Antonio Abad Alfau (1817 – January 14, 1871) was a Dominican military officer and conservative politician who served as a trusted collaborator of Presidents

Pedro Santana Pedro Santana y Familias, 1st Marquess of Las Carreras (June 29, 1801June 14, 1864) was a Dominican soldier and politician who served three times as the president of the First Dominican Republic (1844–1861) and was the first governor-genera ...

and

Buenaventura Báez Ramón Buenaventura Báez Méndez (July 14, 1812March 14, 1884), was a Dominican conservative politician and military figure. He was president of the Dominican Republic for five nonconsecutive terms. His rule was characterized by corruption and ...

. He stood out in the struggle Dominican independence, and later as a servant of the Spanish regime in Santo Domingo in the 1860s.

Biography

He was born in Santo Domingo in 1817 to María del Carmen Bustamante López (1798–1835), a Dominican woman, and Julián Alfau Páez (1786–1852), a Venezuelan immigrant. He has one brother, Felipe Benicio Alfau, with whom he maintained a close relationship. During the

Dominican War of Independence The Dominican War of Independence () was a war of independence that began when the Dominican Republic declared independence from the Republic of Haiti on February 27, 1844 and ended on January 24, 1856. Before the war, the island of Hispaniola ...

, he was one of the soldiers who took part in the most notable actions in the Battle of Las Carreras. In 1852, he was commissioned by President

to travel to Haiti to negotiate with Haitian Emperor

Faustin I Faustin-Élie Soulouque (; 15 August 1782 – 3 August 1867) was a Haitian politician and military commander who served as President of Haiti from 1847 to 1849 and Emperor of Haiti from 1849 to 1859. Soulouque was a general in the Haitian Arm ...

for the recognition of the Dominican Republic. In 1856, he resigned as Vice President of the Republic after clashing with President Manuel de Regla Mota, whose initiatives were influenced by the Spanish Consul Antonio María Segovia. Abad Alfau was also commissioned in 1857 by President Báez to exchange paper money for the people of

Cibao The Cibao, usually referred as El Cibao, is a region of the Dominican Republic located in the northern part of the country. As of 2009, the Cibao region has a population of 5,622,378, making it the most populous region in the country. The region ...

for gold ounces. This decision greatly displeased the Cibao region and was one of the causes of the overthrow of the Head of State. In 1859, in his capacity as Vice President of the Republic, President

appointed him to the Executive Branch. In 1861, he supported the annexation of the Republic to Spain. In recognition of his services to the Annexation Government, he received the sash of Field Marshal and the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic. During the

Dominican Restoration War The Dominican Restoration War or the Dominican War of Restoration (), called War of Santo Domingo in Spain (''Guerra de Santo Domingo''),Losada, J. C. (2012). ''Batallas decisivas de la historia de España.'' Ed. Aguilar, pgs. 371-386. was a G ...

, which began on August 16, 1863, Antonio Abad Alfau stood by the Spanish forces. On January 15, 1871, former Field Marshal Antonio Abad Alfau died at the age of 54 in

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

, Spain.

Reference

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alfau, Antonio Abad 1817 births 1871 deaths People from Santo Domingo White Dominicans Dominican Republic people of Spanish descent Dominican Republic people of Canarian descent Dominican Republic people of Venezuelan descent People of the Dominican War of Independence People of the Dominican Restoration War 19th-century Dominican Republic politicians Vice presidents of the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic independence activists Dominican Republic military leaders Dominican Republic expatriates in Spain Spanish generals

Biography

See also

Reference