In his struggle to maintain authority over the Republican army, Prime Minister Negrin can only trust Communist commanders and units, the only ones left with a full commitment for continuing the fight against the Fascists. The area around Madrid and wide areas of the Republican held center is under control of pure Republican, if not Anti-Communist, commanders. Negrin exchanges some of these against Communist officers, causing a stirrup and mutiny among the Republican troops in Cartagena.

Street fights in Cartagena between Pro-Communist and Pro-Republican soldiers of the Republican army. Rumors about a Communist rebellion spread among Republican soldiers, and many of them refuse to obey their newly assigned Pro-Communist officers. The confusion is used by Fascist citizens for an uprising, joined by several Republican units, among them a complete regiment of naval soldiers.

The Fascist rioters and their supporters gain control over a large part of the city, including the naval radio station. When they attack the coastal batteries of Cartagena, the remains of the Republican Naval Fleet is ordered out of the port. Over the radio station the Fascists transmit that they control Cartagena, they also contact the Fascist Naval Command in Cadiz and ask for help. Several Fascist ships head for Cartagena.
The Republican fleet, hearing these messages, take course to Biserta in Tunis to hand themselves over to the French.
Newly arriving Republican troops under command of Artemio Precioso, supported by several air planes and tanks, enter the city and start to restore order. The Fascist uprising is ended, reprisals are harsh (many rioters are court martialed and executed).

Casado forms a "Council of National Defense" in Madrid and starts immediately surrender negotiations with Franco. Casado is also supported by Anarchists and Socialists. Republican General Aranguren joins Casado and takes control in Valencia of the port and most parts of the city.

06 Mar *Street fights in Cartagena ended

Fascist ships are entering the port, obviously not aware that Cartagena is back under control of the government. A handful of Republican planes attack the ships, the coastal batteries are taking aim. The Fascist steamship "Castillo de Olite", boarding 3.500 soldiers and about to land them on the port, is hit by the shells from the coastal batteries and sinks, 1200 soldiers drown, the rest is saved by Republican troops and imprisoned. The other Fascist ships hastily retreat to the open sea.

Miaja orders the Republican troops in Madrid to arrest all Communists and take positions in important building.
Prime Minister Negrin is depressed and a broken man. He and his staff board three planes at the small airport of Monovar, guarded by around 80 loyal Republican soldiers, and flees to France (over Dakar).
Colonel Barcelo, without official orders and loyal to the government, enters Madrid with his troops to arrest the "Council of National Defense". The Anarchist and Socialist troops in Madrid are supporting Casado and oppose Colonel Barcelo, fierce fighting breaking out in Madrid.

Miaja and Casado offer a conditional surrender to Franco. But Franco refuses, he will only accept an unconditional and immediate surrender. The situation in Madrid is unclear, heavy fighting is still continuing.

The military junta in Madrid is victorious. Colonel Barcelo falls prisoner to the Casado troops, commanded by Cipriano Mera and General Escobar, and is executed. Around 2.000 deaths on both sides.

Fascist reprisals all over the Fascist controlled areas in Spain, many executions.

Franco's ally, German dictator Hitler, invades Czechia. Weak diplomatic reactions from England and France.

The Casado junta is still hoping to arrange a "honorable peace".

Casado's negotiators back in Madrid, they did not reach an agreement. The Fascists informed them that members of the Casado junta are free to leave Spain, that the Fascist Army will advance the next day and occupy the Republican positions. Republican soldiers have to send hostages to the advancing Fascists and raise white flags or they will be attacked. Julian Besteiro, member of the Casado junta, urges the Republican troops and civilians during a radio speech to fulfill these demands.

The Anti-Comintern Pact, an alliance formed by Hitler, Mussolini and the Japanese emperor against World Communism, is joined by Franco. Also an agreement of friendship between Germany and Franco controlled Spain is signed.

The advancing Fascists meet no resistance, Republican troops are disbanding fast and unorganized. Julian Besteiro, Socialist politician and member of the Casado junta, is taken prisoner and sentenced later to 30 years of prison (he will die after the first year). The Anarchist leaders Melchor Baztan and Manuel Amin, together with Madrid's civil governor Javier Bueno and several high Republican officers like Colonel Ortega and General Aranguren are court martialed and executed. General Aranguren last words: "To be killed by Franco is the last service I can do for my country". Mauro Bajatierra, Anarchist, is the only Republican to resist the occupation of Madrid. Shooting at advancing Fascists from his house, he is surrounded, taken to the street and shot dead.

Around 50.000 refugees, Republican soldiers and officials, leftist intellectuals, writers, artists, often with their families, are arriving in Valencia and Alicante. Rumors are that French ships, or even the Republican fleet, will take the refugees to safety.
Casado and his family are taken aboard the British battle cruiser Galeata, but most refugees are stuck in the ports.
15.000 refugees are on the pier of the port in Alicante. The pier is so crowded, that in some parts there is no place to sit down, the people standing for hours, not able to move back or forth. Italian troops occupy the city, except the port . Many refugees have lost all hope and commit suicide, some army officers point their guns to themselves and shoot, other using knifes or razor blades to open their pulse veins. One soldier cuts his own throat in the midst of the crowd.
Then a battle ship is entering the port, bringing movement into the masses on the port. The promised ships? But it is a Fascist battle ship, ordering over loudspeakers to clear the port in 30 Minutes and surrender to the waiting troops at the port entrance. Everybody still carrying weapons will be shot dead on the spot. Nobody moves. After 30 minutes the machine guns of the ship fire warning shots over the heads of the refugees. Now they move, dropping their weapons and often also their belongings into the sea. These people know they are standing on the black lists of the Fascists, that they will be most certainly killed. A second wave of suicides take place, some people jump into the water and drown. Leftist journalist Eduardo de Guzman describes later a scene he witnessed: Mariano Vinuales, commissar of the 28th Division, and Maximo Franco, commander of the 12th brigade, each others left hand in a firm grip, shoot themselves in the head. They fall slowly to the ground, still holding their hands. Somebody next to Guzman says: "Soon we will envy the dead!".
The Fascists at the port entrance divide the refugees into three groups: men, women and children. Around 200 men are killed, the other men are brought to the concentration camp at Albatera, where torturing and more killing takes place.

With the Republican army's dissolution and fast surrounded by the Fascist armies, El Campesino and a handful of his men, using the absolute confusion, break through to the coast, where they escape in the last minute on a fishing boat.

Valencia, Almeria, Murcia and Cartagena surrender. The victory of the Fascists is complete, all Spain occupied. When Franco's aide passes him the news, Franco is in bed, he has flu with high fever. He listens quietly and says: "Very good, thank you.".
Pope Pius XII to Franco:"Lifting our hearts to God, we give sincere thanks with your Excellency for the victory of Catholic Spain".
Galeazzo Ciano, Italian minister of Foreign Affairs:"Madrid has fallen and with the capital all the other cities of Red Spain. It is a new formidable victory for Fascism, perhaps the greatest so far."