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The Guardia Mora (English: Moorish Guard), officially the ''Guardia de Su Excelencia el Generalísimo'' (The Guards of His Excellency the Generalissmo) was
From 1939 onward the responsibilities of the Guardia Mora in Madrid were expanded to include ceremonial functions such as the provision of escorts for visiting Heads of State and for foreign ambassadors presenting their credentials.
The Guardia Mora was dissolved in 1956, after the incorporation of Spanish Morocco into the newly independent
Franco y su fiel Guardia Mora
Spanish only Spanish ceremonial units Military history of Spain Military units and formations of Spain Military units and formations of the Spanish Civil War (National faction) Spanish Army Military history of Morocco Military units and formations established in 1937 Military units and formations disestablished in 1956
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...
's personal ceremonial escort. It was formed in February 1937 from Moroccan personnel drawn from the Guardia Civil
The Civil Guard (; ) is one of the two national law enforcement agencies of Spain. As a national gendarmerie, it is military in nature and is responsible for civil policing under the authority of both the Ministry of the Interior and the Minis ...
in Tétouan
Tétouan (, or ) is a city in northern Morocco. It lies along the Martil Valley and is one of the two major ports of Morocco on the Mediterranean Sea, a few miles south of the Strait of Gibraltar, and about E.S.E. of Tangier. In the 2014 Morocc ...
and the II Tabor
Tabor may refer to:
Places
Czech Republic
* Tábor, a town in the South Bohemian Region
** Tábor District, the surrounding district
* Tábor, a village and part of Velké Heraltice in the Moravian-Silesian Region
Israel
* Mount Tabor, Galilee, ...
of Grupo de Regulares
The ("Indigenous Regular Forces"), known simply as the (Regulars), are infantry units of the Spanish Army, largely recruited in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Historically, the force, which has also included mounted divisions, has consisted ...
de Tetuan No.1. Their white and red hooded cloak, based on the djellaba
The djellaba or jillaba (; ), also written gallabea, is a long, loose-fitting unisex outer robe or dress with full sleeves that is worn in the Maghreb region of North Africa.
In central and eastern Algeria it is called ''qeššaba'' or ''qeš ...
, was worn over the white parade uniform of Regulares officers.
The Guardia Mora was not controlled by the Francoist Spanish military but by the ''Casa Militar de Su Excelencia el Generalísimo y Jefe del Estado'' (Military House of His Excellency the Generalissimo and Head of State).
History
The Guardia Mora has its origins in the early stages of theSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
. In July 1936 as Military Commander of the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
, General Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...
managed to fly to Spanish Morocco
The Spanish protectorate in Morocco was established on 27 November 1912 by a treaty between France and Spain that converted the Spanish sphere of influence in Morocco into a formal protectorate.
The Spanish protectorate consisted of a norther ...
, where he took control of the Spanish Army of Africa
The Army of Africa (, , Tarifit, Riffian; ''Aserdas n Tefriqt''), also known as the Army of Spanish Morocco ('), was a field army of the Spanish Army that garrisoned the Spanish protectorate in Morocco from 1912 until History of Morocco#Independ ...
, consisting mainly of Moroccan Regulares
The ("Indigenous Regular Forces"), known simply as the (Regulars), are infantry units of the Spanish Army, largely recruited in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Historically, the force, which has also included mounted divisions, has consisted ...
and Spanish Legion
For centuries, Spain recruited foreign soldiers to its army, forming the foreign regiments () such as the Regiment of Hibernia (formed in 1709 from Irishmen who fled their own country in the wake of the Flight of the Earls and the Penal la ...
units. These professional troops were transported to Spain and began to advance towards Madrid. Already in October 1936, when he was appointed head of state during an official ceremony in Burgos, Franco attended the event accompanied by an escort formed by Moroccan horsemen from the existing Regulares cavalry regiments. Thereafter, Franco frequently appeared on public occasions flanked by a large escort of Moroccan cavalry in "Moorish" ceremonial uniforms and carrying lances
The English term lance is derived, via Middle English ''wikt:launce#Noun 3, launce'' and Old French ''wikt:lance#Old French, lance'', from the Latin ''wikt:lancea#Noun, lancea'', a generic term meaning a spear or javelin employed by both infant ...
.
The British historian Paul Preston has pointed out that the Guardia Mora became a symbol in itself and the best example of the new power that was being built around the figure of Franco.
After the end of the Civil War, the Moroccan units of the Army of Africa were either disbanded or returned to continue serving in Spanish Morocco. However a picked cavalry unit remained on the peninsula, serving as mounted guards, performing escort and other ceremonial functions and providing protection for the Head of State. When Franco moved his official residence to Madrid, the Guardia Mora followed him, and once established in the capital they came to have a permanent quartering in the Palace of El Pardo, official residence of the "generalissimo
''Generalissimo'' ( ), also generalissimus, is a military rank of the highest degree, superior to field marshal and other five-star ranks in the states where they are used.
Usage
The word (), an Italian term, is the absolute superlative ...
."
From 1939 onward the responsibilities of the Guardia Mora in Madrid were expanded to include ceremonial functions such as the provision of escorts for visiting Heads of State and for foreign ambassadors presenting their credentials.
The Guardia Mora was dissolved in 1956, after the incorporation of Spanish Morocco into the newly independent Kingdom of Morocco
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to the east, and t ...
The mounted Guard itself continued to serve with Spanish personnel only, under the title of "Guardia de Franco". Upon Franco’s death and the ascension of King
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
Juan Carlos I
Juan Carlos I (; Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 November 1975 until Abdication of Juan Carlos I, his abdic ...
as the head of state
A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 "
, the guard regiment formed the basis of the "Regiment of the Royal Guard" (''Regimiento de la Guardia Real''); the modern day Guardia Real.
he head of state
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads
* He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English
* He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana)
* Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...
being an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...See also
*Royal Guard (Spain)
The Royal Guard () is an independent regiment of the Spanish Armed Forces that is dedicated to the protection of the King of Spain and members of the Spanish royal family. It is currently composed of 1,500 troops. While the Guard participates in ...
* Spanish Army
The Spanish Army () is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest Standing army, active armies – dating back to the late 15th century.
The Spanish Army has existed ...
* Army of Africa (Spain)
The Army of Africa (, , Riffian; ''Aserdas n Tefriqt''), also known as the Army of Spanish Morocco ('), was a field army of the Spanish Army that garrisoned the Spanish protectorate in Morocco from 1912 until Morocco's independence in 1956.
...
* Francoist Spain
Francoist Spain (), also known as the Francoist dictatorship (), or Nationalist Spain () was the period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death i ...
Notes
{{reflistExternal links
Franco y su fiel Guardia Mora
Spanish only Spanish ceremonial units Military history of Spain Military units and formations of Spain Military units and formations of the Spanish Civil War (National faction) Spanish Army Military history of Morocco Military units and formations established in 1937 Military units and formations disestablished in 1956