Sections 4.3-4.4 History Outline 2

Bilbao and the North

• March-June 1937: Nationalists captured the Basque region and Bilbao, an important industrial center

• Basque region was isolated, making reinforcements and communication with Madrid difficult

• Basque commanders ignored central orders; Republican air force didn’t challenge Nationalist control of the skies

• Bilbao's outdated and undermanned defenses fell after aerial and artillery bombardment

Guernica

• April 26, 1937: German Condor Legion bombed Guernica under Franco’s orders.

• City was largely undefended and bombed during market day

  • civilian casualties at 300–1,700

• Machine-gunning of fleeing civilians occurred; military targets were untouched

• Debate over whether the bombing was terror or tactical; propaganda blamed Basques

• Immortalized by Picasso’s painting Guernica

Madrid

• Madrid withstood repeated Nationalist offensives from November 1936 to January 1937

• International Brigades and anarchist forces helped defend the city

• Franco laid siege instead of continuing direct assaults

• Became a Republican symbol

Jarama

• February 1937: Nationalists attempted to cut Madrid off from Valencia

• Initial Nationalist success; Republicans counterattacked with reinforcements (International Brigades, Soviet tanks)

• Battle ended in stalemate; both sides entrenched and suffered heavy losses (6,000–20,000 each)

Guadalajara

• March 1937: Italian CTV (50,000 troops) attacked to support Madrid encirclement

• Poor tank coordination and lack of air cover led to Italian failure

• Republican counterattack routed Italians, who left 6,000 casualties and equipment behind

The Ebro Offensive

• July–November 1938: Last major Republican offensive aimed at linking Republican territories

• Republicans initially succeeded but couldn’t hold Gandesa

• Battle turned into war of attrition; both sides lost ~60,000 men

• Nationalists’ air/artillery superiority

  • Republicans left too weak to continue major fighting

Why the Republicans Lost

• Territorial losses over time; final defeat in early 1939 with Madrid and Valencia surrendering

• Internal divisions: Communists vs. anarchists, Stalinists vs. Trotskyists

• Weak central command and lack of arms/materials

• Nationalists used foreign aid (German air force, Moroccan troops) effectively

• Republicans mostly on the defensive and unable to regain initiative

Aftermath and Significance of the War

• ~500,000 deaths (mostly civilians), mass refugee crisis (~500,000 Republicans fled)

• Destruction and underdevelopment delayed recovery

• Seen as a prelude to WWII: air raids, ideological warfare, and combined arms tactics debuted

• Strengthened fascist influence in Europe; Franco allied with Germany/Italy

• War was symbolically important worldwide

  • seen as struggle between fascism and freedom or communism and property rights

• Inspired cultural and literary works (Orwell, Hemingway, Picasso)