kids encyclopedia robot

Defence High Command facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Defence High Command
Alto Estado Mayor
Edificio del Alto Estado Mayor, paseo de la Castellana, Madrid.jpg
Building of the AEM, on Paseo de la Castellana (Madrid)
Active 1939–1980
Country Spain
Branch Armed forces
Type Military staff
Part of Spanish Armed Forces
Headquarters Madrid
Commanders
First Chief Brigadier General Juan Vigón Suerodíaz
Last Chief Lieutenant General Ignacio Alfaro Arregui
Insignia
Abbreviation AEM
Emblem (until 1975) Emblem of the Spanish Defence High Command (Until 1975).svg
Emblem (1975–1980) Emblem of the Spanish Defence High Command (1975-1980).svg

The Defence High Command (Spanish: Alto Estado Mayor, AEM) was the principal staff body of the Spanish Armed Forces during the Francoist regime and the Spanish transition to democracy. It operated between 1939 and 1980, and was in charge of coordination between the staffs of the three branches of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy and the Air Force).

History

The AEM was created on 30 August 1939 with the objective of having a "body of coordination, study and information, which would provide to the supreme command the elements of suitable judgment for the orientation of its designs". In this way the Defence High Command is constituted with the following tasks:

  • Submit to the authority studies and proposals for the management of national energies so that in case of war they were insured to the maximum extent their evolution and functioning in autarkic regime.
  • Prepare the study of the resolutions that proceed in order to the weighting of organic media between the Army, Navy and the Air Force.
  • Study and propose the general lines of the permanent organizations that should constitute bases of combined operations of the aforementioned forces.
  • Study and propose directives and plans for their joint action in case of war.
  • Provide the supreme command with the necessary information for the appreciation of the military and economic potential of other countries.

For this it was necessary on the one hand the appointment of a General-Chief who would be a member and secretary of the National Defense Junta, and on the other hand the creation of a secretariat and three sections: a military, an economic and an informational.

On 5 February 1944, the need to act against foreign intelligence services within Spain was raised. That is why a new military intelligence agency began operating, the so-called "Third Information Section of the Defence High Command [es]" (SIAEM). However, due to problems of coordination between the various counterintelligence mechanisms of the time, it was decided in 1945 to divide the powers: the Defence High Command would be in charge of espionage and counterintelligence of military character both inside and outside the country, while the Ministry of the Interior would be in charge of the internal security of the country, and the rest of the ministries would collect the general information according to their needs.

After the death of Franco in 1975, the administrative structure of the Armed Forces was reorganized. The AEM disappeared in 1980 when all its functions were taken over by the Board of Joint Chiefs of Staff (JUJEM), which was succeeded in 1984 by the Defence Staff (EMAD).

List of chiefs of the Defence High Command

† denotes people who died in office.

No. Portrait Chief of the AEM Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch Commander-in-Chief Ref
1
Juan Vigón
Vigón, JuanBrigadier General
Juan Vigón
(1880–1955)
30 August 1939 27 June 1940 302 days Former Emblem of the Spanish Army (1943-1975).svg
Army
Francisco Franco
2
Francisco Martín Moreno
Moreno, Francisco MartínDivisional General
Francisco Martín Moreno
(1879–1941)
30 July 1940 23 April 1941 † 267 days Former Emblem of the Spanish Army (1943-1975).svg
Army
Francisco Franco
3
Fidel Dávila Arrondo
Arrondo, Fidel DávilaLieutenant General
Fidel Dávila Arrondo
(1878–1962)
5 May 1941 20 July 1945 4 years, 76 days Former Emblem of the Spanish Army (1943-1975).svg
Army
Francisco Franco
4
Luis Orgaz Yoldi
Yoldi, Luis OrgazLieutenant General
Luis Orgaz Yoldi
(1881–1946)
19 October 1945 31 January 1946 † 104 days Former Emblem of the Spanish Army (1943-1975).svg
Army
Francisco Franco
(1)
Juan Vigón
Vigón, JuanLieutenant General
Juan Vigón
(1880–1955)
15 February 1946 25 May 1955 † 9 years, 99 days Former Emblem of the Spanish Army (1943-1975).svg
Army
Francisco Franco
5
Carlos Asensio Cabanillas
Cabanillas, Carlos AsensioLieutenant General
Carlos Asensio Cabanillas
(1896–1970)
3 June 1955 6 June 1958 3 years, 3 days Former Emblem of the Spanish Army (1943-1975).svg
Army
Francisco Franco
6
Agustín Muñoz Grandes
Grandes, Agustín MuñozCaptain General
Agustín Muñoz Grandes
(1896–1970)
6 June 1958 11 July 1970 † 12 years, 35 days Former Emblem of the Spanish Army (1943-1975).svg
Army
Francisco Franco
7
Manuel Díez-Alegría
Díez-Alegría, ManuelLieutenant General
Manuel Díez-Alegría
(1906–1987)
23 July 1970 14 June 1974 3 years, 326 days Former Emblem of the Spanish Army (1943-1975).svg
Army
Francisco Franco
8
Carlos Fernández Vallespín
Vallespín, Carlos FernándezLieutenant General
Carlos Fernández Vallespín
(1913–1977)
15 June 1974 28 April 1977 † 2 years, 317 days Emblem of the Spanish Army.svg
Army
Francisco Franco
Juan Carlos I
9
Felipe Galarza Sánchez
Sánchez, Felipe GalarzaLieutenant General
Felipe Galarza Sánchez
(1913–1994)
23 July 1977 12 September 1978 1 year, 51 days Emblem of the Spanish Air Force.svg
Air Force
Juan Carlos I
10
Ignacio Alfaro Arregui
Arregui, Ignacio AlfaroLieutenant General
Ignacio Alfaro Arregui
(1918–2000)
12 September 1978 19 May 1980 1 year, 250 days Emblem of the Spanish Air Force.svg
Air Force
Juan Carlos I

Timeline

Ignacio Alfaro Arregui Felipe Galarza Sánchez Carlos Fernández Vallespín Manuel Díez-Alegría Agustín Muñoz Grandes Carlos Asensio Cabanillas Luis Orgaz Yoldi Fidel Dávila Arrondo Francisco Martín Moreno (general) Juan Vigón

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Alto Estado Mayor (España) para niños

kids search engine
Defence High Command Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.