Spanish Civil War: Key Events and Battles 1936-1939
Spanish Civil War: 1936-1939
Introduction
From 1936 to 1939, a military uprising originating in Morocco, headed by General Francisco Franco, spread rapidly across Spain, thus starting the Civil War. After several bloody battles in which fortunes changed from one side to another, the Nationalist forces finally prevailed and made a victorious entry into Madrid on March 28, 1939.
Significant Events
1936
The tragic death of Calvo Sotelo accelerated a military coup that had been under preparation for some time. In fact, the conspirators were awaiting General Franco’s decision to begin the uprising. On July 18, it spread to other garrisons in metropolitan Spain, and the following day, Franco took command of the army in Morocco. The uprising was successful in Seville (directed by General Queipo de Llano), the Balearic Islands (General Goded), the Canary Islands and Morocco (Franco), Navarra (Mola), Burgos, and Zaragoza. General Yagüe advanced through Extremadura, and Mola took Irun. At the end of 1937, the Nationalist troops controlled most of Andalusia, Extremadura, Toledo, Avila, Segovia, Valladolid, Burgos, León, Galicia, part of Asturias, Vitoria, San Sebastian, Navarra, Aragon, the Canary Islands, and the Balearic Islands, with the exception of Menorca. New Castile, Catalonia, Valencia, Murcia, Almeria, Gijon, and Bilbao remained in Republican hands.
The Republican government, initially a coalition cabinet headed by Giralt, was succeeded by another under Largo Caballero. This led to the CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, the anarcho-syndicalist union) entering the cabinet, which moved to Valencia. On September 29, the National Defense named Franco head of government and commander of the armed forces. To offset these circumstances, the Republican government created a popular army and militarized the militia. Both sides were ready to receive foreign aid: the International Brigades were supporting Republican Spain, and Italian and German troops were supporting Nationalist Spain.
Jarama, Brunete, Quinto, Belchite, Fuentes de Ebro, Teruel, and the Ebro are the battlefields of the Spanish Civil War in which more than 12,000 Canadian soldiers supporting Republican Spain took part. These men created the most unique military unit in the history of Canada: the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion of the 15th International Brigade of the Spanish Republican Army, the “Mac-Paps.”
1937
The year 1937 was characterized by fighting in the north of the country: Guernica was bombed in April, Bilbao was taken in June, Santander in August, and Gijon in October. The Republicans reacted by opening fronts in Guadalajara (March), Brunete (July), and Belchite (August). The battle of Teruel was launched at the end of the year.
1938
The Nationalists moved their efforts to Aragon, recovered Teruel, and divided the Republican zone in two after entering Castellon in July that year. The government responded with the so-called Battle of the Ebro (July-November 1938), which ended with the Republican defeat and 70,000 casualties.
1939
Once government resistance was exhausted, the Republican exile began, with many fleeing across the Spanish border with France. Catalonia fell on February 10, 1939. Madrid was the only city still resisting, and the peace proposals of the Board of Defense (headed by Casado and Besteiro) were useless. Nationalist forces occupied the capital on March 28, 1939, and on April 1, General Franco officially ended the war.