The Invasion of Val d'Aran, known under the code name ''Operación Reconquista de España'' ("Operation Reconquest of Spain"), was a military operation launched in October 1944 by the (UNE). In October 1944, with the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

over and the

Axis powers The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies of World War II, Allies. Its principal members were Nazi Ge ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in retreat, guerrilla fighters loyal to the Republic tried to conquer

Val d'Aran Aran (; ; ) (often known as the Aran Valley, or Val d'Aran in Aranese Occitan; in other forms of Occitan: ''Vath d'Aran'' or ''Vau d'Aran'', in Catalan: ''Vall d'Aran'', in Spanish: ''Valle de Arán'') is an autonomous administrative entity (form ...

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

and establish a provisional Republican government presided over by

Juan Negrín Juan Negrín López (; 3 February 1892 – 12 November 1956) was a Spanish physician and politician who served as prime minister of the Second Spanish Republic. He was a leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (, PSOE) and of the le ...

in order to later overthrow the

dictatorship A dictatorship is an autocratic form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, who hold governmental powers with few to no Limited government, limitations. Politics in a dictatorship are controlled by a dictator, ...

Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...

. The invasion, led by communist militant and

French resistance The French Resistance ( ) was a collection of groups that fought the German military administration in occupied France during World War II, Nazi occupation and the Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy#France, collaborationist Vic ...

member Vicente López Tovar, managed to overrun a number of Civil Guard outposts and take over several hamlets in the high areas of Arán, but was eventually repelled by the Francoist army, led by General José Moscardó, the defender of the Alcázar during the civil war. Moscardó established his headquarters at Vielha, the main administrative center of the valley, and, supported by heavy artillery, made it impossible for the insurgents to advance through the Port de la Bonaigua pass and onto the lowlands beyond. The guerrillas were also beaten off at Salardú, where they suffered a number of casualties. According to historian Geneviève Dreyfus-Armand, the UNE was a "structure of a large alliance, (which) united not only Communists, but also Spaniards of different political alignments – Socialists, Republicans or Anarchists – who the dispersion of their organizations and the silence of their leaders pushed into joining the only fighting structure organised against Nazism".

Popular culture

* " The Silent War" (2019, original title: ''Sordo''), Spanish movie by Alfonso Cortés-Cavanillas.

References

Bibliography

* * {{cite journal , last1=Boya-Busquet , first1=Mireia , last2=Cerarols-Ramirez , first2=Rosa , title=Women Narration: Land, Gender and Oral Memory. The Forgotten History of the Maquis at Aran Valley , journal=Journal of Alpine Research, date=13 February 2015 , issue=103–4 , doi=10.4000/rga.2650 , url=https://journals.openedition.org/rga/2650 , language=en , issn=0035-1121, doi-access=free , hdl=10230/44651 , hdl-access=free Anti-Francoism October 1944 in Europe Modern history of Spain History of Catalonia 1944 in Spain Francoist Spain Invasions of Spain Battles and operations of World War II Battles involving Spain Spain in World War II World War II invasions

Popular culture

See also

References

Bibliography