Battle of Seseña facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Seseña |
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| Part of the Spanish Civil War | |||||||
 T-26 mod. 1933 as used by the Spanish Republican Army, near Salamanca, Spain. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Spanish Republic Soviet Union |
 Nationalist Spain |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Enrique Líster Ildefonso Puigdendolas  Pols Armāns |
Felix Monasterio |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 1st Mixed Brigade: (around 3,800 men) 15 T-26 tanks |
one cavalry column: ? regulares:? At least 11 Italian L3/33 tankettes |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 8 dead 3 tanks destroyed |
Soviet claim: 600 dead 11 tankettes destroyed |
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The Battle of Seseña was a fight between the Republicans and the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War. It happened on October 29, 1936, in Seseña, a town near Toledo, about 30 kilometers south of Madrid.
The Nationalists were moving closer to Madrid after winning battles in September 1936. The Republican government had just received new weapons from the Soviet Union, including tanks. They decided to attack Seseña to try and stop the Nationalist advance. However, the attack did not succeed, and the Nationalists continued their push towards Madrid. This battle is important because it was one of the first times many tanks were used in the Spanish Civil War. It also saw the Nationalists use Molotov cocktails against the Soviet T-26 tanks.
Why the Battle Happened
The Spanish Civil War began in July 1936. By August, Nationalist troops from the Spanish Army of Africa started moving towards Madrid. These soldiers were very experienced and had modern weapons from Germany and Italy. They had planes like the Ju 52 and Savoia SM-81, and small tanks called Italian L3/35 tankettes.
The Nationalists won several important battles, including those at Mérida, Badajoz, and Talavera de la Reina. They also captured Toledo on September 27, 1936. By late October 1936, the Nationalists took towns very close to Madrid, like Seseña. This meant they had broken through the first line of defense for the capital city.
Meanwhile, the Republican government asked France for help and weapons. The French president, Léon Blum, first thought about sending aid. He worried that a Nationalist victory could hurt France's position in the world. But on July 25, 1936, France decided not to send weapons. This was because the British government and some groups in France were against it. On August 8, 1936, France even closed its border with Spain.
So, the Spanish government decided to buy weapons from the Soviet Union instead. The first Soviet ship carrying weapons arrived in Cartagena on October 15, 1936. With these new weapons, the Republican prime minister, Largo Caballero, decided to launch a counter-attack. His goal was to stop the Nationalists from reaching Madrid.
The Battle of Seseña
On October 29, 1936, the Spanish Republican Army launched its attack on Seseña, which was held by the Nationalists. The Republican forces used 15 T-26 tanks. These tanks were powerful, each armed with a 45mm cannon. A Latvian tank expert, Captain Pols Armāns, led the tanks. Soviet drivers operated the tanks, with Spanish soldiers acting as gunners.
The tanks were supported by the 1st Mixed Brigade, a new group of soldiers led by Enrique Líster. On the Nationalist side, there was cavalry led by Colonel Monasterio, Moroccan soldiers called regulares, and some Italian tankettes.
The Soviet tanks attacked together, aiming to create a big impact. They entered Seseña. Captain Arman later claimed that his tanks destroyed many enemy soldiers, guns, and vehicles. The tanks even went past Seseña and reached a town called Esquivias.
However, the Republican infantry, Líster's Mixed Brigade, never entered Seseña to support the tanks. Because of this, the tanks had to pull back. A Russian journalist named Mikhail Koltsov was there. He reported that Líster's units got tired and stopped after only about 1,500 meters.
During the battle, the Nationalists managed to destroy three Soviet tanks and damage three more. They used Molotov cocktails (homemade firebombs) and artillery fire. Four Soviet and four Republican Spanish tank crew members were killed, and six others were wounded. On the same day, the Republican army, led by Colonel Ildefonso Puigdendolas, attacked the nearby town of Illescas. But this attack was also stopped. Colonel Puigdendolas, leading another attack nearby, faced serious problems with his troops and died during the fighting.
What Happened Next
The attack on Seseña failed. One main reason was that the Spanish Republican infantry was not trained to work together with tanks. Even so, the Soviet tanks proved to be very effective. One Soviet tank was even reported to have destroyed 11 Italian tankettes.
On the same day, a group of Russian Katiuska bombers attacked Seville. Because the Soviet Union was now sending weapons, Nazi Germany decided to send more help to the Nationalists. They organized a group of German soldiers and planes called the Legion Condor.
The Nationalists continued their advance after the battle. They captured Getafe, which is only 13 kilometers south of Madrid, on November 4. On November 8, the Nationalists began their direct attack on Madrid. However, the Nationalist general, Mola, decided to move some of his troops away from the Madrid attack. He wanted to strengthen the sides of his army because he was worried about another tank attack from the Republicans.
See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Seseña para niños
- List of Spanish Republican military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
- List of Spanish Nationalist military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
