Rafael del Riego

Rafael del Riego there Nuñez , born the April 9th 1784 with Santa Maria de Tunas in the Asturies and dead the November 7th 1823, was a Spanish general and a liberal politician.

Origin

Del Riego was born the April 9th 1784 (or, according to other sources, the November 24th 1785), of a noble and cultivated asturienne family and of father gentleman and poet. It makes its studies at the university of Oviedo.

Franco-Spanish wars

During the French invasion of 1807, it leaves for Madrid, where it joined the army to enlist in the regiment of Asturies. In 1808, during the war of Spanish independence, it was captured by the French and was imprisoned with the palate of Escurial, from where it then managed to escape.

The November 10th, it took part in the Bataille of Espinosa, after which it was still made prisoner. Three days later, it was sent in France, and finally released. It benefitted from it to travel in England and in the German States, before turning over in Spain in 1814 to join the army again, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel in his old regiment.

Civil war

During the six years of Absolute monarchy which the Spain knew, it joined the Francs Masons and the liberals in a vast movement of conspiracy against the king Ferdinand VII.

In 1819, the king set up 10 battalions to go to fight the independence movements in South America. The portion of this body of the Asturies where it ordered was directed towards Cadiz, as belonging to the army intended for a forwarding against the colonies of America which one thought of reconquering.

However, after its arrival with Cadiz, Riego, which had been affiliated with the plot woven by the colonels Quiroga, Arcos-Aguero and Lopez-Baños, took care, after the arrest of these chiefs, betrayed and denounced by the Count of Abisbal, of raising the standard of the insurrection.

It organized a mutiny on January 1st 1820 where it proclaims, at the village of Las Cabezas-to-San-Juan, where its battalion is stationed, the re-establishment of the Constitution of Cadiz (constitution of 1812). It immediately will propagate the movement given to Arcos, then to Ascala-of-mow-Gazulès, where it delivers Quiroga, and, in.liaison.with this one, directs its forces, without delay increased, towards work of Cortadura, spit of land which links Cadiz in the continent. This conflict was indicated later by the historians under the name of Guerre of Spain of 1820-1823.

After attempts whose single result was the catch of an arsenal, Riego was determined to undertake an invasion in the interior of the kingdom. To the head of 1.500 men, it goes towards Algésiras, crosses all the Andalusia. The troops of Riego went on the main cities of Andalusia, in the hope to cause an insurrection anti-royalist, but the local population expressed a certain indifference. On the other hand a revolt burst in Galicia and was propagated quickly through the Spain.

Success

It is continued until Malaga by a body, under the orders of the general count O'Donnell, and maltreated there, enough in a combat which it could not avoid. The March 7th 1820, the royal palace of Madrid was encircled by the soldiers of the general Ballesteros, and as of the March 10th, the king agreed to restore the constitution.

He was going to be abandoned almost all them his, when he learns (March 1820) that finally the proclaimed constitution with Corogne and Madrid has just been accepted by the king. This prince did not scorn to lavish marks of his benevolence with Riego, whose walk to Madrid had a kind of triumphal solemnity.

The new government “ progressist ” raised Riego with the rank of Brigadier and named it captain-general of the Galicia. The January 8th 1821, it accepted the command of the Aragon, and left for Saragossa. The June 18th of the same year, it married his/her cousin Maria Teresa del Riego there Bustillos.

However a reaction was felt soon in the walk of the government; it was highly unproved by Riego. The September 4th 1821, following the failure of a republican insurrection, it was marked wrongly of Républicanisme and imprisoned. He lives himself relieved and sent in exile to Lérida, under the pretext of a democratic movement which burst with Saragossa, chief town of his government.

This disgrace, of which it stopped the continuations by publishing a justifying Report of its control, increased at such point the popularity of Riego, which its name became among the Comuneros a rallying cry. Demonstrations took place with Madrid to claim its release. The elections of March 1822 carried it to the the Cortes Generales , the Spanish Parliament, which accelerated its coming out of prison. It sat there then for the first time; it was at once named president, and discharged by it its functions with more talent than it had been hoped for.

In December 1822, with the congress of Vérone, the countries of the the Holy Alliance judged that a republican Spain would be a threat for European balance, and there the France was indicated to go to reintroduce the Absolute monarchy.

Foreign intervention

The April 7th 1823, the French Army crosses the border. With the approach of the French Army, Riego voted, in accordance with a express article of the constitution, the temporary suspension of the royal authority at the same time as that of the assembly of the the Cortes , which one and the other were replaced by a regency during the translation of the government of Seville to Cadiz. Riego took the command of the 3rd Army, and resisted to the invaders with the support of local loyal supporters groups. Envoy then to replace the general Zaias in the command of the troops stationed with Malaga, it there unloaded the August 17th, brings together at once 3.000 men, whom it led towards quarterings of Ballesteros, made stop this general by his soldiers after being itself assured that it betrayed the cause of the the Cortes , but itself was seen obliged to give up its company by the arrival of a French division.

Failures in failures, it was folded up towards province of Jaén, hoping to gain the mountains; the enemy did not leave him time of them: another French body, started from Andujar, it placed between two fires. His were relaxed; it was seriously wounded, and managed only with sorrow to escape its winners. The unfortunate general, only accompanied by two officers, wandered initially during two days without guide through the least attended paths; and soon after, a hermit of the Torrer-of-Pedro-Gil and an inhabitant of Vilches, that the need had obliged it to take for drivers, hastened to deliver it the September 15th with his companions to the magistrate of Arquillos, and this Alcade made them lead all three garrottés to the Caroline. Torn off with the dungeons of this city on the complaint of a French officer to be directed on the general headquarter with Andujar, Riego was delivered to him to only be given almost at once to the agents of the party of which it had so liberally deserved the relentless hatred.

Death sentence

One sent it to Madrid to be judged, and it is worthy of remark that one was satisfied, to establish the procedure, owing to the fact that it had voted the suspension of the king in Cadiz. Although a general amnesty was issued, the royal court considered Riego guilty of treason, since it was one of the members of the Parliament being expressed in favor of the reduction of the prerogatives of the king.

The November 4th 1823, in the middle of the night, Riego was transferred to the Prison from the Tower; the following day at midday, one led it to the vault, assisted of two monks. The November 7th 1823, at midday and half, the victim was trailed with the scaffold in the middle of the cries of wild and sanguinary rabble. It was hung on the Place of Cebada, with Madrid. The evening, its corpse was transported in a close church and was buried with the Campo Santo by the Confrérie of Charity.

The torment of Riego did much feeling in France and England. The wife of the general and his uncle, Don Miguel del Riego, canon of Oviedo, which had taken refuge with London, solicited by letters the ambassador of France, Mr. the Prince de Polignac, and the Foreign Minister of France, for the purpose of obtaining the intervention of the government of S. m.t. C. near Ferdinand VII in favor of the Riego general. The French ambassador answered with some courtesy, but the Foreign Minister did not condescend to make any answer.

Himno de Riego , a song written with the memory of Riego, became the anthem of the second Spanish republic (1931 - 1939). Its portrait is always fixed on the Parliament.

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