Madrid probably became a town - then called Mayrit - in the 9th century.
It was conquered by Castile in 1083, replacing Toledo as royal residence in
1561.
Except for a brief period in 1601 - 1606 when Valladolid was the residential
town, it remained the capital of Spain ever since.
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CHIEF EXECUTIVES
Mayors
Alcaldes
1870 - 1872 Fernando Hidalgo Saavedra
1872 Ángel Carvajal y Fernández de
Córdoba, Marqués de Sardoal 1841 - 1898
1872 Carlos María Ponte
1872 - 1873 Simeón Ávalos
1873 Pedro Menéndez Vega
1873 - 1874 Pedro Bernardo Orcasitas
1874 Ángel Carvajal y Fernández de
Córdoba, Marqués de Sardoal (2x)
1874 - 1875 Francisco de Borja Queipo de
Llano y Galloso de los Cobos,
Conde de Toreno 1840 - 1890
1875 - 1877 Luis de Martos y Potestad, Conde
de Heredia Spínola
1877 - 1881 Francisco Caballero y Rozas del
Mazo y Ondárroa, Marqués de Torneros
1881 - 1883 José Abascal y Carredano 1830 - 1890
1883 Estanislao de Urquijo y Landaluce,
Marqués de Urquijo 1817 - 1889
1883 - 1884 ... Martínez Brau
1884 - 1885 Gonzalo Saavedra y Cueto, Marqués
de Bogaraya
1885 Alberto Bosch y Fuentegueras 1848 - 1900
1885 - 1889 José Abascal y Carredano (2x)
1889 - 1890 Andrés Mellado y Fernández 1848 - 1908
1890 Cayetano Sánchez Bustillo 1839 - 1908
1890 Narciso García Loygorri y Rizo,
Duque de Vistahermosa
1890 - 1891 Faustino Rodríguez San Pedro 1833 - 1925
1891 - 1892 Alberto Bosch y Fuentegueras (2x)
1892 Francisco de Cubas y González Montes,
Marqués de Cubas
1892 Nicolás de Peñalver Zamora, Conde de
Peñalver
1892 - 1893 Manuel Mariátegui y Venyals, Conde de San
Bernardo 18.. - 1905
1893 - 1894 Santiago de Angulo Ortiz
1894 - 1895 Álvaro de Figueroa y Torres Mendieta,
Conde de Romanones 1863 - 1950
1896 - 1896 Nicolás de Peñalver Zamora, Conde de
Peñalver (2x)
1896 Eduardo Rojas Alonso, Conde de Montarco
1896 - 1897 Joaquín Sánchez de Toca 1852 - 1942
1897 - 1899 Álvaro de Figueroa y Torres Mendieta,
Conde de Romanones (2x)
1899 - 1900 Ventura García Sánchez, Marqués de
Aguilar de Campos 1837 - 1914
1900 Manuel Allendesalazar 1865 - 1923
1900 - 1901 Mariano Fernández de Henestrosa Mioño,
Duque de Santo Mauro
1901 - 1902 Alberto Aguilera y Velasco
1902 - 1903 Vicente Cabeza de Vaca y Fernández de
Córdoba, Marqués de Portazgo 1865 - 1921
1903 - 1904 Salvador Bermúdez de Castro y O'Lawlor,
Marqués de Lema, Duque de Ripalda 1863 - 1945
1904 - 1905 Gonzalo de Figueroa y Torres, Conde de
Mejorada del Campo y Marqués de Villamejor
1905 - 1906 Eduardo Vincenti
1906 - 1907 Alberto Aguilera y Velasco 1842 -
1907 Eduardo Dato y Iradier 1856 - 1921
1907 Joaquín Sánchez de Toca (2x)
1907 - 1909 Nicolás de Peñalver Zamora, Conde de
Peñalver (3x)
1909 - 1910 Alberto Aguilera y Velasco (2x)
1910 - 1912 José Francos Rodríguez 1892 - 1931
1912 - 1913 Joaquín Ruiz Giménez 1854 - 1934
1913 Eduardo Vincenti (2x)
1913 - 1914 Luis Marichalar y Monreal, Vizconde de
Eza 1872 - 1945
1914 - 1915 Carlos Prats y Rodríguez de Llano
1915 José Prado Palacio 1865 - 1926
1915 - 1916 Joaquín Ruiz Giménez (2x)
1916 - 1917 Martín Rosales Martel, Duque de
Almodóvar del Valle
1917 Luis Silvela y Casado 1865 - 1928
1917 - 1918 José Francos Rodríguez (2x)
1918 Luis Silvela y Casado (2x)
1918 - 1920 Luis Garrido Juaristi
1920 - 1921 Ramón Rivero de Miranda, Conde de Limpias
1921 Alfredo Serrano Jover
1921 - 1922 Álvaro de Figueroa y Alonso Martínez,
Marqués de Villabrágima
1922 José María Garay, Conde del Valle Suchil
1922 - 1923 Joaquín Ruiz Giménez (3x)
1923 Faustino Nicoli
1923 - 1924 Alberto Alcocer y Ribacoba
1924 - 1925 ..., Conde de Vallellano
1925 - 1926 José Prado Palacio (2x)
1927 Emilio Antón
1927 Manuel Semprún y Pombo, Conde Mirasol
1927 - 1930 José María de Aristizábal Manchón
1930 - 1931 José María de Hoyos y Vinent de la
Torre O’Neill, Marqués de Hoyos 1874 - 1959
1931 Joaquín Ruiz Giménez (4x)
1931 - 1934 Pedro Rico López
1934 José Martínez de Velasco 1875 - 1936
1934 Rafael Salazar Alonso 1894 - 1936
1935 Sergio Álvarez de Villaamil
1936 Pedro Rico López (2x)
1936 - 1937 Cayetano Redondo Aceña
1937 - 1939 Rafael Henche de la Plata
1939 - 1946 Alberto Alcocer y Ribacoba (2x)(1)
(1) Appointed by the Nationalist government in 1936.
Headed a city administration "in exile" at Burgos until the conquest
of Madrid by the Nationalist forces in 1939.
In the same period the Republican administration moved, first to
Valencia and afterwards to Barcelona.
The Baleares were united - or rather reunited - with the kingdom of Aragon
in 1344. They lost the last remnants of their liberties in 1806 and were
organized as a Spanish province.
At the outbreak of the Civil War in 1936 Mallorca and Ibiza immediately
sided with the Nationalist rebels, while Menorca was only conquered by them
in 1939.
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Although there had been previous attempts, the Spanish conquest of the
Canary Islands only really started after 1479, when, by the Treaty of
Alcaçovas, Portugal renounced all claims.
Originally having a separate organisation, the Islands became an integral
part of Spain in 1821, being organised first as one and later, in 1929, as
two Spanish provinces (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
At the outbreak of the Civil war, in 1936, the islands immediately felt
under Nationalist authority.
Spanish oversea dependencies in the period 1871 - 1945 included :
The Carolinas from 1885 to 1898
Ceuta since 1589/1640
Cuba from 1511 to 1898
Guam from 1668 to 1898
Melilla since 1497
The Philippines from 1565 to 1898
Puerto Rico from 1509 to 1898
Spanish Equatorial Africa/Spanish Guinea since 1778
Spanish Morocco since 1913
Spanish West Africa composed of :
- Ifni since 1934
- Rio de Oro and Seguiet al-Hamra since 1885
Back to SPAIN HOME
This is a brief summary of the history of the Spanish historical regions in
the period 1936 - 1939 when republican central authority was at its lowest,
being contested not only by the Nationalists, but also by the numberous
local committees set up by the - often rival - different political parties
(anarchists, communists, socialists) after the Nationalist revolt. (2)
(2) These local committees were indefferently called, People's Front,
Defence or Anti-Fascist committees.
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ANDALUSIA
The Western provinces of the region Andalusia (Cadiz, Cordoba, Huelva and
Sevilla) and the city of Granada were conquered by the Nationalists
immediately after their revolt in 1936, being governed until 1938 as a
personal "fief" by the commander of the Southern Spanish Army, Gonzalo
Quiepo de Llano y Sierra (1875 - 1951) .
The Eastern provinces (Almeria, Granada, Jean and Malaga) remained under
Republican control, their administration being divided between the official
administrators and the different local committees, the most important being
that of Malaga, headed by the socialist Francisco Rodriguez.
These provinces felt to the Nationalists between 1937 (Malaga) and 1939
(Almeria)
ARAGON
The Western parts of the three Aragonese provinces (Huesca, Teruel and
Zaragoza) were immediately conquered by the Nationalists after the outbreak
of their revolt in 1936.
The Eastern parts became dominated by the anarchists who set up a Council of
Aragon - chaired by Joaquin Ascaso - which ruled the region as a virtual
independent state.
In 1937 central authority was restored, José Ignacio Mantecon being appointed
governor-general.
Eastern Aragon finally felt to the Nationalists in the course of 1938.
ASTURIAS
The Asturias already caused trouble to the republican government in 1934 when
miners revolted and revolutionary committees toke power in different places
creating in this way a brief de facto independent sowjetrepublic headed by
Ramon Gonzalez Peña (1... - 1952) and Belarmino Tomas Alvarez (1887 - 1950).
In 1936 the Asturias resisted Nationalist conquest. Separated from the rest
of Republican Spain by Nationalist territory it became a virtual independent
entity governed firstly by local committees (3) and then by a Council of the
Asturias, chaired by Belarmino Tomas Alvarez (s.a.).
In 1937 the Asturias formaly declared their independence, only to be
conquered by the Nationalists some time later.
(3) The most important were those of Gijon (chaired by Segundo Blanco
Gonzalez 1889-1959) and of Sama (chaired firstly by Ramon Gonzalez
Peña (s.a.) en then by Amador Fernandez.
BALEARESCANARY ISLANDSCATALONIAESTRAMADURA
The province of Caceres was conquered by the Nationalists in 1936. That of
Bajadoz, governed by local committees, resisted until 1939.
EUSKADI/BASQUE COUNTRYGALICIA
Galicia (comprising the provinces of Corunna, Lugo, Potevedra and Orense)
was granted autonomy by the Republican government in 1936.
It was however immediately conquered by the Nationalists after the outbreak
of their revolt.
LEON
The Leonese provinces (Leon, Salamanca and Zamora) immidiately felt to the
Nationalists in 1936.
LEVANTE (Murcia and Valencia)
In 1936, during the period between the outbreak of the Nationalist revolt
and the tranfer of the seat of the republican government to Valencia, the
Levante - consisting of the regions Murcia (provinces Albacete and Murcia)
and Valencia (provinces Alicante, Castellon and Valencia.) - was briefly
governed by a semi-independent Junta set up and chaired by former President
of the Council of Ministers Diego Martinez Barrio (1883 - 1962).
However, as elsewhere, real power was, for the greater part, exercised by
the numerous local committees, the most important being that of Valencia,
chaired by the anarchist Ernesto Arin Prado (1873 - 1...).
The region, which had escaped conquest by the Nationalists in 1936, felt
finally to them between 1938 (Castellon) and 1939 (Murcia).
NAVARRA
Navarra, the centre of the Carlist movement, immediately felt to the
Nationalists in 1936. (4)
(4) Navarra was united with Castile in 1512. It lost its last liberties
in 1840 when it became a Spanish province.
NEW CASTILE
With the exception of the province of Toledo, which was already conquered by
the Nationalists in 1936, the other provinces of New Castile (Ciudad, Cuenca,
Guadalajara and Madrid)were only conquered in by them in 1939.
Most power was exercised by José Miaja Menant (1878 - 1958), the military
commander in Madrid (for a time also chairman of a local defence council and
of the National Council which arranged the surrender of the last republican
troops).
OLD CASTILE
With the exception of the province of Santander, which was only conquered in
1937, the Old Castilian provinces (Avila, Burgos, Logrono, Palencia,
Segovia, Soria and Valladolid) all felt to the Nationalists in 1936,
immediately after rebellion started.
Back to SPAIN 1931 - 1945
