La Cucaracha Spanish Civil War Diary February 1938

- February 1938 -

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Respect to the nurse! She left her family to take care of you.

The situation is very bad for the Spanish government, and a final military victory over the Fascists seems not possible. The Republic is cut of supply, the Soviet dictator Stalin lost obviously his political interest in the conflict and is sending therefore less and less armament, which is most of the time not allowed to pass the French border. There while Franco gets plenty supply from both Italy and Nazi Germany, especially after he gained control over the coal mines in the north. Germany and Italy are preparing for a European war and know about the value of experienced troops and tested material. Especially the German tactics regarding fast attacks of tank units, their interaction with supporting infantry and air forces is getting more and more developed. This will allow later Hitler to roll out a sort of very effective and fast attack form on European countries, called the "Blitzkrieg" (Blitz = lightning).

Therefore the Spanish government is supporting international efforts of ending the war diplomatically, allowing for a crisis government in Spain with participation of all political and social groups, an agreement between the Fascist/National side and the Republicans. General Franco refuses, he know that he will get sooner or later what he wants, control over the whole of Spain.

*01 Feb The Spanish parliament, the Cortez, holds a reunion in Montserrat, Barcelona**
	Martinez Barrio presides the reunion, to which all elected parliamentarians are invited. This first parliamentarian reunion of the Spanish parliament is the reason why General Franco was in a hurry to present a own "civil" government the 30th of January.

The Spanish Cortez in Montserrat

05 Feb *Fascist offensive at Alfambra

The lost of Teruel was a disastrous for the Fascist rebels. The government, left without its most important industrial areas in the north, and under effective sea blockade, was able to defeat the well armed troops of General Franco. Hitler was furious when he heard about the loss of Teruel and was short of cutting his supply. But his military advisors and his Italian allies could convince hi, that Franco needs now even more supply. The government troops have to defend their hold of Teruel against increasingly heavy air and artillery attacks.

Fascists attack in the Alfambra

*08 Feb The Fascists advance to Teruel**
	The Republican army is forced back under heavy fights and high losses on both sides. Fascist Colonel Aranda is pushing the Republican lines eastwards, inexorably threatening Teruel with encirclement.

*17 Feb Another big offensive at Alfambra by Franco's troops**
	With more and more material and men the Fascists are mounting one offensive after the other against Teruel, the losses on both sides in men and material are very high. While the Fascists are getting continuos supply by their German and Italian allies, the French border is closed again for the Russian armament delivered by the Soviet Union for the Spanish government.

Republican soldiers digging trenches

*17 Feb General Franco affirms Hitler, that he will not compromise with the Spanish government for a truce or a sort of peace agreement**
	While international diplomacy is struggling to obtain a cease fire between the mutineers and the Spanish government, General Franco affirms Hitler, that he will oppose any peacefully attempts to end the civil war.

International Brigade (Thaelmann Brigade) in the trenches, left to right: Otto Lehmann, Walter Paeckert, Wili Rischinger and an unknown soldier

Republican soldiers filling sandbags
to fortify positions.

*19 Feb Anthony Eden, British minister for foreign affairs, resign**
	Anthony Eden resigns in direct consequence to the politic of "friendly neutrality" of Chamberlain to Franco, Hitler and Mussolini. He warns that the hunger for power of the Fascist countries in Europe will lead in short time to a war, in which Britain, letting the democratic Spain fall to the Fascists, will have a weakened position.

*20 Feb Fascist troops are breaking through the Republican lines and close encircle Teruel**
	First Fascists are entering the outskirts. The Republican army is retreating under difficult conditions and permanent air attack. Some of the Republican battalions have losses up to 90%. The Fascists are also supported by Legion Condor ground troops (tank units under German command) and air planes.

In the Republican trenches, awaiting the Fascist attacks, an outlook of the Canadian Mac Pap Batallion (International Brigades)

22 Feb *Teruel falls to the Fascists, Rep. General Campesino escapes in the last minute

"The Republicans [...] held on as long as possible, for morale and prestige reasons, taking a terrible punishment but were forced to evacuate Teruel hastily on February 21 lest the entire besieged garrison be cut off. Last to leave was El Campesino's division, which had literally to fight its way through the closing Nationalist lines in order to join the retreating Republican army.
Gabriel Jackson, "The Spanish Republic And The Civil War, 1931-1939", ISBN 0-691-00757-8

El Campesino is encircled in the Plaza de Toros, the bull arena of Teruel, with his 101. Brigade. During a short pause in the shooting, a voice from the Fascist side shouts: "Give up, El Campesino is dead!". Hearing that, General Campesino jumps up, waves his hands in the air and shouts back: "Where are the hijos de puta who state El Campesino is dead? Here I am! Do I look like dead?". For a short moment time seems to stand still while the infuriated General is standing there, both sides staring in astonishment at him. His own men recover first and pull him back into cover. Then an enormous shooting from the Fascist positions break out.

The 101. Brigade can break through the Fascist lines, fighting their way through the back streets. The Generals aide is mortally wounded during the retreat. El Campesino is carrying his comrade himself till the wounded dies, after that he covers him with his own coat. When the Fascists find the coat, soaked in blood, with the insignia of a General of the 101. Brigade, they bring it immediately to Franco himself, who presents the coat to the foreign journalists to proove, that Campesino is dead. Even the government is believing the spreading news and send a letter to El Campesino's wife.

But El Campesino can rejoin with the Republican army, from where he calls Prieto, Minister of defense:"Here is El Campesino speaking. I broke out of Teruel with most my men and material."- "This is a bad joke", replies Prieto. "El Campesion is dead. Who is speaking there?" - "The devil to you...!", shouts Campesino, at which Prieto interrupts him happy: "Now I know that it is truly you, Campesino.".

Despite his words, Campesino lost most of his brigade in the fightings of Teruel. When he broke out of the Plaza de Toros and retreated through the streets, fighting his way through his Fascist enemies, he lost what was left from the former fights of them. From close to 2000 men entering with him into the Battle of Teruel, he lost around 1000 during the early fights. 900 where with him in the Plaza de Toros, from which 82 were left able to fight when he rejoined the Republican army.

23 Feb *General Franco orders to kill the remaining population of Teruel

His troops are searching the city for Republican soldiers and whatever survivor they might find. Cause, like Hemingway wrote, the people of Teruel embraced the advancing Republican troops in December and welcomed them as liberators, he orders to kill everybody they find.

Most the population was evacuated by the government or fled with the retreating Republican troops. The remaining get now murdered by the Fascists as a warning for other cities.

The battle of Teruel cost 14 000 Republican soldiers their life, 20 000 get wounded, 17 000 fall prisoners. The Fascists had also 14 000 casualties, around 16 000 wounded and lost 10 000 men as prisoners.
(Other sources name much higher numbers, 50 000 casualties for the Fascists, and 60 000 on the Republican side)

While the support for Franco by the other Fascist nations in Europe is still increasing, the Spanish government lost most of his heavy armament and trained and experienced soldiers. Some units are left completely without ammunition.

Above: Fascists enter Teruel
Right: wall painting by the Fascists

27 Feb *Again Communist demands to unify the Socialist PSOE with the Spanish Communist party, PCE

The PCE (Spanish Communist Party) is blaming the anti Communist Defense Minister Prieto for the loss of Teruel and demand again to unify the Socialist PSOE with the PCE. This goes together with global reforms in the Republican rearguard. These reforms are cutting down the political influence of the PCE and have some success. From now on career judges are again chairmen of the Tribunales Populares, many cases of unreported and/or illegal arrests are investigated, many prisoners released. No flag except the Republican was to fly over any prison, and seniority within the prison staff, rather than political allegiance, was to determine the naming of prison directors. The Spanish Communist Party, whose influence is basing on the supply of Soviet armament, is pushed back after the Soviet dictator Stalin let fell off sharply his support for the Republic since the mid-1937.
(These measures come to late, the Communist party is already in key positions. And even though the amount of armament send by Stalin is less then what it used to be, it is still everything the Republic can get. Behind the scenes the PCE is taking over even the SIM (secret military police), formerly intended as a strong power to control the activities of the Communists. Communist controled military units even ignore and disobey orders from the Republican army command and General Rojo, the chief of staff)

In cooperation with the Minister of the Interior, Zugazagoitia, the Minister of Justice, Manuel de Irujo, establishes a system whereby, at the discretion of the prison director, and upon the oath of the inmate, political prisoners could be temporarily released for important family crises or celebrations [1].
[1] No escapes occurred under this system.