Juan Vigón (general)

For the Mexican footballer, see Juan Pablo Vigón.

Juan Vigón

Juan Vigón Suerodíaz 1880–1955) was a Spanish general who fought in the Spanish Civil War for the Nationalists.

Vigón was born in Colunga, Asturias, Spain. Before the war he was chosen by king Alfonso XIII to educate his sons, which he did from November 1925 to 1930. At the beginning of the Second Spanish Republic (14 April 1931) he left the army due to his monarchist sympathies. With just a brief return to the army during the 1934 revolution, he kept out of the army, as lieutenant-colonel in reserve, until the Spanish Civil War broke out on 18 July 1936. In Argentina at the outbreak of the war, he returned to Spain where his first military position was as Chief of Staff of Coronel Beorlegui, in the Campaign of Guipúzcoa. Later on he was nominated as Colonel of Staff during the Battle of Bilbao and was the architect of the "Northern Campaign" as a member of the General Staff. He was awarded the Military Medal and became General after the "Northern Campaign", became commander's chief of staff at the Aragon Offensive. After the war was Minister of the Air Force, Lieutenant-General and, until his death at Madrid in 1955, president of the Nuclear Energy Board, and of the Aeronautical Technic National Institute. Franco granted him a posthumous marquisate.