Segovia Offensive facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Segovia Offensive |
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| Part of the Spanish Civil War | |||||||
 Republican soldiers during the Segovia Offensive. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Spanish Republic |
 Nationalist Spain |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Domingo Moriones Gustavo Durán José María Galán Karol Świerczewski "General Walther" |
José Varela Fernando Barrón |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 3 divisions | ? | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 3,000 casualties | ? | ||||||
The Segovia Offensive was a military attack during the Spanish Civil War. It happened between May 31 and June 6, 1937. The goal of this attack was to capture the city of Segovia. It also aimed to make the Nationalist forces move away from their main attack on Bilbao. However, the offensive failed quickly because the Nationalists had much stronger air power.
Why the Attack Happened
The War in 1937
In April 1937, the Nationalist side started a big attack. They were fighting against the Republicans in the Biscay Province. By the end of May, Nationalist troops were very close to Bilbao's defenses. Bilbao was a city held by the Republicans.
Republican Strategy
To help Bilbao, the Republican government decided to launch two new attacks. These attacks were meant to distract the Nationalists. One attack was planned for the Aragon front. The other was the Segovia Offensive near Madrid.
The Battle for Segovia
Republican Forces
The Spanish Republican Army had three main groups, called divisions, ready for the attack. These divisions were in the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains. They were led by commanders like José María Galán, Karol Świerczewski (known as General Walther), and Gustavo Duran. Colonel Domingo Moriones was in overall command. The Republican forces also had artillery and a company of T-26 tanks.
The Attack Begins
On May 31, the Republicans started their attack. They heavily bombed the Nationalist positions in the mountains. They managed to break through the Nationalist lines near San Ildefonso. On the same day, one Republican division captured an area called Cruz de la Gallega. They then moved towards Cabeza Grande. This move threatened the main road to Segovia. However, a group of foreign volunteers, the XIV International Brigade, suffered many losses.
Nationalist Counterattack
The Republican advance reached a town called La Granja. But on June 1, the Nationalists fought back strongly. General Juan Varela led a Nationalist division. More troops arrived from the Madrid front, led by Barrón. The Nationalists also had a lot of air support from their planes. They quickly took back Cabeza Grande. This put the Republican troops in danger.
Republican Retreat
By June 6, the situation was clear. Colonel Moriones ordered the Republican troops to go back to where they started. The Segovia Offensive was over. The Republicans lost about 3,000 soldiers. This included 1,000 members of the XIV International Brigade.
Why the Offensive Failed
The Republican attack failed mainly because the Nationalists had much better air power. Colonel Moriones, the Republican commander, even said that their own planes were not very effective. He noted that Republican fighter planes stayed far away and rarely attacked the enemy. In contrast, he said the enemy planes were "highly active and extraordinarily effective." The Segovia Offensive only managed to delay the main Nationalist attack on Bilbao by two weeks.
Segovia in Books
The Segovia Offensive is the battle described in the famous novel For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway.
More to Explore
In Spanish: Ofensiva de Segovia para niños
- List of Spanish Republican military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
- List of Spanish Nationalist military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
