Evening star., 1939-03-28
CopituIotion

(COntlnued From First Page)
the time it was year old. In an
other year he had taken tWo-thirds
of the country and was squirting his
army toward the final push.
The huge but unframed citizen
army of the government, which for
two years included an intena-
tional brigade composed Of Ameri-
cans, Britons. Czechs, Frenchmen
and several other nationalities, en-
joyed the tonic of victory in only a
few major engagements.
Began as Army Revolt.
The war started as an army re-
volt against the Popular Front re-
gime. whose reelection in Febru-
ary, 1896, spelled loss of parliament
tary influence for the old ruling
classes.
In Madrid jubilant Leftist mobs
got out of hand, burned churches
and assaulted army officers. Parlia-
lament appeared ready to vote a
revolutionary program, distributing
among peasants land held by the
aristocracy and destroying the in
f1uence of the church, especially in
education.
Strikes, riots, assaSsinationS and
counter -assasinations became fire.
quent. The Staying on July l3 OF
Jose Calvo Sotelo, monarchist leader
and chief critic of the Leftist gov
ernment, brought the situation to a
head.
Most of the old army's officers
favored revolt, and the uprising in
Spanish Morocco touched it of. The
bulk of the army joined the insur-
gent cause. They were aided by
Moors, foreign legionnaires and
monarchist volunteers.
The government armed the people
as it could, thus saving itself in
Madrid and other important cities
The Nationalist had expected a
quick victOry--a military coup
d'etat. Instead, the whole nation
split into armed camps and became
a vast, disordered battlefield.
NatiOnalists Strong in West.
From the start the Nationalists
were stronger in the west. the
government in the east. Within q
month Gen. Franco had consolidat-
ed his northwest and southwest
forces and gained control of about
third Of Spain.
From then OH he followed one
plan-to isolate sections OF govern
ment territory and then conquer
them. BY the time the war was a
year old he had isolated and con-
quered the northern coast. giving
him all of Western and North
western Spain.
Then, by striking east from the
Teruel area. he squeezed govern
ment territory into geographical
hour glass, finally cutting the top
from the bottom by driving to the
Mediterranean at Vinaroz on April
IS, 1898.
After Vinaroz the Nationalists
kept up steady pressure on govern
ment lines, beat back government
counteroffensives, and prepared for
the drive designed to subdue the
isolated northeastern section of
government Spain.
The drive started last December
% and gained momentum quickly
Tortorsa and Tarragona fell In quick
succession. The big blow was the
capture of Barcelona January 26
From that point on the government
retreated rapidly. Thousands Of gov
ernment soldiers and civilians
streamed into France. The cabinet
fed. 1t was the beginning of the
end.
Alcazar Garrison Rescued.
Woven into the pattern of the
campaigns were dramatic, isolated
struggles. In one. Moorish troops
rescued the Nationalist garrison of
the fortress of Alcazar in Toledo
after it had withstood 10 days of
siege from the start of the war. OF
the 1.10O men and 400 women and
children in the fortress, 139 were
killed and $50 wounded
Madrid was a city under fire for
more than two years. Nationalists
reached its gates November 6. 1896,
but even with enemy troops In the
edge of the city Madrid held out
under air and artillery bombardment
despite a dWindling food supply.
The governments greatest single
victory was the rout of Italian
Legionnaires at Brihuega. A sharp
counter attack drove back mechan-
lied Black-Shir force which early
in March, 1887, had attempted to
encircle Madrid from the northeast.
BY March l8 the threat had been
averted.
War Lighted Fuse.
The war was a lighted fuse. sput-
tering through the dynamite kegs
of European theological and political
rivalries. But each time 1t burned
near a detonator the fuse was
snatched away.
With Italian and German aid to
Nationalists apparent early in the
conflict and French Leftists de-
manding aid for the government,
France acted to keep the struggle
from becoming world war.
Negotiations started by France re-
suited in formation September 9,
1896, of 27-nation hands off
Spain" committee to keep foreign
arms and men from reaching either
faction through q patrol of the seas
and inspection of land frontiers.
Almost from the start Italy and
Germany were accused of violations
of the non-intervention accord.
France and Russia were similarly
accused after the Spanish govern
ment established temporary air
superiority at Madrid early in 1887
with equipment made in those
countries.