Siege of Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza |
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| Part of the Spanish Civil War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Lt. Col. Carlos García Vallejo Maj. Pedro Martínez Cartón |
 Cpt. Santiago Cortés (DOW) Lt. Francisco Ruano Beltrán (POW) |
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| Strength | |||||||
| September 1936:1,500 soldiers and militiamen May 1937:6,000-12,000 soldiers 15 T-26 tanks |
September 1936: 165 Guardia Civil gendarmes 72 FE de las JONS volunteers 870-887 civilians |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 150 dead, 250 wounded | |||||||
The Siege of Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza was an important event during the Spanish Civil War. It happened from September 14, 1936, to May 1, 1937, near Andújar, Spain. During this siege, the Republican army surrounded about 1,200 rebel civil guards and other fighters. These rebels supported the Nationalists. After a long fight, the Republican forces won, and the rebels had to give up.
Contents
Why the Siege Happened
After a failed attempt to take control of Spain in July 1936, many rebel groups hid in strong, easy-to-defend places. One of the longest-lasting groups was at the Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza Sanctuary. This sanctuary was a religious building on a hilltop.
Rebels Take Shelter
In August 1936, about 250 civil guards from Jaén, along with their families, went to the sanctuary. They were joined by 100 Falangists (a political group) and around 1,000 wealthy people from Andújar. They gathered a lot of food and supplies.
The Start of the Fight
At first, the local Republican leaders in Andújar did not know these civil guards were rebels. But in September 1936, the civil guards at the sanctuary sent a message saying they were at war. Their commander, Major Nofuentes, wanted to surrender, but Captain Santiago Cortés took over. That's when the Republicans started the siege, trying to force them out.
Life During the Siege
The rebels inside the sanctuary were cut off from the outside world. They needed supplies to survive.
Supplies from the Air
Nationalist planes from cities like Córdoba and Seville helped the rebels. They dropped supplies from the sky. Over 160,000 pounds of food came from Seville, and 140,000 pounds from Córdoba. They even dropped medical supplies and other important items. Sometimes, delicate goods were tied to live turkeys to help them land safely. Pigeons were also used to send messages and news to the Nationalists in Seville.
Attempts to Break the Siege
In December 1936, a Nationalist general named Queipo de Llano tried to help the rebels. He launched an attack to reach Andújar and rescue those in the sanctuary. However, this attack was stopped in January 1937 at a place called Lopera, which was about 20 miles from Andújar. The rebels remained trapped.
The Final Attack
By April 1937, the Republican government decided to end the siege. They sent a very large force of about 20,000 soldiers. This force was led by Major Martínez Cartón. The Republican soldiers managed to split the rebel area into two parts. They took over a nearby camp called Lugar Nuevo.
Franco, the Nationalist leader, gave Captain Cortés permission to let the women and children leave. He also said Cortés could surrender if they could no longer fight. But Cortés refused to let the women and children go. On April 30, Cortés was wounded. The next day, May 1, the Republicans finally broke into the sanctuary.
What Happened Next
The remaining rebels were captured by the Republican forces. Captain Cortés died from his wounds in the hospital. The rebels who fought at the sanctuary did not receive much special recognition from the Nationalist side after the war.
See also
In Spanish: Asedio del Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza para niños
- List of Spanish Republican military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
- List of Spanish Nationalist military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
