Besteiro y Fernández, Julián

Born Sept. 21, 1870, in Madrid; died 1940. Spanish political figure; professor of philosophy at the University of Madrid from 1912.

From 1915, Besteiro was a leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (SSWP) and the General Union of Workers (GUW). He was chairman of the SSWP from 1925 to 1931 and of the GUW from 1925 to 1931 and 1932 to 1933. During the Spanish Revolution of 1931–39, he was president of the Constituent Cortes of the republic (1931–33). He headed the right wing of the SSWP. In March 1939 he took part in the counterrevolutionary government revolt of Colonel Casado. After the victory of Franco’s forces, he was arrested and died in prison.