Emilio Mola

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Emilio Mola Vidal (9 July 1887 – 3 June 1937) was a Spanish nationalist soldier who led the July 1936 coup against the Second Spanish Republic, which started the Spanish Civil War.

 Biography 

 Early life 
Mola was born in Placetas, Cuba, then a part of Spain’s colonial empire. His father was a Spanish army officer during the Cuban War of Independence, and after the Spanish–American War, his family resettled in Spain. 

In 1904, Mola joined the Toledo Infantry Academy and started his military career. By 1927, he was a brigadier general in the army. Mola was made Director-General of Security in 1930 and was the last man to serve this position under King Alfonso XIII.Payne, S. The Spanish Civil War. Cambridge University Press, 2012. p 66.

 Coup 
Mola joined a group of military officers who planned to overthrow the Second Spanish Republic in the July 1936 coup. The coup was not successful in overthrowing the Republican government and led to the start of the Spanish Civil War.

 Death 
On 3 June 1937, Mola died in a plane crash. The airplane he was traveling in crashed into the side of a hill in Alcocero while he was returning to the city of Vitoria due to the poor weather.

References

Category:1887 births
Category:1937 deaths
Category:Spanish military people