María Rosa Urraca Pastor (1900–1984) was a Spanish Carlist politician and propagandist. She is known mostly as a thrilling orator, one of the best public speakers of the Second Spanish Republic. She is also noted as head of Delegación Nacional de Frentes y Hospitales, the Nationalist wartime organization catering for the wounded.

Family and youth

María Rosa Urraca Pastor's paternal family originated from La Rioja.Andrés Prieto 2012, p. 18 Her grandfather, Modesto Urraca Victoria,Juan Urraca Sáenz's certificate of birth, available here a native of Grañón, was the first reservoir keeper of the pantano de la Grájera.Boletín Oficial de la provincia de Logroño 25 August 1882, available here Her father, Juan Urraca Sáenz (1873-1965),La Vanguardia 24.04.65, available here was born in Nalda, near Logroño. He joined the army and took part in unspecified combat missions, probably during the Spanish–American War.La Vanguardia 24.04.65 Back in Spain he first served in Madrid,Antonio Manuel Moral Roncal, María Rosa Urraca Pastor: de la militancia en Acción Católica a la palestra política carlista (1900–1936), [in:] Historia y política: Ideas, procesos y movimientos sociales 26 (2011), p. 201 assigned later to BurgosLa Rioja 31.01.07, available here and finally in the early 20th century to Comisaría de Guerra de Bilbao. In 1913 he was transferred to Cuerpo Auxiliar de Intervención Militar, an intendancy and fiscal administration structure of the military. He first served at modest rank of auxiliar de tercera clase,La Correspondencia Militar 06.01.13, available here, later promoted to 2nd class, La Correspondencia Militar 07.05.13, available here shortly before retirement promoted to auxiliar mayor in 1928.Diario Oficial de Ministerio de la Guerra 25.08.28, p. 565, available here, Antonio Manuel Moral Roncal, Auge y caída de una líder carlista en le franquismo: María Rosa Urraca Pastor, [in:] Aportes: Revista de historia contemporánea 81 (2013), p. 65 At unspecified time he married Rafaela Pastor Ortega (died 1941)La Vanguardia 21.12.41, available here a native of Villahoz (Burgos).Rafaela Pastor Ortega's certificate of death, available here It is not clear how many children the couple had; none of the sources consulted refers to María's siblings.both the 1941 obituary of the mother (La Vanguardia 21.12.41, available here) and her certificate of death (available here) refer only to María Rosa as her child

Though María Rosa was born in Madrid, at the age of 3 she followed her father's professional lot and in her early childhood the family moved from the capital to BurgosJ.F.F., Urraca Pastor (María Rosa) entry, [in:] Enciclopedia Espasa, Supplement, Madrid 1935 [1980 reprint, ], p. 179 and then to Bilbao.María Rosa Urraca Pastor, Así empezaron, [in:] Fundacion Nacional Francisco Franco website, available here She was raised in fervently Catholic ambience, as her father was member of a number of local religious societies like Hermandad de Nuestra Señora de Valvanera;La Vanguardia 24.04.65 he passed the pious zeal to the daughter.„a él [father] y a mi madre debo el caldo de cultivo en que crecí: familia profundamente cristiana y practicante", La Vanguardia 05.11.82, available here Nothing is known of political views of María's parents, except that her father was a non-Carlist monarchist.La Vanguardia 26.01.72, available here; in 1982 she confirmed that „no soy hija de carlista", La Vanguardia 05.11.82 Another feature of her upbringing was profound respect for the military, considered the "backbone of the nation".Andrés Prieto 2012, p. 49 Her early formation was completed by books; she later admitted that at the age of 14 she had been profoundly moved by the works Concepción ArenalLa Vanguardia 26.01.72, Moral Roncal 2013, p. 65 and Graciano Martínez.Moral Roncal 2011, p. 202, Moral Roncal 2013, p. 65 The former advocated active public stance of women in the modern society; the latter, a Catholic friar, pursued the regenerationist path by focusing on social work of the Christians, also underlining the role of females.

It is not clear where María received her primary education; she later frequented Escuela Normal Superior de Maestras de Vizcaya, graduating in 1923.Andrés Prieto 2012, p. 25, 41, Moral Roncal 2011, p. 201 It is also not evident whether she has ever pursued the university path; herself she claimed having studied Filosofía y Letras, though neither the timing nor location are known; according to her later account, she followed the classes of Miguel de Unamuno and Julián Besteiro.she admits having listened to Besteiro and Unamuno, La Vanguardia 26.01.72 Vivacious, straightforward and vibrant,„me gustaban [...] llevar melena y falda corta", Andrés Prieto 2012, p. 41 Urraca commenced her professional career by teaching at La Obra del Ave-María,Moral Roncal 2011, p. 206, Moral Roncal 2013, p. 67 a network of Catholic schools founded by Andrés Manjón and focused on poverty-stricken children, at unspecified time in the 1920s acting as directora of the Bilbao branch.Andrés Prieto 2012, p. 42 She also became auxiliary teacher at Escuela Normal de Bilbao, at that time considered the "universidad femenina".Moral Roncal 2011, p. 203, Moral Roncal 2013, p. 65 Urraca Pastor never married and had no children.

Early public activity

Urraca first spoke publicly in 1923 during Semana Pedagogica in Bilbao.Urraca Pastor (María Rosa) entry, [in:] Enciclopedia Espasa p. 179 In the mid-1920s she entered Acción Católica de la Mujer;Moral Roncal 2011, p. 204 her insatiable character and a knack for letters produced the 1925 appointment to manager of Boletín de la ACM de Vizcaya.Moral Roncal 2011, p. 204, Moral Roncal 2013, p. 66 Some scholars claim that by the end of the decade she became president of the entire Bilbao section of ACM.Brian D. Bunk, Ghosts of Passion: Martyrdom, Gender, and the Origins of the Spanish Civil War, Durham 2007, , p 39, Miren Llona González, El feminismo católico en los años veinte y sus antecedentes ideológicos, [in:] Vasconia 25 (1998), p. 296 Urraca got enthusiastically involved in a number of social, charity and educational initiatives of the organization, at that time very much encouraged by the Primo de Rivera dictatorship.Andrés Prieto 2012, p. 22, Moral Roncal 2011, p. 206 In the mid-1920s she became engaged in the nascent radio broadcasting; she was noted by the press as occasionally on air giving lectures on cultural subjectslike lecture on „Cantos Asturianos" in 1925, El Sol 15.06.25, available here. and commenced close co-operation with T.S.H., a weekly issued by Asociación Radio Española. She also admitted contributing to El Sol, a Madrid daily of Liberal leaning, though nature of this engagement is rather obscure.La Vanguardia 26.01.72

The young María Rosa became a role model for a new breed of Catholic female public activists,she was not first Carlist female propagandist. In the 1930s Dolores Gortázar Serantes was hailed as a veteran Carlist woman writer, yet her propaganda activity was formatted along 19th century lines. Urraca had no problem engaging in mixed-sex initiatives. Gortázar excelled in small, dedicated groupings, Urraca starred in broad-scale, general organizations. Gortázar focused on cultural and educational activities, Urraca engaged in open politics. Gortázar was brilliant in behind-the-scene, closed meetings, Urraca was an excellent speaker at mass rallies opposed to the old-style Catholic wife and mother epitome and throwing themselves in social and education work. A number of senior nationwide ACM militants – including her idol, Carmen Cuestawhom she considered th best female speaker ever, La Vanguardia 26.01.72 - entered the primoderiverista quasi-parliament, Asamblea Nacional Consultiva; riding the wave of regime's modernizing attempts and its support for females activists, Urraca was appointed to the official labor administration.Andrés Prieto 2012, p. 42 In 1929 she was nominated Inspectora De Trabajo,La Vanguardia 26.01.72, Andrés Prieto 2012, p. 42 which converted her standing from a Catholic social worker to a state official. She took part in schemes like Patronato De Previsión Social de Vizcaya and Patronato Nacional De Recuperación De Inválidos Para El Trabajo.La Vanguardia 26.01.72, Andrés Prieto 2012, p. 43, Moral Roncal 2011, p. 207 She started to address social issues by publishing in the press, be it local Biscay titles like El Nervión, La Gaceta del Norte and El Pueblo VascoLa Vanguardia 26.01.72 or national ones like La Nación.Andrés Prieto 2012, p. 43, Moral Roncal 2011, p. 202, Moral Roncal 2013, p. 65 Urraca also started to gain recognition beyond Biscay: professional duties brought her to other regionse.g. to Catalonia and ACM assignment enabled her to take part in 1929 Congreso Femenino Hispanoamericano, staged by the organization in Seville.Andrés Prieto 2012, p. 43, Moral Roncal 2011, p. 207, Moral Roncal 2013, p. 67

Urraca considered the fall of the monarchy a national disaster.she cried having learnt the fall of the monarchy, Frances Lannon, The Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939, London 2002, , p. 83, she cried, Andrés Prieto 2012, p. 23 Almost immediately she engaged in public rallies either in favor of the monarchyAndrés Prieto 2012, p. 48 or protesting against militantly secular policy of the Republic.Lannon 2002, p. 83 Already in May 1931 she was detained and fined 500 pesetas for promoting a meeting classified as non-constitutional conspiracy.Lannon 2002, p. 83, La Vanguardia 26.01.72, Andrés Prieto 2012, p. 55, Moral Roncal 2011, p. 208 She seemed politically disoriented; due to her earlier engagements she was considered sort of a socialist,La Vanguardia 26.01.72, she gained local renown engaged in struggle to gain better conditions for female textile workers, Lannon 2002, p. 83 ACM record made her look towards Christian organizations, in the April 1931 elections Urraca worked as propagandist supporting Alfonsine candidatesMoral Roncal 2011, p. 208, Moral Roncal 2013, p. 67; the 1931 appearances in favor of Alfonsist candidates were her first public political addresses, Urraca Pastor (María Rosa) entry, [in:] Enciclopedia Espasa p. 180 and she neared José María Albiñana and his Legionarios.La Vanguardia 26.01.72 In late 1931 she co-organized Agrupación de Defensa Femenina, a conservative female organization grouping Alfonsine monarchists, Carlists and the Basque Emakumes,Moral Roncal 2011, p. 209, Moral Roncal 2013, p. 69 and was later asked to write the program draft.Moral Roncal 2011, p. 209 Extremely active, she helped to organize 50 meetings during four months.Moral Roncal 2011, pp. 209-10 In 1932 she was fired as labor inspector.Andrés Prieto 2012, pp. 43, 69

Carlist