Francisco Elías de Tejada y Spínola Gómez (April 6, 1917 – February 18, 1978) was a Spanish scholar and a Carlist politician. He is considered one of top intellectuals of the Francoist era, though not necessarily of Francoism. As theorist of law he represented the school known as iusnaturalismo, as historian of political ideas he focused mostly on Hispanidad, and as theorist of politics he pursued a Traditionalist approach. As a Carlist he remained an ideologue rather than a political protagonist.
Family and youth
The Tejada family originated from Genoa; its branch moved to Naples and in the late Middle Ages to the Spanish La Rioja,Jacek Bartyzel, Karlista w "Caudilandii". Francisco Elías de Tejada wobec frankizmu, [in:] Jacek Bartyzel, Nic bez Boga, nic wbrew tradycji, Radzymin 2015, , p. 238 settling at Muro de Cameros.ABC 27.07.77, available here In the early modern period its descendants transferred to Extremadura and few generations later they were already considered extremeños.La Epoca 16.05.13, available here Francisco's distant ancestor was the 17th-century knight Sancho de Tejada, whose son Elías excelled during the siege of Breda and got his name incorporated into the family surname.Juan Vallet de Goytisolo, Esbozo del pensamiento jurídico de Elías de Tejada, [in:] Verbo 191-2 (1981), p. 106 In the early 19th century the family, referred to as terratenientes hidalgos,Gonzalo Fernández de la Mora, Elías de Tejada, el hombre y sus libros, [in:] Francisco Elías de Tejada y Spínola (1917-1977) [sic!]. El hombre y la obra, Madrid 1989, p. 8 held estates mostly in Castuera and Zalamea de la Serena.Elías de Tejada, Francisco, 1917-1978, [in:] Fundacion Ignacio Larramendi service, available here. In the 1930s a handful of them held estates larger than 5,000 ha - Fernando Hidalgo Lerdo de Tejada, Archivos, 957: Archivo de la Diputación Provincial de Badajoz, [in:] Hidalgo & Suárez, Estudio de Historia y Genealogía service 14.04.14, available here Francisco's grandfather made his name as a lawyer.Justininano and Hermógenes were recorded in 1881 as abogados, Anuario del comercio, de la industria, de la magistratura y de la administración 1881, available here Francisco's father, José Maria Elías de Tejada y de la Cueva (1891-1970),ABC 07.05.70, available here also practiced as abogadoLa Correspondencia de España 01.09.13, available here in Castuera.El Indispensable para el abogado y el útil para los demás 1914, p. 182, available here In 1913La Correspondencia de España 01.09.13 he married Encarnación Spínola Gómez (1891-1953),ABC 30.12.53, available here heir to a wealthy local landowners family. It was at her Rinconada estate near Granja de Torrehermosafor its recent fate see El Confidencial Digital 02.11.05, available here, also CEE Finca el Río, SA [in:] Servicio de Información sobre Discapacidad service, available here where Francisco and his only brotherthe couple had 2 children, both boys, ABC 21.12.56, available here spent most of their childhood, raised in the profoundly Catholic ambience. Though born in Madrid, he considered Extremadura his mother region."nacido en Madrid, pero de patria extremeña" – quoted after Fundación Elías de Tejada service, available here. See also Miguel Ayuso Torres, Francisco Elías de Tejada y Spínola, 30 años después, [in:] Anales de la Fundación Francisco Elías de Tejada XIV (2008), p. 15. Some scholars claim that in a metaphorical way, he was also (and felt himself so) "napolitano, sardo y contés, catalán y aragonés, vasco y portugués, andaluz y gallego", Estanislao Cantero, Francisco Elías de Tejada y la tradición española, [in:] Anales de la Fundación Francisco Elías de Tejada I (1995), p. 123. He even distinguished a specific Andalusian identity and admitted it, Lorca Navarrete, José F. Lora Navarrete, La tradición andaluza según Elías de Tejada, [in:] Ángel Sánchez de la Torre (ed.), Francisco Elías de Tejada. Figura y pensamiento, Madrid 1995 , pp. 103-108, María del Carmen Fernández de la Cigoña, Varios autores. Francisco Elías de Tejada y Spinola: Figura y pensamiento [review], [in:] Anales de la Fundación Francisco Elías de Tejada 2 (1996), p. 192. Some scholars refer to his "extremeñismo apasionado", see Goytisolo 1981, p. 106
Since early childhood consuming sophisticated booksGoytisolo 1981, p. 106 and gifted with excellent memory,according to an anecdote, during college meals one student used to read aloud passages from a book, and afterwards Tejada could have repeated them almost literally the young Francisco was first educated in the Jesuit college of Nuestra Señora de Recuerdo in the Madrid quarter of Chamartin.ABC 27.07.77, available here After its premises were ransacked in May 1931José Martín Brocos Fernández, Una pequeña historia del Carlismo del siglo XX a través de tres semblanzas: Tomás Domínguez Arévalo, José María Arauz de Robles y Francisco Elías de Tejada, [in:] Arbil 120 (2005), available here and the order was expulsed soon afterwards, he continued his learning in the Portuguese Estremoz, still with the Jesuits.Goytisolo 1981, p. 106, Bartyzel 2015, p. 239 In 1933 Tejada obtained bachillerato, nostrified by University of Seville.Jesús Vallejo, Elías de Tejada y Spínola, Francisco (1917-1978) entry, [in:] Diccionario de Catedráticos Españoles de Derecho service 2015, available here Inspired by his Jesuit mentor Fernando María de Huidobroborn 1903, he volunteered to Nationalist troops and was killed in action on April 5, 1937 on the Madrid front, Cantero 1995, p. 128, also Goytisolo 1981, p. 106, Bartyzel 2015, p. 238 he decided to study law, though at Universidad Central in Madrid he pursued also philosophy and letters. Having graduated in both in 1935Goytisolo 1981, p. 107, also Elías de Tejada Spínola, Francisco entry, [in:] Gonzalo Díaz Díaz, Hombres y documentos de la filosofía española, v. 3, Madrid 1998, , p. 22 he left to study in Germany.in Berlin and Frankfurt a/M, Vallejo 2015 Outbreak of the Civil War caught him in Berlin;Goytisolo 1981, p. 107 Tejada returned to Spaincrossing the Pyrenees from France to Navarre, Vallejo 2015 to learn that tens of his relatives were executed by the Republicans in Granja.according to his own statement, "la horda roja asesinó veintitrés parientes próximos", quoted after Vallejo 2015. For events in Granja de Torrehermosa in September 1936 see Rodrigo González Ortín, Extremadura bajo la influencia soviética, Badajoz 1937, pp. 65-68, available here, also ABC 24.09.39, available here. The nationalist troops conquered Granja de Torrehermosa in early October 1936, see ABC (Seville) 06.10.1936, available here, though the area remained in the immediate rear of the frontline until early 1939, compare e.g. ABC (Seville) 05.02.38, available here. In January 1939 Granja was conquered by the Republican troops during their last offensive of the war; exact day is not clear, compare La Vanguardia 10.01.39, available here, and La Vanguardia 17.01.39, available here. Some time afterwards – probably in February 1939 – Granja was re-taken by the Nationalists In September in Calera de la Sierra he enlisted to Nationalist troops,Vallejo 2015 first advancing to ToledoGoytisolo 1981, p. 107 and then as artillery man serving during the battle of Madrid.and stayed there until December 1936, Vallejo 2015 In February 1937 he was admitted to Alféreces Provisionales school in Seville, soon abandoned for health reasons.Vallejo 2015 In May 1937 he intended to join aviation, but in August he was nominated alférez asimilado at a logistics unit in Seville,Alférez asimilado de Ingenieros at Parque de Automovilismo del Ejército Sur remaining at this post until the end of the war.Vallejo 2015
Though described as heavily attracted to females,José Manuel Cuenca Toribio, M. Ayuso Torres: La filosofía jurídica y política de Francisco Elias de Tejada, Madrid, Fundación Elias de Tejada, 1994 [review], [in:] Revista de Estudios Políticos (Nueva Época) 85 (1994), p. 370 Elías de Tejada married as late as in 1962, at the age of 45.ABC 01.05.62, available here He wed an Italian 20 years his junior, Gabriella Pèrcopo Calet (1937-1986),Pablo Ramírez Jerez, La biblioteca de D. Francisco Elías de Tejada, [in:] Anales de la Fundación Francisco Elías de Tejada 19 (2013), p. 205 descendant to a distinguished Neapolitan family of immense intellectual heritage,her grandfather, Erasmo Pércopo was a distinguished scholar of the University of Naples fluent in Spanish, perfectly familiar with the Spanish cultural realm and the PhD herself. Throughout the rest of his life she supported Tejada on all possible fields, as a secretary, proofreader, editor, erudite partner, co-author, organizer, academic inspiration and a soul mate.Bartyzel 2015, p. 241 The couple had no children.Fernández de la Mora 1989, p. 9, ABC 27.07.77, available here Francisco Elías de Tejada Lozano, a Spanish diplomat in the 21st century serving as ambassador and high Foreign Ministry official,compare ABC 23.01.11, available here is descendant to Elías' brother.ABC 19.04.77, available here
Academic career
Already in 1935 Tejada was nominated Profesor Ayudante de Derecho Político in Madrid, an assignment held shortly as he soon left for Germany.Vallejo 2015 When in the Nationalist army he was giving lectures at letters and philosophy coursestitled El pensamiento jurídico-político español en nuestros clásicos de los siglos XVI y XVII, Vallejo 2015 organized by Universidad de Sevilla,ABC (Sevilla) 17.10.37, available here in 1939 publishing his first works.ABC (Sevilla) 18.01.39, available here Having obtained PhD laurels thanks to a thesis on Jerónimo Castillo de Bobadilla, in 1939 Tejada returned to Madrid as Professor AyudanteVallejo 2015 to assist Nicolás Pérez SerranoBartyzel 2015, p. 239 at Derecho Político.Brocos Fernández 2005 In 1940 he applied for chair of philosophy of law in Seville and Oviedo, but during the routine contest he was defeated by counter-candidates; referees described him as erudite and brilliant speaker, but also disoriented, immature, not adhering to the point, lacking reflexive spirit, excessively lyrical and repetitive.there were 4 candidates for 2 chairs vacant, see Yolanda Blasco Gil, Jorge Correa Ballester, Primeras oposiciones y concursos de Filosofía del Derecho tras la Guerra Civil (1940-1941), [in:] Facultades y grados. X Congreso Internacional de Historia de las universidades hispánicas, vol. 1, Valencia 2010. Tejada came with the most imposing publishing record, but referees noted that he "no responde a las cuestiones de la filosofía del derecho", suffers from "falta de reflexión" and "exceso de transcripción" (264), is too much sociology oriented and not adhering to the point (265), disoriented, with some "inexactitudes" and lyrical divagations (266), and finally, immature (267) Also in 1940exact sequence of the events is not clear Tejada left to pursue research abroad,Vallejo 2015 having the unique opportunity to compare the early wartime realm in Berlin and in Oxford.Francisco Fernández Serrano, Francisco Elias de Tejada y Spínola, extremeño universal, [in:] Alcantara 191 (1978), p. 24