World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseAgustín Muñoz Grandes was born in Madrid, Spain. He enrolled at the Toledo Infantry Academy, graduating in 1915. Upon graduation, he was sent to Spanish Morocco and took part in the Battle of Alhucemas. Although he was not satisfied with the government and sympathized with the Nationalist faction, his loyalty prevented him from acting against it. When the Spanish Civil began, he was detained due to his known sympathies for the Nationalists, imprisoned for months and condemned to death. Several of his former subordinates in the police helped him escape, and he joined the Nationalists. He was initially given the post of the Secretary General, but he soon resigned due to his dislike of politics. He was then given the responsibility of commanding Spanish troops near Gibraltar. He commanded the Spanish Legionnaires during the Feb 1937 Battle of Málaga. In Jun 1941, after the German invasion of Russia, many Spaniards, fiercely anti-communist, volunteered to fight under the German banner. The División Azul, or the Blue Division, was formed and sent to Germany for military training, eventually becoming the German 250th Infantry Division. Known as a fierce supporter of the Nazi German government for its effectiveness in governing the industrial and economic sphere, Muñoz Grandes was appointed the commanding officer of the 250th Infantry Division. On the Eastern Front, he continued to be known, as before in the Spanish Civil War, to be a charismatic leader. He could rarely be seen wearing his medals; to the contrary, he would often wore a yellow scarf around his neck, which became his signature appearance, against German uniform regulations. On 12 Dec 1942, he handed command over to General Emilio Esteban Infantes; he was awarded the Knight's Cross award, with Oak Leaves personally added by Adolf Hitler. In 1945, he was appointed the commanding general of I Military District. In 1950, he became the Minister of Defense. During the Cold War, he was a firm supporter of cooperating with the United States in the fight against communism. Between 1962 and 1967, he was the first Vice President of the Government of Spain.

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Agustín Muñoz Grandes Timeline

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