Bombing of Granollers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bombing of Granollers
Part of the Spanish Civil War
Granollers after the bombing.
Date 31 May 1938 Location Granollers, Catalonia, Spain Result Hundreds of civilians killed
Belligerents
Spanish Republic	Nationalist Spain Aviazione Legionaria
Commanders and leaders
?	?
Strength
Anti-aircraft artillery	5 Sa-79 and Sa-81 Italian bombers
Casualties and losses
224 civilians killed	None

The Bombing of Granollers was a sad event that happened during the Spanish Civil War in 1938. On May 31, 1938, planes from Italy's Aviazione Legionaria bombed the town of Granollers in Spain. This attack killed many innocent people, mostly civilians.

Why Granollers Was Bombed

The Political Situation in 1938

In April 1938, a deal was made between Britain and Italy. It was called the Anglo-Italian pact. Italy said it would remove its troops from Spain once the war ended. However, Italy still sent more soldiers to Spain. Italian planes also kept bombing areas controlled by the Spanish Republic.

Franco's Goals for Bombing

General Franco, who led the Nationalist side, wanted to stop the Republic's ships from bringing in supplies. He also wanted to lower the spirits of the people in Republican areas. To do this, he allowed Italian and German air forces to bomb cities without specific military targets. Cities like Valencia, Barcelona, and Alicante were attacked.

The Bombing Event

Details of the Attack

On May 31, five Italian bombers from the Aviazione Legionaria flew over Granollers. This town is about 20 miles north of Barcelona. It did not have any important military targets. The planes dropped 40 bombs, each weighing 100 kilograms, right in the middle of the city.

Impact on Civilians

The bombing caused a lot of damage and fear. Between 100 and 224 civilians were killed. Most of the people who died were women and children. After the attack, the British government sent two officials to investigate. They reported that the bombing seemed to target places where there were no soldiers or military equipment.

What Happened After the Bombing

International Reactions

The British government and the Vatican were very upset about the bombing. They protested to the governments in Burgos, Berlin, and Rome. These protests showed that many countries were worried about attacks on civilians.

Italy's Response

Galeazzo Ciano, who was a top official in Italy, said that Franco had ordered the attacks. He claimed that the Italians were not responsible. He also said he would try to help, but he privately told the German ambassador that Italy had no plans to do anything. This showed that the protests did not change their actions.

See also

In Spanish: Bombardeo de Granollers para niños