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Juan Francisco de Cárdenas

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Spanish diplomat
His ExcellencyJuan Francisco de Cárdenas
Photograph of Cárdenas, 1939
Spanish Ambassador to the United States
In office
1939–1947
Preceded byFernando de los Ríos
Succeeded byEduardo Propper de Callejón
In office
1932–1934
Preceded bySalvador de Madariaga
Succeeded byLuis Calderón y Martín
Spanish Ambassador to France
In office
1934–1936
Preceded byJosé María Aquinaga
Succeeded byLuis Araquistáin
Spanish Minister at Tokyo
In office
1931–1932
Preceded byLuis Dupuy de Lôme y Vidiella
Succeeded byPedro Antonio Satorras y Dameto
Personal details
BornJuan Francisco de Cárdenas y Rodríguez de Rivas
(1881-05-05)5 May 1881
Seville, Spain
Died16 January 1966(1966-01-16) (aged 84)
Madrid, Spain
SpouseLucienne Nano

Juan Francisco de Cárdenas y Rodríguez de Rivas (5 May 1881 – 16 January 1966) was a Spanish diplomat.

Early life

Cárdenas was born in Seville on 5 May 1881 to Juan de Cárdenas, a magistrate and a state councilor. A member of an earlier generation of his family, Francisco de Cárdenas, served as Spain's Minister of Justice.

After attending high school at the San Isidro Institute in Madrid, he was educated at the Universities of Salamanca and Seville.

Career

After receiving a law degree, he entered the diplomatic service at 22 as chargé d'affaires in Lisbon. In 1917, after a term in Mexico, he came to the United States serving as first secretary and counselor of the Spanish embassy in Washington, D.C. in the 1920s, and as chamberlain to King Alfonso XIII. He then served as Minister to Bucharest, the capital of Romania.

During the Second Republic, he was Spanish ambassador to Japan from 1931 to 1932, followed by ambassador in Washington, D.C. between 1932 and 1934. His appointment was met favorably in the United States, and a luncheon was given in his honor at the Newport, Rhode Island home of Mrs. Duncan E. Cameron. Among the attendess were Juan Riaño y Gayangos, the former Spanish diplomat who had married an American socialite and heiress.

After Washington, he served as ambassador to the French Republic between 1934 and 1936. After the coup d'état of July 1936 that began the Civil War, it did not take long before he joined the rebels. Despite initially maintaining the appearance of respect for the Republican order, he did everything possible to sabotage the request for weapons that had been made to the French head of government Léon Blum, delaying the processing of the request, which nevertheless was formalized on July 20. José Giral sent Fernando de los Ríos, who was in Geneva, to reinforce the request and to deal with the succession of resignations in the embassy. Cárdenas presented his resignation on July 23.

An aristocrat with monarchical inclinations, he was sent to perform the functions of informal diplomatic representative of the Francoist side in the United States, as "representative of the National government." He boasted of the change of editorial line favorable to Franco of La Nueva España publication from September 1937, pointing it out as his own merit. At the end of the war, he was again made Ambassador to the United States in 1939. He served as Ambassador until 1947 when he relinquished his post "as a result of the December, 1946 United Nations vote that demanded the replacement of the Franco regime with one 'deriving its authority from the governed' and recommended that all member nations recall their ambassadors from Madrid." After leaving the United States, he became rector of Spain's School of Diplomacy, holding that position until 1957 while remaining honorary director until his death in 1966.

Personal life

Photograph of Madame Nano and, Cárdenas' wife, Lucienne, c. 1923

On 27 June 1923, Cárdenas married Lucienne Nano, sister of Frederick Nano, the then secretary of the Romanian legation (who was later appointed Minister of Romania in the United States in 1926). His wife was considered "to be one of the most beautiful women in Washington".

Cárdenas died in Madrid on 16 January 1966. His funeral was held in Seville.

Honours

References

  1. ^ "JUAN CARDENAS, FORMER DIPLOMAT; Spain's Ambassador to U.S. in '30's and '40's Is Dead (Published 1966)". The New York Times. 22 January 1966. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Person - Cárdenas, Juan Francisco de (1881-1966)". pares.mcu.es. Portal de Archivos Españoles. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  3. ^ Kohler, Sue A. (1978). Sixteenth Street Architecture. Commission of Fine Arts. p. 479. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  4. "Cardenas Appointment Ratified". The New York Times. 19 January 1932. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  5. Times, Special to The New York (8 January 1932). "WASHINGTON APPROVES NEW SPANISH ENVOY; Cardenas, Minister to Tokyo, Is Acceptable -- Madrid Cabinet Yet to Ratify Selection". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  6. "Diplomatic Representation for the Kingdom of Spain". 2009-2017.state.gov. Office of the Historian, Foreign Service Institute United States Department of State. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  7. TIMES, Special to THE NEW YORK (30 August 1932). "LUNCHEON IS GIVEN ENVOY IN NEWPORT; Don Juan F. de Cardenas, Ambassador of Spain, Honor Guest of Mrs. Duncan E. Cameron. W. F. WHITEHOUSES HOSTS Princess Brinda of India Is Visiting the Lorillard Spencers -- Mrs. M. Ferry Entertains". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  8. TIMES, Special to THE NEW YORK (3 April 1934). "SPAIN TO SHIFT ENVOY.; Senor Cardenas, Ambassador, to Leave Washington for Paris". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  9. "NEW ENVOY THANKS FRIENDS OF FRANCO; Cardenas, in First Address Here, Expresses Gratitude to Those Who Aided Cause LAUDS FOES OF SOVIET Without Mentioning Reich or Italy, He Gives Thanks for Help Against Communism". The New York Times. 16 April 1939. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  10. TIMES, Special to THE NEW YORK (17 September 1946). "De Cardenas Back in Madrid". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  11. TIMES, Special to THE NEW YORK (8 May 1943). "Spain More Determined To Keep Out, Envoy Says". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  12. Times., Special to The New York (28 April 1923). "Nano--de Cardenas". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  13. Espil, Courtney Letts de (1967). La esposa del embajador: diez años en la embajada argentina en Washington, 1933-1943 (in Spanish). J. Alvarez. p. 13. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  14. "Diplomatic beauty : Senora de Cardenas". The Chicago Tribune. 27 Mar 1932. Retrieved 10 May 2024.

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