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Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja (Jerez, January 8, 1870 - Paris, March 16, 1930) was a Spanish military official who ruled Spain as a dictator from 1923 to 1930, ending the turno system of alternating parties.
Born into a wealthy family, he entered the Spanish army and fought in Spain's colonial wars in Morocco, Cuba, and the Philippines. Primo de Rivera held several important military posts after World War 1, which included the captain-generalship of Valencia, Madrid, and Barcelona. He became the Marques de Estella with the death of his uncle in 1921. He rose to power in a coup in September 1923 with the support of the army, along with assistance from the latifundists. He was approved and recognized by King Alfonso XIII of Spain, who named him Prime Minister.
Primo de Rivera suspended the constitution, established martial law, imposed strict censorship, and banned all political parties, though some survived clandestinely. Then he founded Unión Patriótica, creating a one party system.
During his rule, the philosopher Miguel de Unamuno was confined to Fuerteventura island. Unamuno escaped and continued his opposition efforts.
Primo de Rivera attempted to reduce unemployment by spending money on public works, but the government expenditures caused rapid inflation. He eventually lost the support of the military and stepped down in January 1930. A republic was established a little more than a year later. A few months after the end of his rule, he died in Paris from diabetes.
His son, the lawyer José Antonio Primo de Rivera, founded the totalitarian party Falange. His daughter Pilar Primo de Rivera founded the female branch of Falange.
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