La Cucaracha Spanish Civil War Diary December 1938

- December 1938 -

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Poster from the Spanish Communist Party: The women want to win the war, too. We should help them.
(Cause the Republican army needed more and more man, male industry workers had to be replaced by woman).

International solidarity of citizens in all the world with the Spanish Republic is growing, mostly because the political events in Europe regarding Hitler's demands (annexation of Austria and Sudetes, demands against Poland).

The democratic political leaders, on the other hand, are negotiating with Mussolini and Hitler, not seeing that they are destabilizing European democracies and that the European war they want to avoid will come only faster on them. Hitler himself is expecting the inevitable outbreak of this war for 1942 or 1943.

The war in Spain is dominating the world news, and some international famous papers are reporting friendly towards Franco (and Hitler, Mussolini). One of these international supporters of Fascist politics in Europe is the LIFE magazine. The LIFE reporters in Spain are maintaining a propagandistic campaign against the Republic and pro Franco, referring for example to the Republican army regularly as "Spanish Mob" and "Spanish Horde", and calling the legal Spanish government "the real rebels and mutineers". Franco and his troops are presented as noble and honest soldiers. The LIFE magazine is praising Franco as the rescuer of Spain, who will bring peace and justice for all Spaniards.

02 Dec *Pablo Picasso collected 200.000 French Francs for the Spanish Republic

04 Dec *Inauguration of a new mobile hospital train by the Generalitat of Catalonia

*06 Dec Peace agreement between France and Germany**
	A peace agreement between France and Germany is signed in Paris by German Minister Ribbentrop and French Minister Bonnet.

*15 Dec Devastating air raids on El Perello**
	Between the 15th and the 17th of December the Fascist aviation destroys the village of El Perello in 4 devastating air raids, killing most of it inhabitants.

*15 Dec Republican secret service smashes Fascist espionage ring in Catalonia**
	The Republican secret service SIM (Servicio de Investigation Militar) smashes a wide spread Fascist espionage ring in Catalonia and arrests dozens of suspects.

23 Dec *Fascist offensive on Catalonia launched

350.000 Fascist soldiers under command of Munoz Grandes, Garcia Valino, Moscardo and Gambara break through the Republican defense lines and start the invasion of Catalonia. Ten thousands of citizens flee before the Fascist armies in direction of Barcelona and the French border.

"The Fascists possessed an absolute superiority in supplies and weapons of all types, with a field gun for every ten yards of the front from Llerida to Tortosa, unchallenged control of the skies, and sufficient transportation facilities to allow the advancing troops to be relieved every 48 hours in every sector where strong resistance occurred. In their path lay 90.000 semi-armed man whose morale and supplies had been exhausted by the Battle of the Ebro. Only the crack Communist-led units of General Lister, Galan and Taguena opposed serious resistance."
After Gabriel Jackson, The Spanish Republic And The Civil War, 1931-1939, ISBN 0-691-00757-8

25 Dec *Fascist armies take Castelldans

*28 Dec Fascist advance stopped before Balaguer**
	The Republican defenders can stop the Fascist advance before Balaguer, but Franco is rushing in reinforcements for the attackers.

31 Dec *The new French ambassador presents himself and his credentials before Spain's President Azana

31 Dec *The Center and the university area of Barcelona is bombed by Fascist air force