Ricardo Sanz García (1898–1986) was a

Valencian Valencian can refer to: * Something related to the Valencian Community ( Valencian Country) in Spain * Something related to the city of Valencia * Something related to the province of Valencia in Spain * Something related to the old Kingdom of ...

anarchist militant. A member of

Buenaventura Durruti José Buenaventura Durruti Dumange (14 July 1896 – 20 November 1936) was a Spanish anarchist revolutionary involved with the CNT and the FAI in the periods before and during the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939. Durruti played an influe ...

's insurgent group

Los Solidarios ''Los Solidarios'' (; or The Solidaristic) was a Anarchism in Spain, Spanish anarchist militant group, established in 1922 to combat the rise of ''pistolerismo'' and company union, yellow syndicalism, which represented the interests of business ...

, Sanz participated in the anarchist armed struggle against the

Spanish monarchy The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish monarchy is constitu ...

and the

dictatorship of Primo de Rivera General Miguel Primo de Rivera's dictatorship over Spain began with a coup on 13 September 1923 and ended with his resignation on 28 January 1930. It took place during the wider reign of King Alfonso XIII. In establishing his dictatorship, ...

. Following the proclamation of the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of democratic government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931 after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII. ...

, he became a leader of the

Confederación Nacional del Trabajo The (CNT; ) is a Spanish anarcho-syndicalist national trade union center, trade union confederation. Founded in 1910 in Barcelona from groups brought together by the trade union ''Solidaridad Obrera (historical union), Solidaridad Obrera'', ...

(CNT) and

Federación Anarquista Ibérica The Iberian Anarchist Federation (, FAI) is a Spanish anarchist organization. Due to its close relation with the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) anarcho-syndicalist union, it is often abbreviated as CNT-FAI. The FAI publishes the pe ...

(FAI) in Catalonia. During 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 ...

, Sanz oversaw the training of the

confederal militias The confederal militias were a movement of people's militia during the Spanish Civil War organized by the Spanish anarchist movement: the National Confederation of Labor (CNT) and the Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI). The CNT militias repl ...

and went on to lead the

Durruti Column The Durruti Column (Spanish: ''Columna Durruti''), with about 6,000 people, was the largest anarchist column (or military unit) formed during the Spanish Civil War. During the first months of the war, it became the most recognized and popular mil ...

following the death of its namesake. In command of the Aragon front, he attempted multiple unsuccessful offensives against

Zaragoza Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...

, but was either hampered by severe weather or held back by the

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

. After the

militarisation Militarization, or militarisation, is the process by which a society organizes itself for military conflict and violence. It is related to militarism, which is an ideology that reflects the level of militarization of a state. The process of mili ...

of the Column, he continued to command it as the reorganised 26th Division, but came into conflict with Communist-aligned commanders of the

Spanish Republican Army The Spanish Republican Army () was the main branch of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces, Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic between 1931 and 1939. It became known as People's Army of the Republic (''Ejército Popular de la República'' ...

. After the

Nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

victory in 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 con ...

, Sanz fled to France, where he remained for the rest of his life.

Biography

Early life and militant activism

Ricardo Sanz García was born in

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

in 1898. In 1916, he moved to Barcelona, where he worked in textiles, joined the

(CNT), and was imprisoned for two years. Sanz joined the militant anarchist group

. Formed by

and

Francisco Ascaso Francisco Ascaso Abadía (1 April 1901 – 20 July 1936) was an Aragonese carpenter and prominent anarcho-syndicalist figure in Spain. Ascaso lived a life of crime and violence being involved in the deaths of multiple high-profile governmen ...

, the small group attacked trains and robbed banks associated with the Rio Tinto mining company, in actions that Sanz participated in. With the rise of the

, the CNT decentralised into a series of local and regional groups. With the backing of the syndicate in

Blanes Blanes () is a town and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of Catalonia, comarca of Selva (comarca), Selva in Province of Girona, Girona, Catalonia, Spain. During Roman rule it was named Blanda or Blandae. It is known as the ...

, Manuel Buenacasa established a newspaper ''El Productor'', which called for anarchists to drop their support for the CNT and establish a "loose party structure". This proposal received support from anarchists throughout Spain, as well as many exiles in France, mostly from the younger generation. Sanz was one of the only "experienced revolutionaries" left in Spain and the highest-ranking member of the Solidarios that hadn't yet fled the country. But before Buenacasa could make contact with him, he was arrested while trying to break three anarchists out of prison in

. To avoid detention, in 1924, Sanz fled to France, where he began smuggling weapons into Catalonia. He was arrested during a smuggling expedition and imprisoned for two years. Following the proclamation of the

, Sanz joined the newly-established

(FAI) and became a leader of the CNT in Catalonia. By 1933, members of Nosotros had begun to dissolve into other groups, with Sanz becoming a leader of the "Group A.", along with Jacinto Toryho and Abelardo Iglesias.

Militia command

At the outbreak of the

, Sanz was one of the main organisers of the

. Together with Joan Garcia i Oliver, he established the

Central Committee of Antifascist Militias of Catalonia The Central Committee of Antifascist Militias of Catalonia () was an administrative body created on 21 July 1936 by the president of the Government of Catalonia, Lluís Companys, under pressure by the anarcho-syndicalists of the National Confe ...

(CCMA). He also oversaw the

military training Military education and training is a process which intends to establish and improve the capabilities of military personnel in their respective roles. Military training may be voluntary or compulsory duty. It begins with recruit training, proceed ...

of new anarchist militias, at the barracks in

Pedralbes Pedralbes (, Old Catalan for ''white stones'') is a neighborhood in '' Les Corts'' district of Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in No ...

. Following

's death, the CNT began looking for a successor to command his militia column.

Juan García Oliver Juan García Oliver (1901–1980) was a Spanish anarcho-syndicalist revolutionary and Minister of Justice of the Second Spanish Republic. He was a leading figure of anarchism in Spain. Career Childhood and family Juan García Oliver was ...

was the first choice, but he declined, in order to continue his work as Minister of Justice. In November 1936, Sanz was chosen to take over commander of the

. Seeking to avenge Durruti's death, on the night of 21 December 1936, Sanz led the column into an offensive against the

-held city of

. Their advance was slowed by a snowstorm, which delayed them from reaching the city and isolated the anarchist insurgents that were launching an uprising in the city; more than two hundred insurgents died in the street fights and another hundred were executed on Christmas day, with only a few managing to link up with the militia column. They held parts of the city until New Year's Day of 1937, when they were forced to retreat, helping more than two thousand anarchists escape the city. They began making plans for another offensive against the city a few weeks later, with anarchist spies and saboteurs infiltrating the city in order to stage an attack, which was scheduled for 24 January 1937. Despite the preparations, the

ordered the offensive be cancelled, convinced that the militia lacked the sufficient means to succeed. Sanz protested the decision, as over 5,000 guerrillas were in Zaragoza at that moment, waiting for the militia to attack. But without the prestige of his predecessor, he was unable to reverse the decision and the anarchists' planned January offensive was abandoned. In anarchist historiography, it's remembered as the last major anarchist offensive in Aragon, one that "Madrid did not want them to win".

Conflict and militarisation

Sanz continued to face difficulties on the Aragon front, as sectarian disputes between the anarchists and the

Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia The Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (, PSUC) was a communist political party active in Catalonia between 1936 and 1997. It was the Catalan branch of the Communist Party of Spain and the only party not from a sovereign state to be a full membe ...

(PSUC) overtook meetings of the Republican command staff. Internal disputes were exacerbated when the Ministry of Defence transferred more Communists to the Aragon front, although Sanz was able to veto the transfer of the

International Brigades The International Brigades () were soldiers recruited and organized by the Communist International to assist the Popular Front (Spain), Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. The International Bri ...

, who he denounced as "adventurers imposed upon the Spanish people against their will." The intervention of the Ministry of Defence reached its height over the subsequent months, after it was decreed that the militias be

militarised Militarization, or militarisation, is the process by which a society organizes itself for military conflict and violence. It is related to militarism, which is an ideology that reflects the level of militarization of a state. The process of mili ...

into the

, a decision that many anarchists fiercely opposed. After the fall of Málaga in February 1937, the communists consolidated control over the government, while their own military campaigns collapsed. With the end of the militia system in sight, in April 1937, Sanz ordered one last offensive against the cities of Zaragoza and Huesca, hoping a victory would delay their militarisation. But after ten days of assaults, the Nationalists, now equipped with Italian and German equipment, managed to repel the anarchists, who themselves faced endemic supply issues. Sanz subsequently oversaw the column's reorganisation into the 26 Division, which was made up of the 120th, 121st and 199th Mixed Brigades. In the wake of the

May Days The May Days (, ), sometimes also called May Events (, ), were a series of clashes between 3 and 8 May 1937 during which factions on the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republican side of the Spanish Civil War engaged one another in str ...

, the anarchists lost what remained of their influence in the Republican command. Sanz's 26th Division was joined at the front by Enrique Lister's 11th Division, which began attacking the CNT's local institutions and breaking up the Aragonese communes, causing a conflict to break out between the two divisions. The 26th Division was dissolved into the ranks of the Eastern Army, commanded by

Sebastián Pozas Sebastian (; ) was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians. He was initially tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows, though this did not kill h ...

, who broke up the Regional Defence Council of Aragon. , the newly-appointed military governor of Aragon, was disliked by Sanz, who called him a ''señorito'' (little lord).

Later life

Having failed to achieve his objective of capturing Zaragoza, after the Nationalist victory in the

, Sanz fled to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and was interned in a number of French concentration camps. He lived the remainder of his life in France, where he wrote his memoirs. Sanz died in 1986.

Works

* ''El sindicalismo y la politica: los "Solidarios" y "Nosotros"'' (Tolosa, 1966) * ''Los que fuimos a Madrid: Columna Durruti'' (Tolosa, 1969) * ''Figuras de la revolución española'' (1972)

References

Bibliography

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