The Siege of the Alcázar was a highly symbolic
Nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
victory in
Toledo in the opening stages 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 ...
. The
Alcázar of Toledo
The Alcázar of Toledo ( es, Alcázar de Toledo, ) is a stone fortification located in the highest part of Toledo, Spain. It is a large quadrangular building measuring 60 meters on a side, framed by four large towers 60 meters high, each crowned ...
was held by a variety of military forces in favour of the Nationalist uprising. Militias of the parties in the
Popular Front
A popular front is "any coalition of working-class and middle-class parties", including liberal and social democratic ones, "united for the defense of democratic forms" against "a presumed Fascist assault".
More generally, it is "a coalition ...
began their siege on July 21, 1936. The siege ended on September 27 with the arrival of the
Army of Africa under
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...
.
Background
On July 17, 1936,
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...
began the military rebellion in
Spanish Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
. On July 18, the military governor of the province of Toledo,
Colonel Moscardó, ordered the ''
Guardia Civil
The Civil Guard ( es, Guardia Civil, link=no; ) is the oldest law enforcement agency in Spain and is one of two national police forces. As a national gendarmerie force, it is military in nature and is responsible for civil policing under the a ...
'' of the province to concentrate in the city of Toledo. During July 19 and 20, various attempts were made by the War Ministry of the Republican government to obtain the munitions in the arms factory at Toledo. Each time, Colonel Moscardó refused and was threatened that a force from
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
would be sent against him.
Forces
The Republican forces dispatched to Toledo consisted of approximately 8,000 men of the militias of the
FAI,
CNT and the
UGT. They had several pieces of artillery, a few armoured cars, and two or three
tankette
A tankette is a tracked armoured fighting vehicle that resembles a small tank, roughly the size of a car. It is mainly intended for light infantry support and scouting. s. The Republican Air Force performed reconnaissance, spotted for the artillery and bombed the Alcázar on 35 occasions.
Participants in the Nationalist uprising were the 800
[''Luchando por Franco: Voluntarios europeos al servicio de la España fascista, 1936–1939'', page 61, ]Judith Keene
Captain Judith Keene is a former Commandant of Cadets at the United States Coast Guard Academy
The United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) is a service academy of the United States Coast Guard in New London, Connecticut. Founded in 1876, ...
, Salvat, 2002, . Original English title: ''Fighting for Franco''. men of the ''Guardia Civil'', 6 cadets
[Thomas, Hugh. (2001). ''The Spanish Civil War.'' Penguin Books. London. p.236] of the Military Academy, one hundred Army officials and 200 civilians from right-wing political parties.
The only weapons that they possessed were rifles, a few old machine guns and some hand grenades, but the officials and Guardia Civil had managed to bring in abundant ammunition.
Approximately 670 civilians (five hundred women and 50 children)
[''Luchando por Franco'', page 62.] lived in the Alcázar for the duration of the siege. Many of these were the family members of the ''Guardia Civil'' while others had fled from the advancing Republican militias. The women were given no role in the defence of the Alcázar; they were not even allowed to cook or nurse the wounded. However, their presence in the Alcázar provided the men with the moral courage to continue the defence. The civilians were kept safe from Republican attacks, the five civilians that died were due to natural causes. There were two births during the siege. One of the babies born, who eventually became an officer in the Spanish military, was expelled from the Army in the late 1970s for joining the
UMD.
Additionally, ten prisoners captured during sorties in Toledo and about 100-200
hostage
A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized, such as a relative, employer, law enforcement or government to act, or ref ...
s (including women and children) were held by the Nationalists through the duration of the siege. Among the hostages were the Civil Governor of the province and his family.
Two babies were born during the siege. Some sources say the hostages were never heard from again after the siege, though one journalist who visited the fortress after the battle reported seeing the hostages chained to a railing in the cellar.
Symbolism
The
Alcázar
An alcázar, from Arabic ''al-Qasr'', is a type of Islamic castle or palace in the Iberian Peninsula (also known as al-Andalus) built during Muslim rule between the 8th and 15th centuries. They functioned as homes and regional capitals for gover ...
became the residence of the
Spanish monarchs after the
reconquest of Toledo from the
Moors
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or ...
but was abandoned by
Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
and in the 18th century was converted into a
military academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...
. After a fire in 1886, parts of the Álcazar had been reinforced with steel and concrete beams.
The Nationalists saw the Alcázar as a representation of the
strength and dominance of Spain. Losing the Alcázar to the Republicans would have been a serious blow to the Nationalists' vision and
morale
Morale, also known as esprit de corps (), is the capacity of a group's members to maintain belief in an institution or goal, particularly in the face of opposition or hardship. Morale is often referenced by authority figures as a generic value ...
. Toledo was also the spiritual capital of the Spanish
Visigothic Kingdom
The Visigothic Kingdom, officially the Kingdom of the Goths ( la, Regnum Gothorum), was a kingdom that occupied what is now southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to the 8th centuries. One of the Germanic peoples, Germanic su ...
.
Apart from a small-arms factory, Toledo was a city of no military value to either side; the Nationalist forces there were small, isolated, badly equipped and in no condition to conduct offensive operations. The Republican government believed that since the garrison was only southwest of Madrid and would not be receiving any immediate help from the other Nationalist forces, it would be an easy propaganda victory.
Siege
July 21
A proclamation declaring a "State of War" was read by Captain Emilio Vela-Hidalgo, Captain of Cavalry (and nephew of the Republican General Manuel Cardenal
Dominicis,
) at the Military Academy at 7 a.m. in the Zocodover, the main plaza of
Toledo. Euphemistic orders were given for "the arrest of well-known left-wing activists" in Toledo, but only the governor of the local prison was arrested.
The Republican troops sent from Madrid first arrived at the Hospital of Tavera on the outskirts of Toledo but redirected their attack towards the Arms Factory upon receiving heavy fire from the hospital. A detachment of 200 ''Guardia Civil'' was stationed at the Arms Factory and negotiations with the Republicans ensued. During these talks, the ''Guardia Civil'' loaded trucks with ammunition from the factory and sent it to the Alcázar before evacuating and destroying the factory.
July 22 – August 13
By July 22, the Republicans controlled most of Toledo and sought the surrender of the Alcázar by artillery bombardment. For the duration of the siege, the Nationalists engaged in a passive defence, only returning fire when an attack was imminent.
Colonel Moscardó was called on the telephone by the chief of the Worker's Militia, Commissar Cándido Cabello, on the morning of July 23 in Toledo and told that if the Alcázar were not surrendered within ten minutes, Moscardó's 24-year-old son, Luis, who had been captured earlier in the day, would be executed. Colonel Moscardó asked to speak to his son and his son asked what he should do. “Commend your soul to God," he told his son, "and die like a patriot, shouting,‘¡Viva Cristo Rey!' and ‘¡Viva España!’ The Alcázar does not surrender.” "That," answered his son, "I can do." Luis was immediately shot, contrary to the rumour that he was not in fact shot until a month later "in reprisal for an air raid".
August 14 – September 17
On August 14, the Republicans changed tactics after they felt the defences on the northern side of the Alcázar had been sufficiently reduced. Over the next five weeks, the Republicans attacked the House of the Military Government on eleven occasions but were turned back each time by the Nationalists. After the war, Franco posthumously awarded Guillermo Juárez de María y Esperanza, with the
Orden del Mérito Militar for his bravery in the breach. Had the Republicans captured the House of the Military Government, it would have enabled them to mass a large number of troops only away from the Alcázar.
An envoy from the Republicans,
Major Rojo, was sent to Colonel Moscardó on September 9 to ask for the surrender of the Alcázar. This was refused, but Colonel Moscardó requested for a priest to be sent to
baptize
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation and Adoption ...
the two children born during the siege and to also say
Mass
Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different elementar ...
.
Vázquez Camarassa, a Madrid preacher with left-wing views, was sent to the Alcázar during the morning of September 11, performed the necessary functions and issued a
general absolution to the defenders of the Alcázar. That evening, Major Rojo met with Colonel Moscardó to discuss the evacuation of the women and children. The women unanimously replied that they would never surrender and if need be would take up arms for the defence of the Alcázar.
The Chilean Ambassador to Spain, José Ramón Gutiérrez, having heard that the previous attempts for surrender failed, went on September 12 to secure the surrender of the Alcázar. He was unable to contact Colonel Moscardó because the telephone wires had been damaged the previous night from grenades thrown by the Republican militias and he was unwilling to use other methods of communication.
September 18
From August 16 the Republicans had been digging two mines towards the southwest tower of the Alcázar. On the morning of September 18, explosives in the mines were detonated by
Francisco Largo Caballero
Francisco Largo Caballero (15 October 1869 – 23 March 1946) was a Spanish politician and trade unionist. He was one of the historic leaders of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and of the Workers' General Union (UGT). In 1936 and 19 ...
,
[Moss, p217] completely destroying the southwest tower and the two defenders in it. Approximately 10 minutes after the explosion, the Republicans launched four attacks on the Alcázar with the aid of armoured cars and tanks. The attacks failed after a determined defence by the Nationalists, but the Republicans responded with a continuous artillery bombardment of the Alcázar throughout the night and into the next day.
September 19–26
The bombardment of the outlying buildings had been so great that communication between them and the Alcázar had become impossible. A withdrawal from the buildings was ordered and by the night of September 21, the garrisons were concentrated in what remained of the Alcázar. The Republicans attacked the outlying buildings on the morning of September 22, but progress was slow because they did not realize that the buildings had been abandoned.
At 5 a.m. on September 23, the Republicans assaulted the northern breaches of the Alcázar and surprised the defenders by lobbing grenades and dynamite. The Nationalists on that side were driven into the courtyard of the Alcázar, but reserves arrived from elsewhere in the building to drive back the attack.
A fresh assault was mounted later in the morning, this time led by a tank. Wave after wave of Republican soldiers attacked the breaches, but after 45 minutes the attack had ground to a halt and fell back.
Relief
The first sign of an advancing Nationalist column was on August 22 when a plane sent by Franco airlifted a trunk of food into the Alcázar along with a message to the defenders that the Army of Africa was on its way to relieve the garrison. By September 26, the Nationalist columns had reached the village of Bargas, four miles (6 km) north of Toledo.
The position of the Republicans in Toledo grew desperate and on the morning of September 27, they made a final assault on the Alcázar. The attack was repulsed and shortly after the Nationalists swarmed down from Bargas to end the siege. After the arrival of the main Nationalist force, most of the Republican troops fell back in disorder on
Aranjuez
Aranjuez () is a city and municipality of Spain, part of the Community of Madrid.
Located in the southern end of the region, the main urban nucleus lies on the left bank of Tagus, a bit upstream the discharge of the Jarama. , the municipality h ...
.
Aftermath
The symbolic value of the Alcázar grew as weeks went by, and the Republicans threw badly needed men, artillery and weapons into the fortress capture (instead of using them to confront Franco's northern advance through western Spain). The press was invited by the Republican government to witness the explosion of the mines and storming of the Alcázar on September 18, when the Prime minister
Francisco Largo Caballero
Francisco Largo Caballero (15 October 1869 – 23 March 1946) was a Spanish politician and trade unionist. He was one of the historic leaders of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and of the Workers' General Union (UGT). In 1936 and 19 ...
himself detonated the mine, but it would not be until September 29 that the press entered the Alcázar, this time by the invitation of the Nationalists, turning the whole affair into a huge propaganda victory for the Nationalists, undermining the Republican morale.
Franco's decision to relieve the defenders of the Alcázar was a controversial one at the time. Many of his advisers thought that he should have kept up the advance towards Madrid because the besiegers of the Alcázar would have been recalled to Madrid for its defense. However, Franco believed that the propaganda value of the Alcázar was more important and ordered the Army of Africa to relieve it. Indeed, when Franco arrived at the Alcázar one day after its relief, he was greeted by Moscardó, who said: "No further news in the Alcázar, my General. I give it to you destroyed, but with its honour preserved". Two days after the relief of the Alcázar, Franco was proclaimed ''
Generalisimo
''Generalissimo'' ( ) is a military rank of the highest degree, superior to field marshal and other five-star ranks in the states where they are used.
Usage
The word (), an Italian term, is the absolute superlative of ('general') thus mea ...
'' and in October was declared the head of state.
The story of the siege was very interesting for foreign supporters of Franco, who would read the several books published in foreign languages, and would strive for meeting Moscardó when visiting wartime Spain. In December 1936 a delegation of Romanian
Iron Guard
The Iron Guard ( ro, Garda de Fier) was a Romanian militant revolutionary fascist movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel Michael () or the Legionnaire Movement (). It was strongly ...
led by
Ion Moța
Ion I. Moța (5 July 1902 — 13 January 1937) was the deputy leader of the Romanian fascist Legionary Movement (Iron Guard), killed in battle during the Spanish Civil War.
Biography
Son of the nationalist Orthodox priest Ioan Moța, who ...
and
Vasile Marin
Vasile Marin (January 29, 1904, Bucharest, Kingdom of Romania – January 13, 1937, Majadahonda, Spain) was a Romanian politician, public servant and lawyer. A member of the National Peasants' Party until 1932, Vasile Marin later became a pr ...
presented a ceremonial sword to the survivors of the siege and announced the alliance of their movement with the Spanish Nationalists.
In popular culture
The siege was the basis for the prize-winning 1940 Italian war film, ''
L'assedio dell'Alcazar'', directed by
Augusto Genina
Augusto Genina (28 January 1892 – 18 September 1957) was an Italian film pioneer. He was a movie producer and director.
Biography
Born in Rome, Genina was a drama critic and wrote comedies for the ''Il Mondo'' Magazine, under advise of Aldo ...
. In Spanish, the film is known as ''Sin novedad en el Alcázar''.
See also
*
*
*''
El Alcázar
''El Alcázar'' (meaning ''The Fortress'' in English) was a Spanish language far-right newspaper published in Spain between 1936 and 1988.
History and profile
''El Alcázar'' was established in 1936. The paper was founded as the principal nation ...
'', a Spanish newspaper targeting the ''
búnker'', the hardline supporters of Francoism even after Franco's death.
*
Fifth Regiment
The Fifth Regiment ( es, Quinto Regimiento, the full name ''Quinto Regimiento de Milicias Populares)'', was an elite corps loyal to the Spanish Republic at the onset of the Spanish Civil War. Made up of volunteers, the Fifth Regiment was active ...
*The closing section of ''The Dangerous Years'' by Gilbert Frankau, in which one of the characters and his wife are caught up in the siege.
References
General
*Eby, Cecil D. ''The Siege of the Alcazar''. New York: Random House, 1965.
*Moss, Geoffrey MacNeill. ''The Siege of the Alcázar: A History of the Siege of the Toledo Alcázar, 1936''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1937. . Moss arrived in Toledo three weeks after the end of the siege and stayed for three months, interviewing survivors and checking reports by Moscardó and the internal newspaper. It was re-published and translated several times. While Moss admires the defenders, he is careful in distinguishing his conjectures from oral reports.
[Evaluation of Moss's book in ''Luchando por Franco'', page 73]
**Thomas, Hugh. ''The Spanish Civil War''. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1961.
[Boletin de GEFREMA - Grupo de estudios del Frente de Madrid no.14 November 2008]
Notes
External links
Photographs of the siege and aftermathSatellite image from Google Maps
{{DEFAULTSORT:Siege Of The Alcazar
1936 in Spain
Alcazar 1936
Alcazar
Alcazar
Conflicts in 1936
Toledo, Spain
July 1936 events
August 1936 events
September 1936 events
History of the province of Toledo