# Juan Modesto

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{{short description|Spanish military officer}}
{{family name hatnote|Guilloto|León|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox military person
| name          = Juan Modesto
| image         = Juan Modesto.jpg
| image_size    = 
| caption       = 
| nickname      = ''Modesto''
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1906|09|24|df=yes}}
| birth_place   = [El Puerto de Santa María](/source/El_Puerto_de_Santa_Mar%C3%ADa), [Cádiz](/source/Province_of_Cadiz), [Kingdom of Spain](/source/Restoration_(Spain))
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1969|04|16|1906|09|24|df=yes}}
| death_place   = [Prague](/source/Prague), [Czechoslovakia](/source/Czechoslovakia)
| burial_place  = 
| birth_name    = Juan Guilloto León
| allegiance    = {{flag|Spanish Republic}} (1936–1939)<br />{{flag|Soviet Union}} (1939–1945)
| branch        = [Spanish Army](/source/Spanish_Army)<br />[Spanish Republican Army](/source/Spanish_Republican_Army)<br />[Red Army](/source/Red_Army)
| service_years = 1936–1945
| rank          = [Brigadier General](/source/Brigadier_General)
| unit          = 
| commands      = [Fifth Regiment](/source/Fifth_Regiment) (1936),<br> Army of the North (1937),<br> 5th Army Corps (1937–1938),<br> [Army of the Ebro](/source/Army_of_the_Ebro) (1938),<br> Army of the Centre (March 1939)
| battles       = [Spanish Civil War](/source/Spanish_Civil_War)
* [Siege of Madrid](/source/Siege_of_Madrid)
* [Second Battle of the Corunna Road](/source/Second_Battle_of_the_Corunna_Road)
* [Battle of Jarama](/source/Battle_of_Jarama)
* [Battle of Belchite](/source/Battle_of_Belchite_(1937))
* [Battle of Brunete](/source/Battle_of_Brunete)
* [Battle of Teruel](/source/Battle_of_Teruel)
* [Battle of Ebro](/source/Battle_of_Ebro)
* [Catalonia Offensive](/source/Catalonia_Offensive)
[Second World War](/source/Second_World_War)
| awards        = 
| relations     = 
| other_work    = 
}}

'''Juan Guilloto León''', usually referred to as '''Modesto''' or '''Juan Modesto''' (24 September 1906 &ndash; 16 April 1969), was a [Republican](/source/Second_Spanish_Republic) army officer during the [Spanish Civil War](/source/Spanish_Civil_War).

==Biography==
===Early life===
Born at [El Puerto de Santa María](/source/El_Puerto_de_Santa_Mar%C3%ADa) in [Cádiz](/source/Province_of_Cadiz), Juan Guilloto worked at a sawmill before joining the Spanish Army. He served in [Morocco](/source/Spanish_Morocco), becoming a corporal of the [Regulares](/source/Regulares) colonial troops based in [Larache](/source/Larache).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://guerracivildiadia.blogspot.com/2014/02/juan-modesto-1906-1969.html|title = Guerra Civil Española dia a dia: Juan Modesto (1906-1969)|date = 15 February 2014}}</ref>

Juan Guilloto was affiliated with the [Communist Party of Spain](/source/Communist_Party_of_Spain) (PCE) from 1930, and in 1933 he was placed in charge of the ''[Milicias Antifascistas Obreras y Campesinas](/source/Milicias_Antifascistas_Obreras_y_Campesinas)'' (''MAOC'') in [Madrid](/source/Madrid), which constituted a paramilitary force for the Party.<ref>Thomas, Hugh. (2001). ''The Spanish Civil War.'' Penguin Books. London. p.310</ref> He organized the ''Sindicato de Oficios Varios y el Socorro Rojo'', which coordinated relations with the [Socorro Rojo Internacional](/source/Socorro_Rojo_Internacional).

===Spanish Civil War===
When the Spanish Civil War broke out in July 1936, Juan Guilloto participated in the [assault of Cuartel de la Montaña](/source/Siege_of_Cuartel_de_la_Monta%C3%B1a), and the [Battle of Guadarrama](/source/Battle_of_Guadarrama) fought in the [Guadarrama Mountain Range](/source/Guadarrama_Mountain_Range). He was one of the leaders of [Fifth Regiment](/source/Fifth_Regiment), becoming its commander from October 1936 onwards. He fought in [Talavera de la Reina](/source/Battle_of_Talavera_de_la_Reina_(1936)), [Santa Olalla](/source/Santa_Olalla) and [Illescas](/source/Illescas%2C_Toledo) (September 1936), the [defense of Madrid](/source/Siege_of_Madrid) and the [Second battle of the Corunna Road](/source/Second_Battle_of_the_Corunna_Road),<ref>Beevor, Antony. ''The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939.'' Penguin Books. London. 2006. p. 191</ref> as well as in the [Battle of Jarama](/source/Battle_of_Jarama) (February 1937).<ref>Beevor, Antony. ''The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939.'' Penguin Books. London. 2006. pp.212-214</ref>

Juan Guilloto was promoted to lieutenant colonel of the [Popular Army](/source/Spanish_Republican_Army) and commander of [5th Army Corps](/source/V_Army_Corps_(Spain)), participating in the battles of [Belchite](/source/Battle_of_Belchite_(1937)), [Brunete](/source/Battle_of_Brunete) (July) and [Teruel](/source/Battle_of_Teruel)<ref>Preston, Paul. ''The Spanish Civil War. Reaction, Revolution & Revenge.'' Harper Perennial. 2006. London. p. 280</ref> (December 1937 and January 1938). On 26 August 1938, he was promoted to colonel<ref>Beevor, Antony. ''The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939.'' Penguin Books. London. 2006. p. 356</ref> and became head of the [Army of the Ebro](/source/Army_of_the_Ebro).<ref>Preston, Paul. ''The Spanish Civil War. Reaction, Revolution & Revenge.'' Harper Perennial. 2006. London. p. 288</ref> 

After the fall of [Catalonia](/source/Catalonia_Offensive) to the rebel army, [Negrín](/source/Juan_Negr%C3%ADn) named Modesto general and head of the Central Army on March 2, 1939.<ref>Jackson, Gabriel. ''The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-1939.'' Princeton University Press. Princeton. 1967. p.468</ref>

=== The Battles around Madrid ===
At the end of August, he moved to the [province of Toledo](/source/province_of_Toledo), where he led a battalion, trying to contain the Franco advance towards [Madrid](/source/Madrid). It was distinguished especially in the fights with the troops of the [Army of Africa](/source/Army_of_Africa_(Spain)) along the [Tagus river](/source/Tagus_River) during their advance towards Madrid, highlighting his interventions in [Talavera](/source/Talavera_de_la_Reina), [Santa Olalla](/source/Santa_Olalla), Toledo or Illescas. During the fighting in the Talavera-Santa Olalla area, he revealed himself as an authentic military chief by coordinating the actions of the militias and regular units ([Guardias de asalto](/source/Guardia_de_Asalto)) under his command. In November he stood out again during the [siege of Madrid](/source/siege_of_Madrid) and in January 1939 during the [fight for Barcelona](/source/Fall_of_Barcelona_(1939)).

===Exile===

After [Casado's coup](/source/Casado's_coup)'s, on 6 March Modesto left Spain in an airplane.<ref>Beevor, Antony. ''The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939.'' Penguin Books. London. 2006. p. 393</ref> Then he went to the [Soviet Union](/source/Soviet_Union), whose government recognized his military rank. 

During [World War II](/source/World_War_II), he served with the [Red Army](/source/Red_Army) and the [Bulgarian Communist](/source/Bulgarian_Communist_Party) forces. Defeated in the struggle with [José Díaz](/source/Jos%C3%A9_D%C3%ADaz_(Spanish_politician)) for control of the PCE, he went to [Prague](/source/Prague).

Modesto wrote a book about his experience during the war in the 5th Regiment, titled ''Soy del Quinto Regimento'' (English: ''I am of the [Fifth Regiment](/source/Fifth_Regiment)''), published in Paris in 1969.<ref>[http://www.rolfknight.ca/Traces.pdf TRACES OF MAGMA] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200119144249/http://rolfknight.ca/Traces.pdf |date=2020-01-19 }}, by Rolf Knight, Page 129</ref> He died in Prague in 1969.

==See also==
*[Antifascist Worker and Peasant Militias](/source/Antifascist_Worker_and_Peasant_Militias) (MAOC)
*[Eastern Region Army Group](/source/Eastern_Region_Army_Group) (GERO)

== Published works ==
* {{Cite book
  |last1=Modesto
  |first1=Juan
  |authorlink1=Juan Modesto
  |year=1978
  |title=Soy del Quinto Regimiento: Notas de la Guerra Espanola
  |trans-title=I am of the Fifth Regiment: Notes on the Spanish War
  |location=
  |publisher=
  |isbn=8472223639
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*Beevor, Antony. ''The battle for Spain. The Spanish civil war, 1936-1939.'' Penguin Books. 2006. London. {{ISBN|978-0-14-303765-1}}.
*Jackson, Gabriel. ''The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-1939.'' Princeton University Press. 1967. Princeton. {{ISBN|978-0-691-00757-1}}
*Preston, Paul.'' The Spanish Civil War. Reaction, revolution & revenge.'' Harper Perennial. 2006. London. {{ISBN|978-0-00-723207-9}} {{ISBN|0-00-723207-1}}
*Thomas, Hugh. ''The Spanish Civil War.'' Penguin Books. 2001. London. {{ISBN|978-0-14-101161-5}}

{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Modesto, Juan}}
Category:1906 births
Category:1969 deaths
Category:People from El Puerto de Santa María
Category:Communist Party of Spain politicians
Category:Spanish generals
Category:Spanish military personnel of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction)
Category:Spanish military personnel of World War II
Category:Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in the Soviet Union
Category:Soviet military personnel of World War II
Category:Immigrants to Czechoslovakia
Category:People granted political asylum in the Soviet Union

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Juan Modesto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Modesto) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Modesto?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.