Battle of Málaga (1937) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Málaga
Part of the Spanish Civil War
Date 3–8 February 1937 Location Málaga, Spain Result Nationalist victory
Belligerents
Spanish Republic	Nationalist Spain CTV  Germany
Commanders and leaders
José Villalba Lacorte	Queipo de Llano Duke of Seville Agustín Muñoz Grandes Mario Roatta
Strength
12,000 Republican militia 16 pieces of artillery	10,000 Italian troops 10,000 Moroccan colonial troops 5,000 Requetes militia some Italian tanks 100 Italian aircraft 4 cruisers
Casualties and losses
3,000 to 5,000 killed 3,600 captured, then executed	Spanish: Unknown Italian: 130 killed, 424 wounded

The Battle of Málaga was a major event in the Spanish Civil War in early 1937. It was an attack by combined Nationalist and Italian forces. They had help from German planes and ships. Their goal was to take control of the province of Málaga from the Republicans.

Moroccan soldiers and Italian tanks played a big part. They helped the Nationalists win very quickly. The Spanish Republican Army was defeated, and Málaga fell in less than a week.

Why the Battle of Málaga Happened

After failing to capture Madrid, the Nationalists wanted to try a new attack. They looked south to Andalusia, a region in southern Spain. Republicans controlled a strip of land there, including the city of Málaga.

Málaga was important because the Spanish Republican Navy used its port. Italian troops had also arrived at a nearby port called Cádiz. This made Málaga a good target for the Nationalists.

The attack on Málaga began on January 17. The Nationalist Army of the South, led by Queipo de Llano, advanced from the west. Other soldiers attacked from the northeast. Both attacks met little resistance. They moved forward about 15 miles in a week. The Republicans did not realize a big attack was coming. So, Málaga was not ready or reinforced for the main fight on February 3.

Who Fought in the Battle

Nationalist Forces

The Nationalist side had about 15,000 soldiers. This group included Moroccan colonial troops and Carlist militia members, called Requetés. There were also many Italian soldiers. Queipo de Llano was the overall commander.

The Italians, led by Mario Roatta, were called the Blackshirts. They had about 5,000 to 10,000 soldiers. They used light tanks and armored cars. In the sea, Nationalist ships like the Canarias and Baleares were ready. They could blockade and bombard Málaga. The German cruiser Admiral Scheer also helped. German planes from the Condor Legion supported the Nationalist attack from the air.

Republican Forces

The Republican forces had about 12,000 militiamen from Andalusia. Only about 8,000 of them had weapons. These fighters were part of the National Confederation of Labour (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, or CNT).

Even though they had many people and high spirits, the militiamen were not ready for a big military battle. There were also disagreements between the CNT and communist fighters. They lacked modern weapons to defend against the Italians. Málaga did not have good anti-aircraft defenses. The militiamen had not built trenches or roadblocks. They also ran out of ammunition.

The Battle of Málaga Begins

Nationalist forces advancing on Málaga.

The Nationalist Army of the South started their main attack on Málaga from the west on February 3. This was near a town called Ronda. On the night of February 4, the Italian Blackshirts attacked from the north. They broke through the Republican lines easily. This was because the Republicans were not ready for armoured warfare (fighting with tanks).

The Nationalists kept moving steadily towards Málaga. By February 6, they had reached the hills around the city. The Republican commander, Colonel Villalba, worried his forces would be surrounded. He ordered everyone to leave Málaga. On February 8, Queipo de Llano and the Army of the South entered a quiet and empty Málaga.

What Happened After the Battle

The Flight from Málaga

After Málaga fell, many Republican people tried to escape the city. They fled along the coast road towards Almería. Many people died during this difficult journey. Nationalist forces caught up with the fleeing people on the road. They often stopped the men, but let the women continue. This put the burden of feeding them on the Republican government.

A journalist named Paul Preston described the scene. He said the crowds of refugees on the road out of Málaga were in a terrible situation. They were attacked from the sea by ships, bombed from the air, and shot at with machine guns. The harsh treatment inside the captured city made people desperate to run away.

Changes in Leadership

The Republicans' big loss at Málaga had important effects. The Communists in the government in Valencia were upset. They forced the War Under Secretary, General José Asensio Torrado, to resign on February 20. Francisco Largo Caballero replaced him with Carlos de Baráibar, who was a newspaper editor and had no military background.

Benito Mussolini, the leader of Italy, saw how well his troops did. This made him want to send even more Italian soldiers to Spain. This happened even though he had agreed not to interfere in the war. Plans to capture Valencia were stopped. Instead, they decided to try and capture Madrid for a big victory.

A Journalist's Story

A writer named Arthur Koestler wrote about the Battle of Málaga. He shared his experiences in his books Dialogue with Death (1937) and The Invisible Writing (1953). Koestler was in Málaga as a journalist for a British newspaper. He was also working for a propaganda group. When the city fell, Nationalist forces captured him. He almost faced execution but was saved thanks to Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell. Mitchell wrote about this in his own book, My House in Málaga, published in 1938.

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Málaga (1937) para niños

• List of Spanish Nationalist military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
• List of weapons of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie
• List of Spanish Republican military equipment of the Spanish Civil War