Emilio Mola
Emilio Mola Vidal (
June 9,
1887 –
June 3,
1937)
Spanish army officer, was one of the leaders of the
1936 army revolt which began the
Spanish Civil War.
Mola was born in
Cuba, at that time a Spanish colony, where his father, an army officer, was stationed. He enrolled at the Infantry Academy of
Toledo in
1907. He served in Spain's colonial war in
Morocco where he received the Medalla Militar Individual, and became an authority on military affairs. By
1927 he was a brigadier-general.
Mola was made Director of Security in
1930. This was a political post, in which his very conservative political views made him unpopular with opposition
liberal and
socialist politicians. When the left-wing
Popular Front government was elected in February
1936 Mola was made military governor in
Pamplona, regarded as a backwater, to keep him away from political affairs.
Mola soon joined the group of army officers, led by
José Sanjurjo, who were planning a
coup to bring down the Republic. It was Mola, who under the codename
Director, sent the secret instructions to the various military units to be involved in the uprising. After various postponements, July 18, 1936 was chosen for the beginning of the coup. Despite events running ahead of schedule in the Spanish Protectorate in Morocco, Mola waited until the programmed time and proclaimed the revolt on
July 19 in
Navarre. The coup was subsequently joined by
Francisco Franco.
The coup failed to take control of most of Spain, but most of the Army supported it and the situation devolved rapidly into civil war. Following Sanjurjo's death in an air crash on
July 20, Franco was chosen as commander of the Nationalist Army, and was also appointed chief of state in the Nationalist zone. Mola was given charge of the Army of the North.
Mola died on
June 3,
1937 when his plane crashed during bad weather while returning to
Vitoria. The deaths of Sanjurjo and Mola left Franco as the effective leader of the Nationalist cause. This led to rumours that Franco had instigated the deaths of his two rivals, but no evidence has been produced to support this allegation.
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