page_title: José María de Orbe y Gaytán
section_title: Gipuzkoan patricio (1911-1922)
hierarchical_section_title: José María de Orbe y Gaytán / Gipuzkoan patricio (1911-1922)
caption_attribution_description: Español: Celebración del I Congreso Internacional de Estudios Vascos de Eusko Ikaskuntza en la localidad de Oñate
context_page_description: José María de Orbe y Gaytán de Ayala, 5th Marquess of Valde-Espina, 1st Viscount of Orbe was a Spanish Carlist soldier and politician. His career climaxed during presidency of the provincial Gipuzkoan self-government in the 1910s, though he is known mostly as member of the iconic Basque Valde-Espina dynasty. In the party ranks he rose to provincial leader in Gipuzkoa and was briefly member of the national Carlist executive.
context_section_description: In 1911 Valde-Espina renewed his bid for the provincial self-government, though this time for Diputación Provincial de Guipúscoa. Running from the district of Irun he was successful and later the same year he assumed presidency of the entire body. Progressist and democratic press agonized that "caudillo de la guerra civil, el marqués de Valdespina, es presidente de la diputación de Guipuzcoa", the Carlist one enjoyed days of triumph, though the latter were probably less happy about Valde-Espina entertaining the usurper king Alfonso XIII either when in the province or in Madrid. He remained head of the provincial government in 1911, 1912 and 1915, when he failed to get re-elected from Tolosa. His term was not marked by particular controversy, perhaps except a conflict related to a newly constructed railway line, deemed pursuant to Navarrese and Álavese interests at the expense of the Gipuzkoan ones; he is recorded as engaged mostly in standard admin duties, though also aiming at possible independence of provincial education faculties.
  Though hardly engaged in nationwide party politics in the 1910s Valde-Espina was already a widely recognized personality within the Carlist realm, nominated honorary president of various bodies, also as far away as in Murcia, referred to as "veterano marqués" or "illustrious patrician", honored with occasional homages and pictured as profoundly moved when recollecting wartime service to Don Carlos 40 years before. His Astigarraga mansion turned into an iconic Carlist site, hosting gatherings and distinguished guests. As internal controversy between the key party theorist Juan Vázquez de Mella and the new king Don Jaime was getting increasingly visible he was trusted by the claimant, who demanded in vain that de Mella cedes ownership of the party mouthpiece, El Correo Español, to Valde-Espina.
  In 1917 Valde-Espina again presented himself for the Gipuzkoan diputación and narrowly  he emerged successful from Irun. Re-elected two years later, he remained in the self-government until 1922, periodically – e.g. in 1918, or 1919 holding the presidency. His second term is marked mostly by the Basque question and the problem of legal standing of the Vascongadas. Already in 1917 he took part in a so-called Asamblea de Victoria, a gathering of provincial deputies from the region which voiced demands for "a broad autonomy". With colleagues from other Vasco-Navarrese deputations he probably voiced to the same end when in 1918 meeting Alfonso XIII or sending telegrams to Madrid. Some of his statements seem confusing; also in 1918 he abandoned the regional platform and declared that Gipuzkoa expected the same level of self-government as that considered for Catalonia. Officially sponsoring the launch of Sociedad de Estudios Vascos and contributing to its works, he firmly opposed nationalist Basque political ambitions. Also within the Carlist realm as Gipuzkoan jefé he contributed to initiatives advancing regionalist claims, though the term "autonomy" was cautiously accepted only in quotation marks.
caption: Sociedad de Estudios Vascos being founded, Oñati 1918
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