The Battle of Caspe took place during the
Aragon Offensive
The Aragon Offensive was an important military campaign during the Spanish Civil War, which began after the Battle of Teruel. The offensive, which ran from March 7, 1938, to April 19, 1938, smashed the Republican forces, overran Aragon, and conq ...
of the
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...
in 16–17 March 1938.
Background
After the
Battle of Teruel
The Battle of Teruel was fought in and around the city of Teruel during the Spanish Civil War between December 1937 and February 1938, during the worst Spanish winter in 20 years.Hugh Purcell, p. 95. The battle was one of the bloodiest actions of ...
, the
Republican Army in Aragon was exhausted and badly equipped. In March 1938 a huge Nationalist force of 150,000 men and more than 900 planes started an offensive in Aragon, breaking the Republican front. Most of the units of the Republican Army fled and the retreat became a rout, but in some points others fought bravely.
Battle of Caspe
On 9 March the Nationalists advanced 36 kilometres, on 10 March they occupied
Belchite held by the
XV International Brigade
The Abraham Lincoln Brigade ( es, Brigada Abraham Lincoln), officially the XV International Brigade (''XV Brigada Internacional''), was a mixed brigade that fought for the Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War as a part of the Internationa ...
,
[Thomas, Hugh. (2001). ''The Spanish Civil War.'' Penguin Books. London. p.777] and pushed forward to
Caspe
Caspe is a municipality in the province of Zaragoza, part of the autonomous community of Aragon (Spain), seat of the comarca Bajo Aragón-Caspe. As of 2018 it had a population of 9,525 inhabitants (INE 2018) and its municipality, of 503.33&nbs ...
.
Then, the commander in chief of the Republican army,
Vicente Rojo ordered to establish a defensive line with the town of Caspe at its centre.
By 16 March three Nationalist divisions of the Varela's Army, led by
Fernando Barrón, Muñoz Grandes and Bautista Sánchez, surrounded the town held by the XV International Brigade. The Brigade fought with great valour, but after two days of heavy fighting Caspe fell to the Nationalists.
Aftermath
The Nationalists continued their advance and by 3 April occupied
Lérida
Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida.
Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...
.
[Beevor, Antony. (2006). ''The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939.'' Penguin Books. London. p.326]
See also
*
*
Notes
References
*Beevor, Antony. ''The Battle for Spain. The Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939.'' Penguin Books. 2006. London. .
*Thomas, Hugh. ''The Spanish Civil War.'' Penguin Books. 2001. London.
Caspe
Caspe is a municipality in the province of Zaragoza, part of the autonomous community of Aragon (Spain), seat of the comarca Bajo Aragón-Caspe. As of 2018 it had a population of 9,525 inhabitants (INE 2018) and its municipality, of 503.33&nbs ...
1938 in Spain
Caspe
Caspe is a municipality in the province of Zaragoza, part of the autonomous community of Aragon (Spain), seat of the comarca Bajo Aragón-Caspe. As of 2018 it had a population of 9,525 inhabitants (INE 2018) and its municipality, of 503.33&nbs ...
Province of Zaragoza
March 1938 events
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