identifiedtheneedfora Spanishequivalent
to theFrenchForeignLegion,whichhadbeen
servingtheircountrysince1831.Theobjective
wasto provideaneffectivefrontlineforcein
whatwasbecominganincreasinglydifficultand
expensivecolonialwar.A secondmotivation
wasto raisea forceof well-trainedtroopsto
substituteforregulararmyconscripts.
In Millán-Astray’sownwords,“Alongcareer
in Africa,servingwiththeindigenouspolice
force,theregulararmyandtheSerrallo
InfantryRegiment[headquarteredin Spain’s
CeutaprotectoratewheretheLegionwas
raised],gaveriseto theideaof creatinga
ForeignLegion,takingintoaccounttheresults
obtainedbytheFrenchForeignLegionafter
theFirstWorldWar.Onemightadda noteof
self-confidence,in thatwebelievedourselves
capableof achievingequalsuccess.”Thenew
corpswasoriginallyknownastheForeign
Tercios,a namethatwasnotto thelikingof
Millán-Astray,whoproposedusingthename
Legion.Heremainedanofficerof unshakable
beliefsthroughouthiscareer.“TheState,”
hesaid,“isabsolutelysovereignwithinthe
confinesof itsnationalbordersandcando
whateverit deemsnecessaryto safeguardits
interests.Recruitingforeignersintotheranksis
a corollaryof thisprinciple.”
Quiteunexpectedly,Spain’s20thcentury
historybeganin Morocco.In 1909,anarmy
columnwasambushedneartheNorthAfrican
protectorateof Melilla,causingmorethan
1,000casualtiesamongSpanishtroops.
Defeatat thehandsof anemergingsuperpowerIn 1926Millán-Astraywaspromotedto Brigadier,
anhonourthathelpedmitigatethegriefof having
losthisrighteyeaswellashisleftarmin two
separateengagementswiththeRifguerrillas.
Hisdisabilityoncebecamethetargetof a
vitriolicattack,at whatis arguablythemost
celebratedpublicspeakingconfrontationin
modernSpanishhistory.AsanoratorMillán-
Astraywasrenownedforhisabilityto mesmerise
audiencesin SpainandacrossEurope.
In 1936,a fewmonthsaftertheoutbreakof
theSpanishCivilWar,Millán-Astrayshareda
platformat theUniversityof Salamancawithits
chancellor,theBasquenovelistandphilosopher
MigueldeUnamuno.Atonepoint,anoutburstof
patriotic,pro-Francoslogansechoedthroughthe
auditorium.ThiswasthecueforMillán-Astray
to leapto hisfeatandshout,“Longlivedeath!
Downwithintellectuals!”asa retortto a jibeby
Unamunoat hisopponent’sphysicaldisabilities.
“GeneralMillán-Astrayis aninvalid.Thereis no
needto saythiswithwhisperedtones.Heis an
invalidof war.”Hefollowedthisupbysaying,
“Youwillwin.Butyouwillnotwinover.Todothat,
it is necessaryto persuade.”This,heinsisted,
Millán-Astraywasincapableof achieving.Atthat,
Unamunostalkedoutof thehall,onthearmof
Franco’swifeCarmenPolo.Hewasplacedunder
housearrestanddiedtenweekslater.Millán-
Astraylivedonasa nationalherountil1954.‘LONG LIVE
DEATH!
DOWN WITH
INTELLECTUALS!’
liketheUSwasonething– themassacreof a
Spanisharmyunitbya bandof tribalguerrillas
constituteda humiliationthatrevealeda woeful
lackof trainingandproperequipment.There
wasmountingresistancethroughoutSpainto
young,inexperiencedrecruitsbeingshippedoff
to defenda NorthAfricanenclavethatmeant
littleif anythingto thepopulaceat large.
It wasthisunpopularwarthatpavedthe
wayforMillán-Astray’sinitiative.Oneof his
closestassociateswasa 28-year-oldsoldier
namedFranciscoFranco,whowasshortlyto
becomeEurope’syoungestarmygeneral.Franco
travelledto Madridfromhisheadquartersin the
northerncityof Oviedoin late 1920 to meetwith
Millán-Astray,whoappointedhimtheLegion’s
second-in-command.TheLegion’sfounder
laudedthefuturedictatorof Spainas“themost
distinguishedLegionnaire”.Recruitmentposters
beganto appearin railwaystations,public
squaresandmarkets,proclaiming,“Enlistin the
ForeignTercios!Spaniardsandforeigners,those
wholovethearmedforcesanditsglory,those
whowantto partakein campaigns– joinup!”
Theonlyrequirementforenlistmentwasa
maximumageof 40andgoodhealth.NoproofGeneralMillán-Astray
(right)andFrancisco
Franco,leaderanddeputy
of theSpanishLegionSpanishLegiontroopsand
armourduringtheRifWar,
in 1925A soldierof the
Legionduring
the‘Cristodela
BuenaMuerte’in
Jaen,Andalusia,
Spain, 2017“THE LEGION’S FOUNDER
LAUDED THE FUTURE DICTATOR
OF SPAIN AS “THE MOST
DISTINGUISHED LEGIONNAIRE”
SPAIN’S LEGIÓN