Space Force ,
1800-405: The grounds of Kindelán's strong service record and his advancing age El Caudillo relented and instead sent Kindelán into exile in the Canary Islands . In 1961, Kindelán was ennobled as a Marqués , although the gesture was interpreted as an ironic joke on the part of Franco, mocking the fact that, despite all his efforts, Kindelán was still not living in the monarchy that he so desired. He died
1850-440: The instigation of the Axis powers . Kindelán was personally close to the United Kingdom, to such an extent that the British authorities attempted to use him to force Franco to restore the monarchy in 1942 in order to push Spain away from the Axis powers . Nothing came of the scheme however. Kindelán enjoyed a return to favour of sorts in 1941 when he became Captain General of Catalonia , a promotion designed by Franco to improve
1900-702: The oldest in the world. It has a strength of 5,000 troops divided into base defense forces and landing forces. One of the three base defense battalions is stationed with each of the Navy headquarters. "Groups" (midway between battalions and regiments) are stationed in Madrid and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The Tercio (fleet — regiment equivalent) is available for immediate embarkation and based out of San Fernando. Its principal weapons include light tanks, armored combat vehicles, self-propelled artillery, and SPIKE antitank missiles. Spanish Air and Space Force currently has 10 fighter squadrons, each with 18-24 airplanes. The Air and Space Force also has 15 operational air bases around
1950-424: The outbreak of the French Revolution, by 1790, the Spanish Empire was the largest empire in the world. The occupation of a great part of Spain by the French during the Napoleonic Wars resulted in Peninsular War , which was characterized by use on a large scale of guerrilla troops, made necessary by the war's devastating effect on the Spanish economy. Although victorious in the Peninsular War over Napoleonic France,
2000-594: The ranks of all three branches of the Spanish Armed Forces: among others, a Marines company, a Paratroop company and an infantry company. Some units have served recently in Afghanistan and Bosnia. The Military Emergencies Unit ( Spanish : Unidad Militar de Emergencias ), is the most recently instituted branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, resulting from a decision of the Council of Ministers of Spain in 2005. In addition to headquarters staff ( Unidad de Cuartel General , there are five emergency intervention battalions ( Batallon de Intervención en Emergencias , BIEM),
2050-464: The relationship between the two, with Kindelán regularly writing to Franco to plead with him to abandon his attacks on Valencia in favour of all-out war in the north. He further criticised Franco's involvement in the long-running Battle of the Ebro and suggested that his decision to commit to this rather than an attack on Barcelona added four months to the war. Following the nationalist victory, Kindelán made it clear that he viewed Franco's regime as
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2100-410: The role of head of state, largely because he trusted that Franco would restore the monarchy at the earliest possible opportunity. In terms of the conduct of the war he was central to the planning of Emilio Mola 's assault on the north in March 1937 , having been convinced by Juan Vigón of the need for a swift resolution to the war. Franco's failure to follow this course became a bone of contention in
2150-546: The standing of the military as a buffer against the power of Ramón Serrano Súñer and the Falange . In November 1942, when Minister of the Army Carlos Asensio Cabanillas was pushing for Spain to finally enter the war, Kindelán privately informed Franco that were this to happen he would personally overthrow Franco and restore the monarchy. Given that Kindelán enjoyed the support of a number of leading generals Franco initially did not react but after three months he removed Kindelán from his new position. Kindelán then served as head of
2200-415: The start by the totalitarian systems and the Axis powers, so contrary to the character and tradition of our people, is fundamentally incompatible with the circumstances, which the present war is creating in the world. The foreign policy followed by the regime is compromising the future of the nation. Spain runs the risk of being dragged into a new fratricidal conflict and of finding itself totally isolated from
2250-408: The various upper class conspiracies designed to ensure the restoration of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona to the Spanish throne. When in 1946 the so-called ' Lausanne manifesto' was published calling for immediate restoration, Franco identified Kindelán as being the ringleader of those who had signed the document and ordered his imprisonment. Following an appeal to Franco by Fidel Dávila Arrondo on
2300-510: The world. The present regime, however hard it tries to adapt to the new situation, is responsible for this double danger. Moreover, a new republic, however moderate in its beginnings and its intentions, will not be long in shifting to one of the extremes, thus strengthening the other and finishing up in a new civil war. Only the traditional monarchy can be an instrument of peace and concord to reconcile Spaniards; it alone can obtain respect from abroad, by means of an effective state of law, and realize
2350-529: The world: the Infantry Regiment "Inmemorial del Rey" No. 1 and the Infantry Regiment "Soria" No. 9 . After the long Reconquista ending in 1492, Spain evolved into Europe's foremost power with the voyages of Christopher Columbus the same year, leading to Spain acquiring vast lands in the Americas and conquering a number of overseas civilizations in the decades to come. The period of reconquest of Iberia had ended, and now Spain entered an era of overseas conquest spearheaded by conquistadors . The conquest of
2400-413: Was ratified in the 1986 referendum by the Spanish people. The conditions were the reduction of American military bases, non-integration of Spain in the military structure of NATO, and the prohibition of introducing nuclear weapons in Spain. As of June 2017, 3,093 soldiers of the Spanish Armed Forces and the Civil Guard are part of the nineteen operations where Spain has an active role. According to
2450-462: Was replaced by the Second Spanish Republic in 1931. Juan's son Juan Carlos I became king when Spain's constitutional monarchy was restored in 1975. Juan was born at the Palace of San Ildefonso . His father was forced into exile when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931. Owing to the renunciations in 1933 of his brothers Alfonso, Prince of Asturias , and Infante Jaime, Duke of Segovia , Infante Juan became first in line to
2500-411: Was subject to dynastic negotiations between the Alfonsists and the Carlists , concluded in so-called Pact of Territet , which was never implemented. Juan became heir apparent to the defunct Spanish throne after the renunciations of his two older brothers, Alfonso and Jaime , in 1933. To assert his claim to the throne, following his father's death (in 1941) he used the title of Count of Barcelona ,
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