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Madrid Defense Council

Spanish: Junta de Defensa de Madrid

Spanish Republic

1936–1937

Flag

Coat of arms

Location of the Province of Madrid within Spain

Capital

Madrid

Demonym

madrileño, -ña

Area

• Coordinates

40°25′08″N 3°41′31″W / 40.418889°N 3.691944°W

Government

Defense Council

• Type

Council Republic

• Motto

"Long live Madrid without government!"
Spanish: Viva Madrid sin gobierno!

President

• 1936–1937

José Miaja

Coat of arms

Historical era

Spanish Civil War

• Government flees to Valencia

November 6, 1936

• Established

November 7, 1936

• Siege of Madrid begins

November 8, 1936

• Battle of Jarama

February 6 – 27, 1937

• Battle of Guadalajara

March 8 – 23, 1937

• Disestablished

April 23, 1937

• Fall of Madrid

March 28, 1939

Preceded by

Succeeded by

Spanish Republic

The Madrid Defense Council (Spanish: Junta de Defensa de Madrid) was a special group that governed Madrid, Spain. It was active for about six months during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). This council was formed in November 1936. This happened after the Spanish Republican government left Madrid. They fled because General Francisco Franco's forces were getting close to the city.

People thought Madrid would fall quickly. But the arrival of the International Brigades stopped the attack. The fighting then became a stalemate. The council was mostly led by communists. They were very organized and good at spreading their message. Their main goal was to turn militias into regular soldiers. They wanted to focus on defeating the enemy. They did not want to start a revolution right away. Over time, there was tension between the communists and other groups. The council was officially ended in April 1937. A new city council took its place.

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Defending Madrid: The First Days

In early November 1936, rebel armies led by General Francisco Franco were nearing Madrid. They easily pushed aside the untrained soldiers they met. The government of the Second Spanish Republic had not prepared Madrid for defense. They feared it would scare the people.

On November 6, 1936, the government left Madrid and moved to Valencia. They left General José Miaja in charge of the city. He was told to defend Madrid "at all costs." This seemed like a hopeless task. Miaja had secret orders to create a Defense Council. He opened these orders after the politicians had left.

News reports around the world said Madrid would not be defended. General Franco even announced that the city had been "liberated." Radio Lisbon also reported his victory. But on November 7, Franco's first troops reached the edge of the city. That same day, the Madrid Defense Council was announced.

The council had very few soldiers and weapons. However, Franco's forces were spread thin. They only had 3,000 men ready to enter the city. Franco was also very careful. The first units of the International Brigades arrived on November 8, 1936. They immediately joined the fight. As more units arrived, the rebel advance stopped. By November 23, both sides were tired, and the fighting slowed down.

Who Was on the Council?

General Miaja was a loyal supporter of the Republic. He was very close to the Spanish Communist Party (PCE). The PCE used propaganda to make him a symbol of Madrid's fight against fascism. Many people later thought Miaja was a PCE member himself.

Communist leaders Pedro Checa and Antonio Mije worked with Miaja. They made sure communists had many positions on the council. Miaja was told that all parties should be included. Their number of seats should match their size in the government. But the communists got more seats than they should have.

The PCE and the Unified Socialist Youth (JSU) were the most organized groups. They had the best propaganda. Because of this, they had a lot of power on the council. The anarcho-syndicalist group CNT also joined the council. They famously declared, "Long live Madrid without government!"

The anti-Stalinist POUM (Workers' Party of Marxist Unification) was not allowed to join. This was because the communists insisted on it. The POUM newspaper said the Soviet ambassador helped keep them out.

Most of the main politicians had left Madrid. So, the council members were often young people. They had chosen to stay and help defend the city. A group of British politicians visited Madrid. They said the local government was run by young, enthusiastic working-class people. They were trying their best.

The communists held most of the important jobs. They were very strong in the Propaganda and Press department. A German communist named Kurt Hager ran the official Radio Madrid. The communists gained respect and power. This was because of the help from the International Brigades. Also, the Soviet Union started sending tanks, airplanes, and advisers.

What the Council Did

The council became the real government of Madrid. Its headquarters were in the War Ministry. Santiago Carrillo, who was in charge of Public Order (police), put his closest friends in key police jobs. All of them were communists or joined the party soon after. This gave the communists full control of the police.

Pablo Yagüe was in charge of Supplies. His first action was to control how people bought food. Shoppers could only buy food at one store. If that store ran out, they could try other stores in the same area. As the city was under siege, he also had to deal with rising prices.

The Defense Council was later reorganized. It was renamed the Junta Delegada de Defensa de Madrid. This happened on November 25, 1936. The change was to show that the council was still under the main government. After the name change, members were called "Delegates" instead of "Councillors."

On December 12, 1936, newspapers reported a council decision. All militia groups would become regular army units. Only these units would get pay and supplies. On December 23, 1936, Pablo Yagüe was shot. He was stopped by anarchists at a roadblock. He was badly hurt and replaced by Luis Nieto de la Fuente.

On December 24, General Miaja announced something important. Militias should leave all checkpoints in and around the city. Security and Assault Guards would replace them. There were also incidents where CNT or PCE members were found dead. A rule was made to disarm militiamen without a permit. But the Council rejected this rule.

On January 16, 1937, the Council changed its propaganda department. This gave them more control over censorship, exhibitions, and posters. Most posters were made by the UGT's Union of Professional Draftsmen. The council's posters focused on defending the "democratic republic." They wanted to defeat the rebels. They also criticized revolutionaries who wanted big social changes. The council wanted a strong, central military. They also expected women to work in farms and factories, not on the front lines. This was different from what some groups like the CNT and POUM believed. These groups wanted things like collective ownership of all production.

On January 29, 1937, Isidoro Diéguez Dueñas suggested taking over the POUM radio station and newspaper. He said they were only fighting the government. The council agreed. José Cazorla then said he would take over all POUM buildings and vehicles. He said POUM was now "illegal." This also passed without anyone disagreeing. The communist press said this decision proved POUM was fascist.

After the city of Málaga fell in February 1937, the council started a campaign. They wanted to remove army leaders who resisted their power.

By April 1937, there was growing tension between the CNT and the communists. It seemed that Socialists, Anarchists, and Republicans were forming a group against the communists. Largo Caballero, the prime minister, felt more and more alone. He did not like that Miaja was getting so much praise. So, he ended the council on April 23, 1937.

The reason given was an article in a CNT newspaper. It said that the JSU, which handled public order, had closed an anarchist paper. In that paper, Melchor Rodríguez García, a prison director, had revealed that communists were running secret prisons. Rodríguez had published details of torture in these prisons. He blamed the communist Security Delegate, José Cazorla. A new city council then replaced the Defense Council.

Council Members

The Madrid Defense Council had members from different political groups. General José Miaja was the President. Other important roles included Secretary, Public Order (Police), War, War Industries, Supplies, Transport, Finance, Information, Propaganda, Evacuation, and Services. Members changed over time as the council faced new challenges. They came from parties like the Socialist Party (PSOE), Communist Party (PCE), Anarcho-Syndicalist groups (CNT, FIJL), and Republican parties.