Siege of the Loyola barracks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siege of the Loyola barracks |
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| Part of the Spanish coup of July 1936 | |||||||
 Military barracks in Loyola |
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 Spanish Republic Confederal militias |
 Nationalist rebels |
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The siege of the Loyola barracks was an important event that happened in San Sebastián, Spain, on July 21, 1936. It was a fight at the military barracks in the Loyola area. This event was part of a bigger plan to overthrow the government of the Second Spanish Republic in July 1936. This plan eventually led to the start of the Spanish Civil War.
What Happened Before
In the Spanish province of Álava, the city of Vitoria was quickly taken over by a group of rebels. These rebels were led by General Angel García Benitez and Colonel Camilo Alonso Vega. However, the plan to take over did not work in the provinces of Biscay and Gipuzkoa.
The Basque nationalists, who supported the government, set up special defense groups in cities and towns. They arrested people who supported the rebels and took their cars. In Bilbao, there was no military uprising at all. But in San Sebastián, there was an attempt to rise up, which failed.
The Uprising Begins
On July 19, 1936, Colonel León Carrasco Amilibia, who was the military governor of San Sebastián, was arrested. However, the commander of the Loyola barracks, Colonel José Vallespín Cobián, decided to start an uprising against the government. He was encouraged by a leader named Emilio Mola.
Colonel Vallespín aimed his cannons at the civil government building. The people working inside the building quickly ran away. Meanwhile, Colonel Carrasco escaped from where he was being held. He then declared that a state of war had begun. Carrasco gathered his supporters at the María Cristina hotel. The Civil Guard, which is a police force, also supported the uprising and took control of the Gran Casino.
On July 20, a group of soldiers from Eibar arrived in San Sebastián. Eibar is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southeast of Loyola. This group was led by Colonel Augusto Pérez Garmendia. They surrounded the buildings where the rebels were hiding. By July 23, the forces loyal to the Republic took over the María Cristina hotel. Finally, on July 27, the rebels inside the Loyola barracks gave up and surrendered to the forces surrounding them. After the surrender, Spanish anarchists took the weapons from the barracks. They also shot some of the prisoners who had supported the rebels. This made the relationship between the anarchists and the Basque nationalists worse.
Later, on September 14, the nationalist forces took control of San Sebastián.
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