The Spanish Civil War broke out on July 18th 1936. after fascist ‘Nationalist’ forces commanded by a group of military generals led by General Francisco Franco attempted to overthrow the democratically elected Republican government of Spain.Franco gained military support from various regimes and groups, especially Nazi Germany and the Kingdom of Italy.
Alarmed at the prospect of another European country falling into fascist hands, and dismayed at the inaction of their political leaders,almost immediately volunteers throughout the world joined the International Brigade, risking their lives to go out to Spain to fight against Franco and fascism.and to defend the Spanish Republic.
Those who signed up either sympathised with one or more of the radical groups trying to reorganise life in republican Spain, or were just acutely aware of the danger that the rise of fascism would pose for the whole world.
This cause, in support of the democratically elected Spanish Republic, brought together an estimated 45,000 to 55,000 men and women from over fifty countries, with the largest contingents coming from France, Italy, Poland, the United States, Germany, the Balkan countries (including the former Yugoslavia), and Great Britain.
Among the many intellectuals world-wide who rallied to the Republican side were George Orwell, W.H. Auden, Federico Garcia Lorca, John Dos Passos, Andre Malraux, Arthur Koestler, and Langston Hughes,while many other writers and artists devoted their writing and art to the subject, most notably Picasso in his tour de force Guernica, on exhibit in Madrid’s Prado museum.
This week in history on the morning of 6 February 1937 General Francisco Franco’s Nationalist army launched a massive attack on Republican lines in the Jarama valley to the southeast of Madrid seven months following the army revolt.The attack launched was an attempt by General Franco's fascist forces to dislodge the anti-fascist (Republican) lines along the river Jarama, just south east of Madrid, and lasted until Feb 28th, Following the failure of the attempts on the west of Madrid in November and December 1936, Franco had prepared a new offensive to the south of the capital, aiming to cut the vital road that linked Madrid with the Mediterranean port of Valencia, restricting vital supplies of food, fuel and munitions to the besieged capital. the seat of the Government.
Initially intended to be part of a combined operation with Italian troops to the east of the city, Franco decided to push ahead with the Jarama action despite the Italians having being delayed by heavy rain. Colonel Varela, Franco’s field commander, had five brigades of six battalions at his disposal, plus eleven reserve battalions, totalling some 25 000 men – mostly elite Moroccan regulares and legionnaires – and nationalist forces were supported by the German Condor Legion, two heavy machine gun battalions, a tank corps under and batteries of 155mm and 88mm guns and two heavy bombers provided by Mussolini backed up by German armour..
The Republicans had a similar number of men available, who had been mustered for an impending Republican offensive in the same sector, which had also been delayed by the weather.The volunteers were a mixture of Communists, Labour Party members, socialists, anarchists, trade unionists and other sympathisers, all bitterly opposed to the idea of fascism. They came primarily from the unemployed areas of Mersyside, Manchester, Scotland, Tyneside and London.
They had travelled by boat and land to join the fight. Hardened by the British weather, they hadn’t anticipated Madrid’s temperature drops at night and it weakened them. For many of the British volunteers, this was also their first experience of action and they had been given as little as six weeks’ training when they faced Franco’s battle-hardened and weather-ready Army of Africa.
The Rebel offensive pressed forward quickly and by the evening of the 6th the Republicans had been pushed back to the Jarama River, and Rebel troops were within shelling distance of the Madrid-Valencia road. Over the next three days, Franco's troops forced back the anti-fascists,despite the Republican commander, General Miaja, throwing the elite Spanish Lister, El Campesino and 11th International Brigades into the defence. but after days of fierce fighting no breakthrough was achieved. Anti-fascist counterattacks along the captured ground likewise failed, resulting in heavy casualties to both sides.
Many American anti-fascist volunteers from the Abraham Lincoln Brigades fought and died in this battle to stop the spread of fascism.Jarama marked the beginning of a bruising and often dispirited campaign and witnessed one of the bloodiest battles of Spain's Civil War.By the end of the first day of battle, the British batallion found itself with less than half the number they had set out with.
Early in the morning of 11 February, hostilities begin again. The Tiradores de Ifni ("Ifni Rifles" or "Ifni Shooters") takes the Pindoque Bridge by surprise. The second part of the offensive begins with the passage of the river. The Third National Brigade, under the command of Colonel Barrón, is going to launch itself towards the conquest of the heights of the vertices Pajares and Valdeperdices, although the republican resistance is beginning to make the advance of Franco’s troops very difficult.
In the early morning of the 12th, another bolt jumps again over the Jarama. On this occasion, it is the III Tabor de Regulares de Tetuán which takes the bridge that joins the San Martín de la Vega road with Morata, which was defended by a company of the 17th Mixed Brigade. The II and the IV National Brigades commanded by the colonels Saénz de Buruaga and Asensio Cabanillas are launched towards Morata ascending to the plains that separate the valleys of Tajuña and Jarama, with the so-called “Army of Africa” in vanguard (Tabores de Regulares and Flags of the Legion).
Opposite Morata they meet with the XI and XV International Brigades, producing a very hard conflict between the two armies in the olive groves that surround the Galiana Way. The Republican units manage to stop the offensive. In the following days the attacks and counter-attacks take place in this olive grove maze, turning the struggle into a battle of exhaustion. It will be considered the first modern battle in history due to the participation of battle tanks, artillery and aviation in coordination with the infantry; and the first open field “Great Battle” of war.
The maximum point of the Francoist advance on Morata takes place on February 16th, with the road cut of the Arganda bridge and the conquest of the Radio House (El Alto) amid a bleeding of casualties. They’re not moving any further.
From February 17 onwards, the initiative changes in the battle. There is a changeover in the Republican command, with General Miaja taking charge of the operations, replacing General Pozas. The rebel army is exhausted and has no reserves. They’re going to entrench and try to hold the conquered terrain. On the contrary, the government army launches a counteroffensive in all fronts with the intention of expelling the rebels to the other side of the Jarama River. The key to this counteroffensive will be the reconquest of Cerro Pingarrón, located in the municipal district of San Martín de la Vega. The Republican troops, led by Enrique Líster, head of the 11th Division, are going to throw themselves over and over again against this position. The most critical day will be the 23 February, when as many as three times the Republicans are on the verge of taking the high ground, recognized as one of the bloodiest places in the Civil War. From this day forward, the battle is fading, although there will still be a last and desperate republican attempt to break the front lines.
On February 27, beside the San Martín de la Vega highway, the Americans of the Abraham Lincoln battalion and the 24th Mixed Brigade launched themselves against Franco’s positions with a disastrous result. It was the epilogue of one of the most important battles of the Civil War. It made it clear that the war was going to be a long one. The front was stabilized without the two sides having achieved their objectives, remaining almost unchanged until the end of the war, beginning a hard fortifying work that has left our landscape marked with innumerable traces of that conflict.
The second part of the offensive begins with the passage of the river. The Third National Brigade, under the command of Colonel Barrón, is going to launch itself towards the conquest of the heights of the vertices Pajares and Valdeperdices, although the republican resistance is beginning to make the advance of Franco’s troops very difficult.
In the early morning of the 12th, another bolt jumps again over the Jarama. On this occasion, it is the III Tabor de Regulares de Tetuán which takes the bridge that joins the San Martín de la Vega road with Morata, which was defended by a company of the 17th Mixed Brigade. The II and the IV National Brigades commanded by the colonels Saénz de Buruaga and Asensio Cabanillas are launched towards Morata ascending to the plains that separate the valleys of Tajuña and Jarama, with the so-called “Army of Africa” in vanguard (Tabores de Regulares and Flags of the Legion).
Opposite Morata in a place that became known as 'Suicide Valley" ,they meet with the XI and XV International Brigades, producing a very hard conflict between the two armies in the olive groves that surround the Galiana Way.The Republican units though they were outnumbered manage to stop the offensive and manage to keep the fascists at bay. but suffered heavy losses.
In the following days the attacks and counter-attacks take place in this olive grove maze, turning the struggle into a battle of exhaustion. It will be considered the first modern battle in history due to the participation of battle tanks, artillery and aviation in coordination with the infantry; and the first open field “Great Battle” of war..
On February the 18th the brigadiers launched a counter attack, but this was stopped by the fascists. Despite the poor conditons, the brigadiers managed to stand firm. As the men made their way up an outcrop that was later known as " Suicide Hill " they were mown down mercilessly by machine gun fire. They had little chance.Of the 500 brave men only 140 survived, the memory of this battle haunting them for many years later.
But the vital road that Franco needed to have cut remained open. The most critical day will be the 23 February, when as many as three times the Republicans are on the verge of taking the high ground. From this day forward, the battle is fading, although there will still be a last and desperate republican attempt to break the front lines.
Mussolini and Hitler continued to give Franco large amounts of aid in men, aircraft, bombers, tanks and ammunition, much of it coming in via Portugal, throughout the war.
On February 27, beside the San Martín de la Vega highway, the Americans of the Abraham Lincoln battalion and the 24th Mixed Brigade launched themselves against Franco’s positions with a disastrous result. It was the epilogue of one of the most important battles of the Civil War.
The 28 February 1937 marked an end to 'The Battle of Jarama', one of the most vital yet deadliest battles to have taken place during the Spanish Civil War. Lasting for 21 days, fespite heavy losses – 10,000 dead on the Republican side, the Republican lines held, and a stalemate ensued which stayed in place until the final days of the war in 1939. In all, more than 15,000 died on both sides, making it one of the bloodiest confrontations of the war.
Depending on the author, an estimated 600 to 1,200 members of the International Brigades lost their lives in the Battle of Jarama, while hundreds were taken prisoner or declared missing in action.Nobody will know exactly how many died, let alone the names of all those who fought there
While the rest of the world was either complicit or stood by, the International'l Brigades in Spain showed generations to come what solidarity looked like.Although the Spanish Republic would eventually be defeated in 1939,.the Battle of Jarama forever stands as an example of the courage and determination of the Spanish and international anti-fascists during the civil war.
Franco would establish a military dictatorship, which he defined as a totalitarian state. Franco proclaimed himself Head of State and Government under the title El Caudillo, a term similar to Il Duce (Italian) for Benito Mussolini and Der Führer (German) for Adolf Hitler. Under Franco, Spain became a one-party state, as the various conservative and royalist factions were merged into the fascist party and other political parties were outlawed. Franco’s regime committed a series of violent human rights abuses against the Spanish people, which included the establishment of concentration camps and the use of forced labor and executions, mostly against political and ideological enemies, causing an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 deaths in more than 190 concentration camps. Spain’s entry into the Second World War. on the Axis side was prevented largely by, as was much later revealed, British Secret Intelligence Service (MI-6) efforts that included up to $200 million in bribes for Spanish officials to keep the regime from getting involved. Franco was also able to take advantage of the resources of the Axis Powers and chose to avoid becoming heavily involved in the Second World War..
The Civil War ravaged the Spanish economy. Infrastructure was damaged, workers killed, and daily business severely hampered. For more than a decade after Franco’s victory, the economy improved little. Franco initially pursued a policy of autarky, cutting off almost all international trade. The policy had devastating effects, and the economy stagnated. Only black marketeers could enjoy an evident affluence. Up to 200,000 people died of starvation during the early years of Francoism, a period known as Los Años de Hambre (the Years of Hunger).
The Spanish Civil was was a decisive moment in the history of the world. It was of immense significance internationally. From 1936, Europe’s future participants in the Second World War came into direct or indirect conflict with each other during the Spanish civil war. Spain was the first great battle of the Second World War, the test bench for a war to come that would devastate Europe.
For some people this war was the last great cause, for others it was a crusade.It was the most passionate war, in which the ideologies of the 20th century confronted each other for the first time: democracy, fascism and communism. It was a religious war, but at the same time a class war, a revolution faced with a reaction. It was a conflict that would continue in Europe and which also continued in Spain after the war had finished, because it was not just a war. There was also a long and hard post-war period, during which it was no longer a question of beating the enemy, since the war had been won, but rather of eradicating it, in order to maintain a system that lasted for a long time and kept Spain out of the process of democratisation until freedom returned in 1975.
Today I remember those who throughout this conflict their faith and ideals remained intact,with their bravery, sacrifice and committment to their noble cause. Comrades that stood together and fought for good against the evils of fascism.Ordinary people who made the extraordinary choice to leave their friends and family and fight in a brutal war far away from home, a common cause bringing them together, shoulder to shoulder with the workers and peasants of Spain fighting for their emancipation.
Those who lost their lives will never grow old, they will never fade from our memories or their names from our lips, they live on through us - they are legend.We should never forget theirs heroic struggle against the forces of fascism.,While their own government was appeasing the fascist dictators, these brave volunteers knew that fascism had to be defeated and were prepared to die in order to do so;They will continue to be an inspiration to all of us involved in anti-fascist campaigns today.
The International Brigade Memorial Trust (IBMT),
https://international-brigades.org.uk/ keeps alive the memory of the 2,500 men and women who went to Spain from 1936-39 to join the International Brigades to help the Spanish republic as it tried to put down the military revolt launched by Franco with support from Hitler and Mussolini. The struggle continues, the fascists shall continue to not pass. No pasaron. Remember the Internationale unites the human race.
" It was in Spain that my generation learned that one can be right but can be beaten , that force can vanquish spirit, that there are times when courage is not its own recompense. It is this doubtless , which so many, the world over feel the Spanish drama as a personal tragedy" - Albert Camus
The following poem by the young International Brigades volunteer John Lepper charts the day's fighting in the Jarama valley ..Followed by two more reflections on this battle.
Battle of Jarama - John Lepper.The sun warmed the valley
But no birds sang
The sky was rent with shrapnel
And metallic clang
Death stalked the olive trees
Picking his men
His leaden finger beckoned
Again and again
Dust rose from the roadside
A stifling cloud
Ambulances tore past
Klaxoning loud
Men torn by shell-shards lay
Still on the ground
The living sought shelter
Not to be found
Holding their hot rifles
Flushed with the fight
Sweat-streaked survivors
Willed for the night
With the coming of darkness
Deep in the wood
A fox howled to heaven
Smelling the blood.
Jarama Front - T.A.R HyndmanI tried not to see,
But heard his voice.
How brown the earth
And green the trees.
One tree was his he could not move.
Wounded all over,
He lay there moaning.
I hardly knew:
I tore his coat
it was easy -
Shrapnel had helped.
But he was dying
And the blanket sagged.
'God bless you, comrades,
He will thank you.'
That was all.
No slogan,
No clenched fist
Except in pain.
Jarama - A.M. Elliot
Unrisen dawns had dazzled in your eyes,
Your hearts were hungry for the not yet born.
In agony of thwarted love and wasted life,
Through all long misery, from countries torn
With savage hands, you did not shrink or bend,
But marched on straighter, prouder to the end.
Not blindly, fighting in another's war
Lured by cheap promises and dugged with drums,
Striking down brothers in the name of lies,
Slaves of the blackest with all senses numbed-
But clear-eyed, bravely, counting all the cost,
Knowing what might be won, what might be lost.
The rifles you will never hold again
In other hands will speak against the night.
Brothers have filled your places in the ranks
Who will remember how you died for right
The day you took those rifles up, defied
The power of ages, and victorious died.
Comrades, sleep now. For all you loved shall be.
You did not seek for death, but finding it-
And such a death - better than shameful life,
Rest now content. A flame of hope is lit.
The flag of freedom floats again unfurled
And all you loved lives richer in the world.
Poems reprinted from
The Penguin Book of Spanish Civil War Verse
1980.
The following "Jarama Valley" also known as "El Valle del Jarama" is a song from the Second Spanish Republic. Referring to the Spanish Civil War Battle of Jarama, the song uses the tune of Red River Valley.Written anonymously, it became the unofficial anthem of the British volunteers and has been sung by veterans and their supporters to this day at events to commemorate the legendary International Brigades.
Jarama Valley - Woody Guthrie
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