Gonzalo Queipo de Llano - Military Career

Military Career

de Llano, a second lieutenant in Cuba in 1896, became a captain in 1898 and was a commandant in 1911. He received the commandant promotion following his return from Argentina, where he had spent ten months between the years 1910 and 1911. de Llano then served in Melilla, North Africa, as a colonial officer and attained the rank of brigadier general in April 1923.

It was reported that de Llano was enthusiastic in relation to the military coup d'état initiated by General Miguel Primo de Rivera; Primo de Rivera had received support for the action from King Alfonso on 13 September 1923. However, de Llano became highly critical of the Spanish Army and opposed Primo de Rivera's dictatorship; de Llano's opinions resulted in a demotion and imprisonment. de Llano was released from prison in 1926, but his continued criticism of the government led to his dismissal from the army in 1928.

Two years later, Queipo de Llano became the head of the Republican Military Association and collaborated with the National Revolutionary Committee, a group plotting to overthrow King Alfonso XIII. The failure of the revolt forced Queipo de Llano to flee to Portugal. He published in 1930 a book titled El General Queipo de Llano perseguido por La Dictadura where he used haughty expressions about King Alfonso XIII and about the dictator Primo de Rivera.

When Alfonso XIII left Spain in April 1931, Queipo de Llano returned to Spain and was given the post of commander of the 1st Military District of the Spanish Republican Army in Madrid. "He was later appointed head of the military house of Second Spanish Republic President Niceto Alcalá-Zamora (they were in-laws, Queipo's daughter, was married to one of Alcalá-Zamora's sons)."