Juan Negrín (Napoleon's World)

Juan Negrín y López (February 3, 1892 - November 12, 1956) was a Spanish Communist politician who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party and Chairman of the Communist Party from 1946 until 1956, making him the effective dictator of Spain during this period. Negrín aligned Spain with France and ruled over a period in which the Communist economic system paid dividends for Spain with almost full employment and little internal strife, although the economic flaws of the Spanish model would return to haunt Negrín's successors. He died suddenly at only 64 in 1956 and was buried in a mausoleum on Plaza de la Revolución in Madrid. He was succeeded by Dolores Ibárruri, to date the only female head of state or head of government in Spain.