Rafael García Valiño
Birth name	Rafael García Valiño
Born	(1898-10-24)24 October 1898 Colunga,Kingdom of Spain
Died	29 June 1972(1972-06-29) (aged 73) Madrid,Francoist Spain
Allegiance	Kingdom of Spain Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain
Branch	Spanish Army
Rank	General
Conflicts	Rif War Spanish Civil War Invasion of Val d'Aran

Rafael García Valiño (24 October 1898 – 29 June 1972) was aSpanisharmy officer who fought in theSpanish Civil War for theNationalist faction.

He was born inToledo, and enrolled in the Infantry Academy at age fifteen. In 1916, he earned his commission as alieutenant, volunteering to fight in theSpanish Army of Africa. InMorocco, he was wounded several times and was promoted tomajor due to his field performance. In 1935, he studied in the Superior Military School.

The outbreak of the Civil War surprised him, as he was spending the summer on theBasque coast. He crossed Republican lines to reachPamplona to join up with the Nationalist Army of the North, led byEmilio Mola. He commanded severalCarlist units, and with the1st Brigade of Navarre participated in the campaign of the North. After he was promoted to colonel, he commanded the 1st Division of Navarre, with which he fought inTeruel^[1] and in the campaign ofAragon, along with those of Aranda, to the Mediterranean, thus cutting the Republican zone in two. He also commanded an army corps in theXYZ battle,^[2] in theBattle of Ebro^[3] and participated in the offensive ofCatalonia.^[4] He led the Maestrazgo Army in thefinal offensive of the Spanish Civil War.^[5]

After the Civil War, he was named commander-in-chief ofMelilla. In 1942, he becameChief of Staff of the Army. In 1944, he participated in the fighting against theValle de Aran's invasion by theSpanish Maquis.^[6] In 1947, he was promoted to lieutenant general and in charge of the captainship of the VII Military district. From 1951 to 1956, he wasHigh Commissioner of theSpanish protectorate in Morocco.^[7] In 1957, he was named director of the Superior School of the Army and, later, commander in chief of the First Military district, a position that he occupied until 1964.

In 1965, he establishedAir Spain together with theBanco del Noroeste and his relativesJosé Maria Rivero de Aguilar and Colonel Carbó.^[8]

• Beevor, Antony (2006).The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939. London:Penguin Books.ISBN 978-0-14-303765-1.
• Thomas, Hugh (2001).The Spanish Civil War. London:Penguin Books.ISBN 978-0-14-101161-5.

• 1898 births
• 1972 deaths
• People from Toledo, Spain
• Generals of Spain
• Spanish military personnel of the Rif War
• Spanish military personnel of the Spanish Civil War (National faction)
• Spanish military personnel of World War II
• People from Francoist Spain

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