caudillo
Other forms: caudillos
A Spanish warlord or powerful military leader is known as a caudillo. Usually, a caudillo exerts complete control over the country's armed forces.
The term caudillo, which is used in Spain and Latin America, comes from the Latin caput, or "head." The most well-known caudillo in history was one who proudly assumed the title, though it's often used in a derogatory way. During the Spanish Civil War, Spain's General Francisco Franco began calling himself caudillo, inspired by the German Führer and Italian Duce, both titles for authoritarian military rulers.
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a military dictator in a Spanish-speaking country
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Vocabulary lists containing caudillo
Set in Spain during the 1950s, this novel tells the story of how Daniel, an eighteen-year-old American tourist, falls in love with a local girl, Ana, who lost her family during the Spanish Civil War.