Ricardo Burillo

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Ricardo Burillo Stholle
Born	27 March 1891 Córdoba, Spain
Died	21 July 1939 (aged 48) Madrid, Francoist Spain
Nationality	Spanish

Ricardo Burillo Stholle (27 March 1891 – 21 July 1939) was a Spanish police and military officer who played an important role during the Spanish Civil War. As the police chief in Barcelona, he was responsible for the repression and dismantling of the POUM in 1937. Throughout the war, he became commander of several military units, such as the 9th Division, the III Army Corps and the Extremaduran Army.

In Franco's historiography, he has been identified as one of the top Republican leaders who was responsible for the

, an accusation that Burillo always rejected.

Life

Burillo was born in Córdoba on March 27, 1891, within an aristocratic and conservative family. Ricardo Burillo is described by the historian Hugh Thomas as a "leftist, puritanical, anticlerical and romantic aristocrat"

Second Republic

Burillo entered the army, where he reached the rank of infantry commander. He participated in the Rif War. Once the Second Republic was established, he became part of the Security and Assault Corps. In July 1936, he was commander of the 2nd Assault Group based at the Pontejos barracks, attached to the Ministry of the Interior building – in the middle of Puerta del Sol in Madrid. During the Second Republic period he was an active member of the Republican Anti-Fascist Military Union (UMRA).

On 12 July, he was on duty at the Pontejos barracks when he was surprised by the murder of Lieutenant

, although he always denied any connection with the fact. However, for historians such as the Irish Hispanicist Ian Gibson, such an accusation is baseless and totally unfounded.

Civil War

Once the Civil War began, he remained loyal to the Republican government and at the head of his Assault group, participated in the assault on the Montaña Barracks, which had declared itself in rebellion. Once the uprising in Madrid was controlled, he and his men formed the so-called "Column Burillo" together with numerous militiamen and headed to the Madrid highlands, where they would conquer the Port of Navacerrada. For his participation in these actions, he would be promoted to lieutenant colonel.

Later, he went south, where he participates in the last operations of the Siege of the Alcázar, which until then had all been unsuccessful. Once Toledo fell into revolted hands, Burillo was present in different actions of the Front of the center, trying to put order among the militiamen in his column who were demoralized. Later, he participated with his column in the defense of Madrid. At the end of 1936 his column – which would later be militarized and converted into the 45th Mixed Brigade – left the leadership; He went on to lead the newly created 9th Division. With this unit he will be present in some sectors of the Madrid Front, until February 1937, when the start of a Francoist offensive to the south of Madrid occurs. To stop it, the Republicans organized two defense groups: one of them was under the command of Burillo and depended on the Army of the Center under the command of General Sebastián Pozas.

By this time he began to show open sympathy for the Communists; Some time later he confessed to the President of the Republic,

— were arrested on charges of Francoist espionage. Months later, he ceased in this position, returning to military positions.

During 1937, he managed to lead Army Corps III and XXII. On November 24, 1937, he assumed command of the newly created Extremaduran Army. He will be in charge of this unit for a long time, on a front that is hardly distinguished by relevant military actions. However, in the summer of 1938, the Army of the South under the command of General Queipo de Llano reactivated the Extremadura front with several offensives that caused the consecutive collapse of the Republican lines. The Francoist troops will be able to conquer large territories and take a significant number of prisoners, in addition to exposing the ineffectiveness of the Extremaduran Army. Indicated for not having lived up to the circumstances, the military disasters in Extremadura caused his sudden dismissal on July 25.

Postwar and Shooting

He was taken prisoner by the new Franco regime after the end of the war. Apparently he was arrested in the port of

, something that he would deny from his trial until the day of his death. Judged by a very summary court martial, he was sentenced to three death sentences. He would executed by firing squad in 1940. On his grave, which is located in the Almudena cemetery in Madrid, the date of death is July 21, 1939.

Bibliography

• ISBN 9781107028739
  .
• Álvarez Fernández, José Ignacio (2007). Memoria y trauma en los testimonios de la represión franquista. Barcelona: Anthropos.
• Arasa, Daniel (2008). Historias curiosas del franquismo. Barcelona: Ediciones Robinbook.
• ISBN 9788495379092
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• Bolloten, Burnett (1991). The Spanish Civil War: Revolution and Counterrevolution. University of North Carolina Press.
• Cardona, Gabriel (1986). La guerra militar. La guerra de las columnas. Historia 16.
• de Paz Sánchez, Manuel (2004). Militares masones de España: diccionario biográfico del siglo XX. UNED Alzira-Valencia.
• Gibson, Ian (1982). La noche en que mataron a Calvo Sotelo. Argos Vergara.
• ISBN 9788489492479
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• Martínez Bande, José Manuel (1982). La Marcha sobre Madrid. Madrid: Editorial San Martín.
• ISBN 978-84-306-0487-6
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• Moreno Gómez, Francisco (1985). "La Guerra civil en Córdoba (1936-1939)". Córdoba: Alpuerto. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• ISBN 0-300-10068-X
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• Preston, Paul (2013). El Holocausto Español. Odio y Exterminio en la Guerra Civil y después. Barcelona: Debolsillo.
• ISBN 978-0-8108-8009-2
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• ISBN 84-226-0874-X
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• Zaragoza, Cristóbal (1983). Ejército Popular y Militares de la República, 1936-1939. Barcelona: Ed. Planeta.

Predecessor: —	Comandante de la Columna Burillo julio - noviembre de 1936	Successor: Antonio Rúbert de la Iglesia
Predecessor: —	Comandante de la 9.ª División diciembre de 1936 - febrero de 1937	Successor: Juan Arce Mayora
Predecessor: —	Comandante del III Cuerpo de Ejército 4 de marzo - 20 de mayo de 1937	Successor: Armando Álvarez Álvarez
Predecessor: —	Comandante del XXII Cuerpo de Ejército septiembre - noviembre de 1937	Successor: Juan Ibarrola Orueta
Predecessor: —	Comandante del Ejército de Extremadura 24 de noviembre de 1937 - 25 de julio de 1938	Successor: Adolfo Prada Vaquero

Predecessor: —	Commander of the Column Burillo July - November 1936	Successor: Antonio Rúbert de la Iglesia
Predecessor: —	Commander of the 9th Division December 1936 - February 1937	Successor: Juan Arce Mayora
Predecessor: —	Commander of III Army Corps 4 March - 20 May 1937	Successor: Armando Álvarez Álvarez
Predecessor: —	Commander of XXII Army Corps September - November 1937	Successor: Juan Ibarrola Orueta
Predecessor: —	Comandante del Ejército de Extremadura 24 November 1937 - 25 July 1938	Successor: Adolfo Prada Vaquero