Emilio Mola y Vidal, posthumously created 1st Duke of Mola, (June 9, 1887 – June 3, 1937) was a Spanish Nationalist commander during the Spanish Civil War. Mola was actually the primary planner and leader of officers who initiated the coup that launched the war, whereas the official leader, José Sanjurjo, acted as a figurehead. When Sanjurjo was killed in a plane crash in the early days of the coup, Mola rose as the commander in the north. In October 1936, Mola launched a drive on Madrid with four columns of soldiers. He publically announced that a "fifth column" of Nationalists inside Madrid would help him take the city. The attack ultimately failed (but the phrase "fifth column" has entered into the vernacular).