War in the North

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War in the North
Part of the Spanish Civil War
Date March 31, 1937 – October 21, 1937 Location Northern Spain Result Decisive Nationalist victory
Belligerents
Spanish Republic	Nationalist Spain
Commanders
Francisco Llano de la Encomienda	Emilio Mola José Solchaga
Strength
?	?
Casualties and losses
~?	~?

[edit] Description

The War in the North, in the Spanish Civil War was the campaign in which the Nationalist forces defeated and occupied the parts of northern Spain that remained loyal to the Republican government. The campaign included several separate battles. The Battle of Bilbao resulted in the loss of the part of Basque Country still held by the Republic. During this part of the campaign we witness the Bombing of Guernica and Durango. The Battle of Santander caused the loss of the province of Santander in Cantabrian Castile for the Republic. The Battle of El Mazuco lead to the capture of the Republican controlled part of Asturias and the fall of Gijón, the Republic's last stronghold in the North, to the Nationalists. The campaign ended October 21, 1937 with a decisive and total Nationalist victory.

[edit] Introduction

With the fall of Irun and then San Sebastián, in September, 1936, the Nationalists campaign in Guipúzcoa isolated the Republican controlled areas in northern Spain to the provices of Vizcaya, Santander and Asturias. This area was cutoff from the rest of Spain by large swaths of Nationalist controlled territory. This area was very attractive to the Nationalists because of the industrial production of Vizcaya and the mineral resources of Asturias. To conquer this area would gain these valuable resources, eliminate large numbers of Republican forces and make available large numbers of Nationalist troops tied down in a two front war. Franco realized that Madrid was not going to be conquered quickly. The iron, coal, steel and chemicals were a tempting target. The Republican north also was politically divided and not that well supplied. Franco ordered The Madrid Front to go on the defensive and all available resources to go to the north.^[1]

The Campaign in the War of the North

[edit] Beginning of the campaign

Emilio Mola was in command of the start of this campaign, beginning on March 31, 1937; however, Mola, died in an airplane crash, June 3, 1937. The Nationalists began the attack with 50,000 men of the 61st Navarre Division under General José Solchaga.^[2]The Republican Army of the North was commanded by General Francisco Llano de la Encomienda.^[3]This was the start of the Battle of Bilbao.

[edit] References

1. ^ Hugh Thomas, The Spanish Civil War, (2001) p. 594.
2. ^ Hugh Thomas, (2001), p. 595
3. ^ Hugh Thomas, (2001), p. 597.

[edit] External Links

• El Mazuco (La defensa imposible)(Spanish)
  • El Mazuco (the impossible defence) Translated from the Spanish
• La Guerra Civil en Cantabria
• La Cucaracha, The Spanish Civil War Diary
• Almirante Cervera

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