Campaign of Guipúzcoa
Encyclopedia
The Campaign of Gipuzkoa was part of the Spanish Civil War
, where the Nationalist Army
conquered the northern province of Gipuzkoa, held by the Republic
.
as an advance to Irún
, to cut the northern provinces off from France
, and to link up with the Nationalist garrison in San Sebastian
that was to have seized that city. The campaign was diverted from the advance on Irún when the direct route to the town was blocked by the demolition of the bridge at Endarlatsa. When word came that the Nationalists in San Sebastian were besieged, Alfonso Beorlegui
diverted all his forces westward toward that town in an attempt to relieve the Nationalist garrison. Two other Nationalist columns advanced on the city from points further west with the intent of cutting it off from Vizcaya
. Following the failure to relieve the siege of the Nationalists in San Sebastian, the forces of Beorlegui resumed their advance on Irún
and cut off the northern provinces of Gipuzkoa, Biscay
, Santander
and Asturias
, from their source of arms and support in France by taking that city. They followed this up with the capture of San Sebastian and an advance to the border of Vizcaya. There, the resistance of the northern provincial forces and the exhaustion of the Nationalists resulted in an end of the offensive until the War in the North
began.
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, where the Nationalist Army
Spanish State
Francoist Spain refers to a period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975 when Spain was under the authoritarian dictatorship of Francisco Franco....
conquered the northern province of Gipuzkoa, held by the Republic
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
.
The campaign
The campaign was initially conceived by General Emilio MolaEmilio Mola
Emilio Mola y Vidal, 1st Duke of Mola, Grandee of Spain was a Spanish Nationalist commander during the Spanish Civil War. He is best-known for having coined the term "fifth column".-Early life:...
as an advance to Irún
Irun
Irun is a town of the Bidasoa-Txingudi region in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain...
, to cut the northern provinces off from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and to link up with the Nationalist garrison in San Sebastian
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
that was to have seized that city. The campaign was diverted from the advance on Irún when the direct route to the town was blocked by the demolition of the bridge at Endarlatsa. When word came that the Nationalists in San Sebastian were besieged, Alfonso Beorlegui
Alfonso Beorlegui Canet
Alfonso Beorlegui Canet was a Lieutenant Colonel of Infantry in the Spanish Army. In the Spanish Civil War, he led the Nationalist campaign to capture Guipúzcoa in August and September 1936....
diverted all his forces westward toward that town in an attempt to relieve the Nationalist garrison. Two other Nationalist columns advanced on the city from points further west with the intent of cutting it off from Vizcaya
Vizcaya
Vizcaya may refer to:* Biscay, a Basque region and a province of Spain ** Biscay , related senses** Vizcaya ** Vizcaya Bridge, a transporter bridge in Biscay...
. Following the failure to relieve the siege of the Nationalists in San Sebastian, the forces of Beorlegui resumed their advance on Irún
Battle of Irún
The Battle of Irún was the critical battle of the Campaign of Gipuzkoa prior to the War in the North, during the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalist Army, under Alfonso Beorlegui, captured the city of Irún cutting off the northern provinces of Gipuzkoa, Biscay, Santander, and Asturias from their...
and cut off the northern provinces of Gipuzkoa, Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
, Santander
Santander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
and Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, from their source of arms and support in France by taking that city. They followed this up with the capture of San Sebastian and an advance to the border of Vizcaya. There, the resistance of the northern provincial forces and the exhaustion of the Nationalists resulted in an end of the offensive until the War in the North
War in the North
The War in the North, in the Spanish Civil War was the campaign in which the Nationalist forces defeated and occupied the parts of northern Spain that remained loyal to the Republican government. The campaign included several separate battles. The Battle of Bilbao resulted in the loss of the part...
began.
Sources
- Romero, Eladi, Itinerarios de la Guerra Civil española : guía del viajero curioso, Barcelona : Laertes, 2001 , 600 p.
- Barruso, Pedro, Verano y revolución. La guerra civil en Gipuzkoa' (julio-septiembre de 1936), Edita: Haramburu Editor. San Sebastián, 1996.
- Manuel AznarManuel Aznar ZubigarayManuel Aznar y Zubigaray was a Navarrese-Spanish diplomat in the dictatorship of Francisco Franco....
Historia Militar de la Guerra de España. 3 vols. Madrid: Editora Nacional, 1969.