Manuel Azaña
Azaña, Manuel
Born Jan. 10, 1880, in Alcalá de Henares; died Nov. 4, 1940, in Montauban, France. Spanish political leader and man of letters.
Azaña participated in the Pact of San Sebastián (1930) and in that same year founded the Republican Action Party (1930–34). After the republic was established, he became war minister in 1931, and from 1931 to 1933 he was head of the government. In April 1934 he became the leader of the Left Republican Party, which joined the Frente Popular in 1936 Following the latter’s victory in the elections of Feb. 16, 1936, Azaña became head of the government, and subsequently, from May 1936 to Mar. 1, 1939, was president of the republic. During the period of the National Revolutionary War (1936–39), Azaña was the actual leader of the right wing of the Frente Popular. After the victory of Franco’s forces, he emigrated to France.