José Millán Astray

José Millán Astray (1879-1954) was the founder and first commander of the Spanish Foreign Legion, a prominent Nationalist leader during the Spanish Civil War, and a major early figure of Francisco Franco's Regime in Spain. During the war, he earned the reputation as a fierce and violent fanatic for the cause. He was Franco's Minister of Press and Propaganda for a time, before he was embroiled in an adulterous scandal. He was quietly exiled to Spain by Franco, and fell into relative obscurity until his death.

José Millán Astray in Hitler's War
José Millán Astray had earned a fearsome reputation before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. In 1936, on the flight from Lisbon to Burgos, José Sanjurjo, having agreed to leave behind his wardrobe as a safety precaution, idly wondered who could possibly replace him in the event of his death. He suggested Millán Astray as a possible candidate to his pilot, Major Juan Antonio Ansaldo. Both were amused by this idea, although Ansaldo felt some horror at the idea of "skeletal fanatic" such as Millán Astray as leading the country.