Berenguer was born in San Juan de los Remedios, Cuba, while that island nation was still a Spanish province. He enlisted in the army in 1889, served in Cuba and Morocco, and was promoted to general in 1909. In 1918, he was appointed Minister of War under Prime Minister Manuel García Prieto. From January 1919 to July 1922 he was the High Commissioner of Spanish Morocco. After planning an uprising, however, he was court-martialled and discharged from the service. He was saved, however, by 13 September 1923 coup d'état of Miguel Primo de Rivera. He was granted an amnesty and appointed military chief of the royal household.