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Camilo García de Polavieja

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is García de Polavieja and the second or maternal family name is del Castillo-Negrete.
The Most Excellent
The Marquess of Polavieja
Photograph by Kaulak
Minister of War of Spain
In office
March 4 – October 2, 1899
MonarchAlfonso XIII
Prime MinisterFrancisco Silvela
Preceded byMiguel Correa y García
Succeeded byMarcelo Azcárraga Palmero
General Director of the Civil Guard
In office
July 13 – November 23, 1903
MonarchAlfonso XIII
Prime MinisterFrancisco Silvela
Marquess of Pozo Rubio
Minister of GovernanceAntonio Maura
Antonio García Alix
Preceded byLuis de Pando y Sánchez
Succeeded byArsenio Linares y Pombo
Chief of Staff of the Army of Spain
In office
December 25, 1904 – March 19, 1906
MonarchAlfonso XIII
Prime MinisterMarcelo Azcárraga Palmero
Marquess of Pozo Rubio
Eugenio Montero Ríos
Segismundo Moret
Minister of WarCésar del Villar y Villate
Vicente Martitegui
Valeriano Weyler
Agustín de Luque y Coca
Preceded byPosition created
Succeeded byArsenio Linares y Pombo
Governor-General of the Philippines
In office
December 13, 1896 – April 15, 1897
MonarchAlfonso XIII
Preceded byRamón Blanco y Erenas
Succeeded byVicente Martitegui
Governor of Cuba
In office
August 24, 1890 – June 20, 1892
MonarchAlfonso XIII
Preceded byJosé Chinchilla
Succeeded byAlejandro Rodríguez Arias
Personal details
Born13 July 1838
Madrid, Spain
Died15 January 1914 (aged 75)
Madrid, Spain
Military service
Allegiance Kingdom of Spain
Rank
Battles/warsThird Carlist War, Ten Years' War, Philippine Revolution

Camilo García de Polavieja y del Castillo-Negrete, 1st Marquess of Polavieja (13 July 1838 – 15 January 1914) was a Spanish general, born in a family of merchants.[1] He was a competent commander, but considered as brutal as Valeriano Weyler of Cuba. He was one of the most relevant military officers of the time and a famous regeneracionista.

Early life and career

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He enlisted voluntarily in the Navarro Regiment in 1855, where he distinguished himself in Africa. He received the Cross of Isabelle Maria Lucia for gallantry. He then took part in the Ten Years' War in Cuba, where Spain sent 70,000 men, and the Third Carlist War.

He was Colonel of the Princess Regiment and promoted to brigadier general in 1876 before being sent to Cuba. In Cuba, he was made Field Marshal and received the Cross of Military Merit. In 1882, he returned to Spain and was made a member of the Supreme Council of War and Navy, captain general of Andalusia, and Supreme Chief of the Infantry Inspectorate.[1][2]

Puerto Rico and Cuba

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In 1888, Polavieja became governor-general of Puerto Rico, a post from which he resigned in 1889. A year later, in 1890, he was sent to succeed José Chinchilla as captain general of Cuba. Being one of the more competent administrators of the time, he resigned in 1892 as a protest against corruption of Francisco Romero Robledo, a well known politician for his corrupt practices, minister of Overseas during the premiership of Antonio Cánovas del Castillo. He was later known as the Butcher of Cuba.[2][3][4]

Governor General of the Philippines

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The revolution in Cuba led by Antonio Maceo Grajales inspired Philippine insurgents to revolt as well. Being the last important colony under control of Spain, the Spanish government tried to contain the Philippine Revolution under the administration of Ramon Blanco, Marquess of Peña Plata.

When the Philippine revolution broke out in August 1896, Polavieja was appointed second corporal and served as Blanco's second-in-command. However, his partnership with Blanco did not last long.[5]

The further spread of the insurgency in the Philippines led to the turnover of the post of governor general to Blanco's second-in-command, lieutenant general Polavieja. The Filipino historian Gregorio Zaide notes that Polavieja was installed with the help of powerful Spanish friars including the archbishop of Manila during that time.

As soon as he took over, he implemented many policies to curb corruption and improve the bureaucracy. He began repression in the form of deportations accompanied by promises of pardons and trials, many of these ending in capital punishment. Under Polavieja's direction, military operations began as soon as reinforcements arrived, and they actively pursued the rebels in their mountain bases.[5]

By August 1896, there were 500 soldiers in Manila and 700 in the rest of the archipelago. Native mercenaries numbered around 6,000. By January 1897, a total of 25,462 officers and men had arrived from Spain. Polavieja had an available force of over 12,000 men to suppress the rebels in Luzon alone. On February 13, 1897, he opened his first phase, the Cavite campaign. Polavieja advanced against the revolutionaries with 16,000 men armed with Spanish M93s, and one field battery. They were led by General José de Lachambre, and many of the soldiers he led were from Pampanga, fired during Blanco's administration. He had scarcely reconquered half of Cavite when he resigned, owing to disagreements with superiors in Madrid and his bad health.[5] He did, however, disperse every major rebel contingent in Cavite. Around 4,000 rebels died in jails of Manila.[4][6][7]

Rizal execution

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Polavieja oversaw the court martial and death of José Rizal on December 30, 1896. Twenty four more people were executed with Rizal.[8][9][10]

Polavieja faced condemnation by his countrymen after his return to Spain. While visiting Girona, circulars were distributed among the crowd bearing Rizal's last verses, his portrait, and the charge that Polavieja was responsible for the loss of the Philippines to the United States.[11] Ramon Blanco later presented his sash and sword to the Rizal family as an apology.[11]

Death

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He went back to Spain and went on to influence the Government of Spain. He declared preparation for a neutral or third party but his manifesto was prohibited for publication. He died of hepatitis in 1914.[1]

Media portrayal

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  • Portrayed by Tony Mabesa in the 1998 film, José Rizal.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "POLA VIEJA ISSUES A PROTEST.; Spanish General Likely to be the Head of a Neutral Party -- Old Parties Rotten, He Says" (PDF). The New York Times. September 8, 1898. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  2. ^ a b Payne, Stanley G. (1967). Politics and the military in modern Spain. Stanford University Press. p. 68. ISBN 9780804701280.
  3. ^ "Chronology of Spain in the Spanish–American War". Library of Congress. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Sakop Español Sa Pilipinas - 5".
  5. ^ a b c Lucero, Todd Sales. "Camilo de Polavieja: Rizal's executioner". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  6. ^ Joaquin, Nick (1990). Manila, My Manila. Vera-Reyes, Inc.
  7. ^ "True Version of the Philippine Revolution". 23 September 1899.
  8. ^ "Background". Philippine-American War, 1899-1902.
  9. ^ Offner, John L. (September 1992). An unwanted war: the diplomacy of the United States and Spain over Cuba, 1895–1898. The University of North Carolina Press. p. 320. ISBN 978-0-8078-4380-2.
  10. ^ "Katipunan - The World of 1898: The Spanish-American War (Hispanic Division, Library of Congress)". www.loc.gov.
  11. ^ a b Bahamonde Magro, Ángel y Cayuela Fernández, José Gregorio, Hacer las Américas. Las elites coloniales españolas en el siglo XIX. Alianza Editorial, 1992.
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Media related to Camilo García de Polavieja at Wikimedia Commons

Government offices
Preceded by Governor General of the Philippines
1896–1897 		Succeeded by
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