José Marina Vega

José Marina Vega (13 April 1850 – 30 January 1926) was a Spanish military officer and politician. Leader of the military operations in Melilla during the 1909 Melilla Campaign, he later served as High Commissioner of Spain in Morocco (1913–1915) and as Minister of War (1917 and 1918).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Marina and the second or maternal family name is Vega.
José Marina Vega
Photographed by Goñi in 1910 in Madrid
High Commissioner of Spain in Morocco
In office
1913–1915
Preceded byFelipe Alfau Mendoza
Succeeded byFrancisco Gómez Jordana
Minister of War
In office
October 1917 – November 1917
In office
March 1918 – November 1918
Senator of the Kingdom
In office
1919–1923
Personal details
Born13 April 1850
Figueres, Spain
Died30 January 1926(1926-01-30) (aged 75)
Madrid, Spain
OccupationMilitary officer, politician
Military service
Allegiance Kingdom of Spain
Branch/service Spanish Army
Years of service1863–1915
RankLieutenant General
Battles/warsThird Carlist War
Second Melillan campaign

Biography

Born on 13 April 1850 in Figueres, province of Girona,[1] he is sometimes reported to be born in 1848,[2] as his father (a captain of the Spanish Armed Forces) declared him to be 2 years older in his application to the military.[3] He moved as child to Luzon (Philippines). Returned to Peninsular Spain, he joined the Battalion of Hunters Llerena as cadet in 1863.[4]

Marina and Alfonso XIII, circa 1909.

He fought in the Third Carlist War.[5] With a military career in infantry, and promoted to colonel in 1893, Marina was destined to places such as Philippines and Cuba.[6] He was promoted to the rank of brigader general in 1896.[7] He was promoted to Divisional general in July 1900.[8] Following a brief spell as civil governor in Barcelona (1899),[9] he was destined to Melilla in 1905.[1]

At the helm of the military in the North African city, Marina Vega commanded the operations in the Melilla hinterland in retaliation to the attacks of Riffian tribesmen during the so-called Melilla War, including the Disaster of the Barranco del Lobo in July 1909, that, taking place simultaneously with the Tragic Week riots in Barcelona, prompted a dismay in the Spanish public opinion.[10] He was promoted then to Lieutenant general.[11]

Appointed as High Commissioner of Spain in Morocco in replacement of Felipe Alfau Mendoza, he served from 1913 to 1915.[12]

He served two times as Minister of War (1917 and 1918) in cabinets presided by Eduardo Dato and Antonio Maura.[13] Appointed as senator for life in 1919,[14] he died on 30 January 1926 in Madrid (Calle de Zurbano, 6).[6][15]

References
Citations
  1. Fontenla Ballesta, Salvador (2017-04-18). La guerra de Marruecos (1907 – 1927): Historia completa de una guerra olvidada (in Spanish). La Esfera de los Libros. ISBN 978-84-9164-008-0.
  2. "Muerte del general Marina". ABC. 31 January 1976.
  3. Cuenca Toribio & Miranda García 1992, p. 106.
  4. Carrasco González, Antonio M. (2012-05-15). El reino olvidado: Cinco siglos de historia de España en África (in Spanish). La Esfera de los Libros. ISBN 978-84-9970-773-0.
  5. Serrano Vélez, Manuel (2018-04-15). Silvestre o el sueño de un imperio (in Spanish). Editorial Almuzara. ISBN 978-84-17418-43-4.
  6. Soldevilla 1927, p. 88.
  7. "Ascensos en el generalato. D. José Marina Vega". La Época. Madrid (18009). 30 July 1900. ISSN 2254-559X.
  8. "La Gaceta". La Época. Madrid (18009). 30 July 1900. ISSN 2254-559X.
  9. Risques Corbella, Manuel (1994). El Govern Civil de Barcelona al segle XIX: desenvolupament institucional i acció política (PDF). Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. p. 565.
  10. León Rojas 2018, p. 49–50.
  11. "El ascenso del general Marina". La Época. Madrid. LXI (21105). 28 July 1909. ISSN 2254-559X.
  12. Serrano Valls, Luis (2019-08-06). Del Llano Amarillo a Puigcerda: La Guerra Civil según el testimonio de uno de sus participantes, el Teniente General D. Alberto Serrano Montaner (in Spanish). Punto Rojo Libros. ISBN 978-84-17988-63-0.
  13. Pérez Frías 2006, p. 16.
  14. "Marina Vega, José". Senate of Spain.
  15. "Muerte de un caudillo. El general Marina". El Imparcial. Madrid. LX (20608). 31 January 1926. ISSN 2171-0244.
Bibliography
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.