Alfonso Beorlegui y Canet (26 January 1888 – 29 September 1936) was a colonel of infantry in the Spanish Army. In the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

, he led the

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...

forces in the Campaign of Gipuzkoa in August and September 1936. On 18 July 1936, at the beginning of the

, in

Pamplona Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region. Lying at near above ...

, Beorlegui put himself under the orders of General

Emilio Mola Emilio Mola y Vidal, 1st Duke of Mola, Grandee of Spain (9 July 1887 – 3 June 1937) was one of the three leaders of the Nationalist coup of July 1936, which started the Spanish Civil War. After the death of Sanjurjo on 20 July 1936, Mo ...

, who ordered him take control of the Civil Guard and Assault Guards of the city—approximately 2,000 men—and put him in charge of public order in the city. Shortly afterward, Mola ordered Beorlegui to lead an offensive to the

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

province of

Gipuzkoa Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French depa ...

with the regular troops, Civil Guard forces and some newly raised units of requetés. After the Battle of Irún, they occupied the town on 5 September, closing the French border to the northern provinces of the republic. Beorlegui was wounded in the advance towards the international bridge of

Irún Irun ( es, Irún, eu, Irun) is a town of the Bidasoaldea region in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. History It lies on the foundations of the ancient Oiasso, cited as a Roman- Vasconic town. During the Sp ...

, refused to receive suitable treatment, and died a month later. Mola's forces soon went on to secure the whole of the province, isolating the remaining Republican provinces in the north, which led to their fall the next year.

Bibliography

External links

"Beorlegui y Canet, Alfonso"
– ''Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia'' 1888 births 1936 deaths Military personnel killed in the Spanish Civil War People from Estella Oriental Spanish casualties of the Spanish Civil War Spanish military personnel killed in action Spanish military personnel of the Spanish Civil War (National faction) Spanish army officers 20th-century Spanish military personnel {{SpanishCivilWar-stub