Final offensive of the Spanish Civil War facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Final offensive
Part of the Spanish Civil War
Map of Spain in March 1939.      Republican territory     Nationalist territory
Date Casado's coup: 5–13 March 1939 Final offensive: 26 March – 1 April 1939 Location Southeastern Spain (provinces of Madrid, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Albacete, Valencia, Alicante, Murcia, Jaen, Almeria, and parts of Toledo, Guadalajara, Granada and Castellon). Result Nationalist victory. End of the war. Dissolution of the Second Spanish Republic and beginning of the Francoist regime.
Belligerents
Spanish Republic	Nationalist Spain Condor Legion CTV
Commanders and leaders
Negrín's Government: Luis Barceló  Francisco Galán  Antonio Ortega  Council of National Defense: Segismundo Casado Manuel Matallana  José Miaja Cipriano Mera	Francisco Franco Juan Yagüe José Solchaga Rafael García Valiño Gastone Gambara
Strength
250,000−500,000 men 40 aircraft	1,000,000 men 600 aircraft
Casualties and losses
Casado's coup: 230–2,000 dead Final offensive: 150,000 captured	1,223 dead (sinking of the Castillo de Olite)

The final offensive of the Spanish Civil War was the last big push in the Spanish Civil War. It happened between March 26 and April 1, 1939. Before this, on March 5, 1939, a group in the Republican Army led by Colonel Segismundo Casado and politician Julián Besteiro took action. They went against the prime minister, Juan Negrín.

They formed a new group called the National Defence Council. Their goal was to try and make a peace deal. Negrín left for France. But some communist soldiers in Madrid fought against this new council. This started a small war within the war. Casado's group won. They then tried to talk peace with the Nationalists. However, Francisco Franco, the Nationalist leader, would only accept a full surrender. On March 26, the Nationalists began a huge attack. By March 31, they controlled all of Spain. Many Republicans were taken prisoner and put into camps.

Why the War Ended

Catalonia Falls

After Catalonia was lost in February 1939, the Republican side was in a very bad situation. They still had their capital city, Madrid, and about 30% of Spain. But they had lost 220,000 soldiers. They also lost Barcelona, Spain's second-biggest city, and important factories in Catalonia.

On February 27, President Manuel Azaña stepped down. Then, the United Kingdom and France officially recognized the Nationalist government. This made the Republican position even weaker.

Comparing the Armies

The Republican army still had between 250,000 and 500,000 soldiers. But they had very few planes, only about 40. They also had little artillery and not many automatic weapons. Many soldiers didn't even have rifles or proper shoes and coats. In Madrid, there was only enough food for two months. There was also no water, heating, or medicine.

On the other side, the Nationalist army was much stronger. By the end of 1938, they had over a million soldiers. This included 35,000 soldiers from Morocco, 32,000 from Italy, and 5,000 from Germany. They also had 600 aircraft, which was a huge advantage.

Calls for Peace Begin

On February 16, leaders of the Republican Army told Prime Minister Juan Negrín that they could not fight anymore. Most people in the Republican Army, and groups like the PSOE, the UGT, and the CNT, thought it was time to talk about peace.

However, Negrín, with support from the communist PCE, wanted to keep fighting. He believed that Franco would not protect people from punishment. Negrín also thought a big war against fascism in Europe was about to start. He wanted to use this time to help those most at risk leave Spain.

A New Plan for Peace: Casado's Coup

Planning the Coup

By late February 1939, Colonel Segismundo Casado was secretly planning to take control. He wanted to remove Negrín's government. Casado believed the government was too controlled by communists. He wanted to start peace talks with the Nationalists.

A Nationalist agent, Colonel José Cendaño, told Casado that Franco would protect Republican officers who had not committed serious crimes. Many non-communist groups in Madrid supported Casado's plan. This included Julián Besteiro, a leader of the PSOE. They all felt that continuing the war was pointless. Also, after the surrender of Menorca, many Republican officers thought they could make a deal with the Nationalists.

On March 2, Negrín announced new leaders for the Central Zone. Colonel Casado and the communists Juan Modesto and Antonio Cordón García became generals. General Manuel Matallana was put in charge of the main army staff. Communist officers were given command of important ports like Murcia, Alicante, and Cartagena. Non-communist groups worried that communists wanted to control all ways to escape. So, they joined the plan against Negrín.

Casado Takes Control

On March 5, 1939, Colonel Segismundo Casado made his move. He had the support of General Matallana, the CNT (Cipriano Mera), the Republican secret service, and parts of the PSOE and UGT. They removed Negrín from power. They formed a new group called the National Council of Defence. Their goal was to make a peace deal with Franco.

On March 6, General Miaja joined the rebellion and became the council's president. Other members included Casado, Julian Besteiro, and leaders from different groups. Colonel Adolfo Prada was put in charge of the Army of the Centre. Communist commanders were removed. The communist newspaper was shut down. Casado ordered many communist leaders and members to be arrested.

Casado said he was taking action because Negrín and the PCE wanted a communist takeover. This was similar to what the Nationalists said when they started the Civil War. But Casado's real reason was to make peace. He believed that removing Negrín and the communists was necessary for talks with Franco. The British government had even suggested Franco would protect Republicans. Casado told the Republican Air Force commander, "I promise you... I can get better terms from Franco than Negrín ever can. I can even assure you they will respect our ranks."

Julian Besteiro, a leader of the PSOE, supported Casado's coup.

After trying to talk with Casado, Negrín left for France on March 6. He flew from an airfield near Elda with other communist leaders. Casado wanted to arrest them and hand them over to the Nationalists.

Clashes in the Capital

Casado's takeover was supported by the commanders of other Republican armies. But army units around Madrid, controlled by the PCE, fought back on March 7. This started a short civil war within the Republic. Luis Barceló, a communist commander, took charge of the Army of the Centre. His troops blocked all ways into Madrid. They took over most of the city center. They also arrested and shot three of Casado's colonels.

Casado's supporters only held a few government buildings and the southeast part of the city. However, Mera's IV corps fought back. They took control of Torrejón and Alcalá de Henares. Meanwhile, the Nationalists began an attack towards the Manzanares river. By March 10, Barceló's troops were surrounded. A ceasefire was agreed upon. On March 11, after days of fierce fighting, Casado's forces, helped by Cipriano Mera's IV corps, defeated Barceló's troops. Barceló and his leader, José Conesa, were arrested and killed. Hundreds of people died in these clashes.

Trouble in Cartagena

There was also fighting in Ciudad Real and Cartagena. In Ciudad Real, Escobar's Extremadura Army quickly defeated the communist resistance.

However, in Cartagena, the main base for the Spanish Republican Navy, things were different. Casado's supporters had started an uprising against Negrín's government on March 4. But on March 7, they were defeated by the PCE's 206th Brigade. This brigade was led by Colonel Joaquín Rodríguez.

Meanwhile, on March 5, the Republican Navy, including three cruisers and eight destroyers, had sailed away to Bizerte. This happened after a Nationalist air attack. One Nationalist transport ship, the Castillo de Olite, was sent to help the uprising. But it was sunk by Cartagena's coastal guns. About 1,200 Nationalist soldiers died on that ship.

Peace Talks Fail

After Barceló's troops were defeated, the council tried to talk peace with Franco. They hoped to get a promise that no one would be punished for their political beliefs. On March 12, the council suggested a peace deal. They asked for protection from punishment and 25 days for anyone who wanted to leave Spain to do so.

On March 16, Franco replied. He said he would only accept a full surrender without any conditions. On March 23, the council sent two people to Burgos to talk. The Nationalists told them that the Republican Air Force had to surrender by March 25. They also said Republican troops had to raise the white flag by March 27. However, on March 25, the Republicans could not surrender their Air Force because of bad weather. Franco then stopped all talks with the council.

The End of the War: Final Attacks

On March 26, Yagüe's Nationalist troops began to advance in Sierra Morena. There was almost no resistance. In just one day, they took control of a huge area and captured 30,000 prisoners. The council told its soldiers not to fight the Nationalist advance. Republican soldiers threw away their weapons and left the front lines.

By March 27, the Nationalists were moving forward on all fronts without any resistance. Different Nationalist armies advanced from Toledo. On March 28, Colonel Prada, the commander of the Army of the Centre, surrendered to the Nationalist troops. They then took over Madrid. Casado and most other council members, except Besteiro, fled to Valencia.

On March 29, the Nationalists took over Jaén, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Albacete, and Sagunto. About 50,000 Republican refugees gathered at the ports of Valencia, Alicante, Cartagena, and Gandia. But without the Republican Navy, they couldn't escape. The French and British governments refused to help with an evacuation. Only a few people, those who could pay, were evacuated by British ships. Casado was among them.

On March 30, the Nationalists took Valencia. Italian troops entered Alicante and rounded up 15,000 Republican refugees. The Italian General Gambara was willing to let political refugees leave. But on March 31, Nationalist troops arrived and took over. By March 31, the Nationalists had taken Almeria, Murcia, and Cartagena. They now controlled all of Spain. Only a small area of Alicante port remained, where thousands of Republicans were waiting to be evacuated. They began to surrender on March 31, but the operation stopped for the night. By April 1, 1939, the war was effectively over.

What Happened Next

On April 1, 1939, the war ended. The Soviet Union was the only major country that had not yet recognized Franco's government. The new government had already signed a non-aggression pact with Portugal. They also signed a friendship treaty with Nazi Germany on March 31. On April 6, Franco announced that Spain was joining the Anti-Comintern Pact. On April 20, the Non-Intervention Committee, which had tried to keep other countries out of the war, was closed down. By June, both Italian and German troops had left Spain. Franco's rule lasted until his death on November 20, 1975.

Casado lived in exile in Venezuela until he returned to Spain in 1961. Cipriano Mera fled to North Africa. But he was sent back to Spain in February 1942. In 1943, he was sentenced to death, but this was changed to 30 years in prison. He was freed in 1946 and went to France, where he died in 1975. Matallana was arrested and imprisoned by the Nationalists. He died in Madrid in 1956. Besteiro was arrested by the Nationalists when they entered Madrid. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison and died there in 1940 from an infection.

The Nationalists arrested hundreds of thousands of Republican soldiers and civilians. About 150,000 soldiers were captured in the final offensive. They were put into temporary camps. In 1939, there were between 367,000 and 500,000 prisoners. In the first few years after the war, about 50,000 Republican prisoners were killed.

Stories About the End of the War

Casado's coup and the last days of the war are featured in novels by Max Aub. These books are called Campo del Moro and Campo de los Almendros.

See also

In Spanish: Ofensiva final 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