The question where the Spanish Republic got the strength from, to resist so long the uprising of half his army and intervening troops from Italy and Germany has been discussed often by historians. The end of this discussion remains still open.

In the mid 1938, with 2/3 of Spain under Fascist control, and facing an army of more than 100.000 splendid armed Italian soldiers, the technical most advanced air force unit of the world (Legion Condor, also supported by German ground troops, a strong tank unit and German artillery units), over 60.000 Moorish mercenaries and Franco's own troops,close to a million well armed soldiers, nobody could understand that the spirit among the 750.000 soldiers of the Republican army and the Spanish citizens was still high enough not only to resist, but to attack.

A lot of this spirit was raised by Spanish Prime Minister Negrin. The Prime Minister visited the front constantly, infusing the troops with his own renewed energy and optimism. Dr. Juan Negrin was a man whose warm personality inspired the individual loyalty of both troops and officers. The soldiers referred to themselves proudly as "sons of Negrin". And except of their will, the Republican army had not much left to defend the Spanish government.

Daladier plans to pass this gold to General Franco after the end of the civil war, on which outcome nobody really doubts. He wants to please the Fascist dictators surrounding his country and believes that a democratic France is able to survive in a Fascist Europe (Portugal, Italy and Germany are already dictatorships).

The leader of the strong French Fascist movement, Jacques Doriot (a former Communist), visits the Fascist controlled part of Spain.

The Spanish President Manuel Azana holds a public speech on the second year of the civil war. He points out the evident importance of peace, as soon as possible, the importance of dialogue between the fighting fractions and remembers the horrible death thousands of people had to suffer. He pledges Peace, Mercy and Forgiveness (Paz, Piedad y Perdon) on those who opposed the state but are willing to put a peaceful end to the war, are willing to end this slaughter.

General Franco is holding an own speech today, he insists again in a "total military victory".

The Ebro Battle

In the beginning of this month and with support of his Italian allies, Franco opens a new offensive against Valencia. Valencia is besides Madrid and Barcelona the third important city still held by the government and has a strong symbolism for being the city where the government moved to, during the early attacks on Madrid in 1936. Besides, Barcelona is deep in Catalonia and like Madrid protected my large armies.

In the first days the Fascist offensive gain a good initiative, they can overrun the well secured and important railroad crossing Albantosa and, after suffering heavy casualties, the city of Sarrion. The Republican troops are putting up a strong defense, even though their lines are constantly bombed by heavy artillery and air planes. The Fascist are loosing around 20.000 men in a couple of days, but they are not willing to give up and the mass of the Fascist army is moving in.

But then they stop their advance, men and material are moved in pressed marches to the north. Something impossible has happened, something that hits Franco and his allies completely unaware, something the world cannot believe when the first news about it become known: The Republican army (of the east), beaten out of Aragon, broken and trapped in Catalonia, isolated by sea and land, crossed the river Ebro in the early morning hours of the 25th of July with thousands of soldiers, overrun the Fascist positions and is entering deep into the area, moving in direction of Gandesa and Villalba.

"Around 100.000 soldiers, about 100 operational planes, somewhat over 100 heavy guns, and several dozen light anti-aircraft pieces are crossing the river Ebro using pontoon bridges, small boats and even pieces of wood. They know, that communication with the rear would be extremely difficult, and that machine guns and mortars would have to do most of the work usually assigned to field artillery.

In the first week of the attack around 50.000 soldiers occupy the hills south of the river, desperate attempts of the Fascists to interrupt the crossing using their superiority in planes and artillery fail. During the day the Republican army is using their entire anti-aircraft artillery to force the enemy planes to fly high, and this fact, together with the thinness of the target, protected the bridges. Most of the supplies itself are brought over the river by night. The Fascists open the dams along the Pyrenean tributaries of the Ebro, the flood waters temporarily destroying the pontoons, but only slowing down the crossing for some hours."
(Gabriel Jackson, The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, ISBN 0-691-00757-8)

"It was a dark night. Hot sogginess from the day is still over the river, when suddenly the north shore of the Ebro awakes to live. Everywhere between Miquenenza and Tortosa uniformed men jump into the water. They swim, bundles of wood before them carrying ammunition and a rifle, to the southern shore, the Fascist occupied zone. Others pass the river in small boats and begin to build pontoon bridges in haste. This all happens in absolute quiet. No bombings, no artillery prepared this attack. It is the biggest, and the last, prancing of the Spanish Republic to change the fate in the last hour, to break the row of victory's of the enemy, to show the world that Spain is not lost yet.

Soon the first machine guns can be heard, and in the early morning hours, with the first daylight, come the Legion Condor planes , together with Italian bombers. But they cannot stop the movements of the thousands down there in the river, only slow it down. 100.000 men, everyone with a rifle, 300 bullets, hand grenades and provisions, are crossing the river. [...] The first Republican Unit on the Fascist occupied side of the river is the German International Brigades battalion 'Hans Beimler'."
(Siegfried Kogelfranz and Eckart Plate, Sterben fuer die Freiheit, ISBN 3-570-04938-8, German)