Rosario Sánchez Mora
Encyclopedia
Rosario Sánchez Mora was a Spanish
female anti-Franco
veteran of the Spanish Civil War
. She was nicknamed "la Dinamitera" (the Dynamite Girl) for her expertise with explosives, and was a Republican heroine in the Spanish Civil War.
, Spain
to a mechanic father. Her mother died before the Civil War started, and she moved to Madrid when she was 16 to work as a seamstress.
militias against the Nationalist forces led by General Francisco Franco. She joined the Republicans at the age of 17 on July 17, 1936, the same day that the Spanish Army first revolted against the Second Spanish Republic
. Sanchez first served as one of only a few women in the front lines defending Madrid. She was the only woman in the Republican dynamiters
section. She was nicknamed, La Dinamitera, which stuck throughout the war. However, Sanchez's right hand was blown off within two months of the start of the war while she was in the trenches making explosives and other bombs. She was personally visited by Spanish philosopher, José Ortega y Gasset
, while recovering in the hospital.
Sanchez became a postwoman in 1937 when the Spanish government ordered all women off the front line
s. A driver brought her to the military frontlines every morning to deliver mail between Republican forces and their families. However, she continued to aid the Republicans and their allies during the rest of the war. For example, she worked with Dolores Ibárruri
, a Communist militant
nicknamed "La Pasionaria", to recruit women to take jobs left by men who had gone to fight the Nationalist forces. She married a young Republican sergeant, Paco Burcet in 1937, whom with she had one daughter. Burcet almost immediately left to fight in Teruel
and the couple lost touch for the rest of the Spanish Civil War.
When Franco's Nationalist forces amassed at Madrid in 1939 before the fall of the city, Sanchez buried her rifles and burned papers which linked her to the Republican cause. She left her baby daughter with relatives and left for Valencia, Spain, where the Republican government had withdrawn, in order to join her left-wing Republican father. Later they fled to Alicante
hoping for boats to take them to safety. However, the boats never arrived and both were captured. Sanchez's father was executed.
and that Paco had remarried and now had two sons. This left Sanchez as a single mother with a young daughter. She later had a second daughter later in life.
To support herself and her family during the Franco dictatorship, Sanchez set up and operated a cigarette
stall in Madrid. She continued to sell cigarettes until her retirement. After the death of Franco, Sanchez began speaking about her experiences during the war. She wrote of her experiences as a woman during the Spanish Civil War, " the opportunity to fight when women didn't fight. They stayed at home. I lost my hand. It didn't matter. I was prepared to lose my life."
Rosario Sanchez died on April 17, 2008, in Madrid at the age of 88.
, a Spanish Republican poet who died in prison in 1942, wrote the following poem in Sanchez's honor during the Spanish Civil War.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
female anti-Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
veteran of the Spanish Civil War
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...
. She was nicknamed "la Dinamitera" (the Dynamite Girl) for her expertise with explosives, and was a Republican heroine in the Spanish Civil War.
Early life
She was born in Villarejo de SalvanésVillarejo de Salvanés
Villarejo de Salvanés is a municipality of the Community of Madrid, Spain....
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to a mechanic father. Her mother died before the Civil War started, and she moved to Madrid when she was 16 to work as a seamstress.
Spanish Civil War
Sanchez was one of the first women to join the RepublicanSecond 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....
militias against the Nationalist forces led by General Francisco Franco. She joined the Republicans at the age of 17 on July 17, 1936, the same day that the Spanish Army first revolted against the Second Spanish 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....
. Sanchez first served as one of only a few women in the front lines defending Madrid. She was the only woman in the Republican dynamiters
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
section. She was nicknamed, La Dinamitera, which stuck throughout the war. However, Sanchez's right hand was blown off within two months of the start of the war while she was in the trenches making explosives and other bombs. She was personally visited by Spanish philosopher, José Ortega y Gasset
José Ortega y Gasset
José Ortega y Gasset was a Spanish liberal philosopher and essayist working during the first half of the 20th century while Spain oscillated between monarchy, republicanism and dictatorship. He was, along with Nietzsche, a proponent of the idea of perspectivism.-Biography:José Ortega y Gasset was...
, while recovering in the hospital.
Sanchez became a postwoman in 1937 when the Spanish government ordered all women off the front line
Front line
A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...
s. A driver brought her to the military frontlines every morning to deliver mail between Republican forces and their families. However, she continued to aid the Republicans and their allies during the rest of the war. For example, she worked with Dolores Ibárruri
Dolores Ibárruri
Isidora Dolores Ibárruri Gómez , known more famously as "La Pasionaria" was a Spanish Republican leader of the Spanish Civil War and communist politician of Basque origin...
, a Communist militant
Militant
The word militant, which is both an adjective and a noun, usually is used to mean vigorously active, combative and aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in 'militant reformers'. It comes from the 15th century Latin "militare" meaning "to serve as a soldier"...
nicknamed "La Pasionaria", to recruit women to take jobs left by men who had gone to fight the Nationalist forces. She married a young Republican sergeant, Paco Burcet in 1937, whom with she had one daughter. Burcet almost immediately left to fight in Teruel
Teruel
Teruel is a town in Aragon, eastern Spain, and the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 34,240 in 2006 making it one of the least populated provincial capitals in the country...
and the couple lost touch for the rest of the Spanish Civil War.
When Franco's Nationalist forces amassed at Madrid in 1939 before the fall of the city, Sanchez buried her rifles and burned papers which linked her to the Republican cause. She left her baby daughter with relatives and left for Valencia, Spain, where the Republican government had withdrawn, in order to join her left-wing Republican father. Later they fled to Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
hoping for boats to take them to safety. However, the boats never arrived and both were captured. Sanchez's father was executed.
The Franco years
Sanchez was sentenced to death for "for joining the rebellion" by the victorious Franco government. However, her sentence was commuted to thirty years in prison, of which she ultimately served three years in jail. She was released from jail in 1942 and tried to find her husband, Paco Burcet. She learned that the Franco regime had dissolved all Republican civil marriagesCivil marriage
Civil marriage is marriage performed by a government official and not a religious organization.-History:Every country maintaining a population registry of its residents keeps track of marital status, and most countries believe that it is their responsibility to register married couples. Most...
and that Paco had remarried and now had two sons. This left Sanchez as a single mother with a young daughter. She later had a second daughter later in life.
To support herself and her family during the Franco dictatorship, Sanchez set up and operated a cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
stall in Madrid. She continued to sell cigarettes until her retirement. After the death of Franco, Sanchez began speaking about her experiences during the war. She wrote of her experiences as a woman during the Spanish Civil War, " the opportunity to fight when women didn't fight. They stayed at home. I lost my hand. It didn't matter. I was prepared to lose my life."
Later life
In her eighties, Sanchez was formally recognized as one of Spain's mutilada de guerra, or war wounded, for her injuries during the Spanish Civil War.Rosario Sanchez died on April 17, 2008, in Madrid at the age of 88.
Poems
Miguel HernándezMiguel Hernández
Miguel Hernández Gilabert was a 20th century Spanish poet and playwright.-Biography:Hernández was born in Orihuela, in the Valencian Community, to a poor family and received little formal education; he published his first book of poetry at 23, and gained considerable fame before his death...
, a Spanish Republican poet who died in prison in 1942, wrote the following poem in Sanchez's honor during the Spanish Civil War.
Rosario, dinamitera,
the dynamite watched over your pretty hand
envying its fiery attributes . . .
The enemy knew well
the hand of this maiden
that is no longer a hand, because
without moving a single finger
it ignited the dynamite
and made her a star