Carlos Fernández Vallespín

Carlos Fernández Vallespín (13 July 1913 – 28 April 1977) was a Spanish military officer.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Fernández and the second or maternal family name is Vallespín.
General
Carlos Fernández Vallespín
President of the Board of Joint Chiefs of Staff
In office
2 February 1977 – 28 April 1977
MonarchJuan Carlos I
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byFelipe Galarza Sánchez
Chief of the Defence High Command
In office
15 June 1974 – 28 April 1977
MonarchJuan Carlos I (from 1975)
LeaderFrancisco Franco (until 1975)
Preceded byManuel Díez-Alegría
Succeeded byFelipe Galarza Sánchez
Personal details
Born
Carlos Fernández Vallespín

(1913-07-13)13 July 1913
Ferrol, Galicia, Kingdom of Spain
Died28 April 1977(1977-04-28) (aged 63)
Madrid, Spain
Cause of deathMyocardial infarction
Military service
Allegiance Spanish Republic
Nationalist faction
 Nationalist Spain
 Nazi Germany
Branch/service Spanish Army
 German Army (Wehrmacht)
Years of service1935–1977
RankLieutenant general
CommandsGeneral Military Academy
General Command of Ceuta
VII Military Region
Defence High Command
Board of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Battles/warsSpanish Civil War
World War II

Biography

Carlos Fernández Vallespín was born in Ferrol, Galicia on 13 July 1913. He entered the Toledo Infantry Academy in 1935, and participated in the Spanish coup of July 1936 in Madrid at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, being wounded and taken prisoner by the Republicans. After managing to escape, he participated in various actions within the Nationalist faction. Following the Civil War, he fought on the Eastern Front of World War II, in the ranks of the Blue Division (Spanish: División Azul, German: Blaue Division), or the 250th Infantry Division of the German Wehrmacht, being wounded again.

In 1965 he reached the rank of brigadier general. He served as director of the General Military Academy between 1968 and 1969.

In 1969 he was promoted to major general and was appointed General Commander of Ceuta.

In 1972 he was appointed lieutenant general and Captain General of the VII Military Region, based in Valladolid. In 1974 he was appointed Chief of the Defence High Command (Alto Estado Mayor, AEM),[1] the principal staff body of the Francoist Spanish Armed Forces, in charge of coordination between the general staffs of the three military branches. With the advent of democracy and the restructuring of the Armed Forces, he was appointed President of the newly created Board of Joint Chiefs of Staff (Junta de Jefes de Estado Mayor, JUJEM) in 1977.

Shortly after this last appointment, he died in Madrid of a myocardial infarction, on 28 April 1977.[2]

References
  1. "Decreto por el que se nombra Jefe del Alto Estado Mayor al Teniente General don Carlos Fernández Vallespín". Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). 15 June 1974. p. 12434. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  2. "Ha muerto el teniente general Fernández Vallespín" (in Spanish). ABC. 29 April 1977. p. 31. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
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