Villarreal Offensive facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Villareal Offensive
Part of the Spanish Civil War
Date November 30, 1936 – December 24, 1936 Location Villareal, near Vitoria, Basque country, Spain Result Nationalist victory
Belligerents
Spanish Republic Euzko Gudarostea Isaac Puente Battalion	Nationalist Spain
Commanders and leaders
Francisco Llano de la Encomienda Francisco Ciutat Alberto de Montaud	Emilio Mola Camilo Alonso Vega
Strength
4,300 men 25 guns 8 armored vehicles	600 men 5 guns
Casualties and losses
1,000 dead	?

The Villareal Offensive (which means Ofensiva de Villarreal in Spanish) was an important military attack during the Spanish Civil War. It happened from November 30 to December 24, 1936. In this fight, about 4,300 soldiers from the Eusko Gudarostea (the Basque Army) fought against 600 soldiers from the Nationalist side.

Why the Battle Happened

In 1936, the Basque government, led by José Antonio Aguirre, created its own army. This army was called the Eusko Gudarostea and had about 25,000 soldiers. Even though it was the Basque Army, it was officially part of the Republican Army of the North.

The Basque region also started making more weapons and military supplies. They even began building a strong defense line around the city of Bilbao, known as the "Iron Belt." In early December, the Basque forces decided to launch an attack. Their goal was to capture Vitoria, which was the main city of the Alava province. They also hoped this attack would help take some pressure off Madrid, where another big battle was happening.

The Battle of Villareal

Setting the Stage

The Republican forces, led by General Francisco Llano de la Encomienda, gathered a large group of soldiers. They had nineteen groups of foot soldiers (called infantry battalions), six groups of cannons (artillery batteries), and some armored vehicles. The Basque soldiers were very determined and ready to fight. However, they had very little support from airplanes and only a few cannons.

Before the attack began, a Nationalist spy plane from Burgos spotted the Republican forces. This meant the Nationalists knew the attack was coming. The Nationalist side had fewer soldiers in Villareal. They had one company of Requetes (a type of soldier), two infantry battalions, a machine-gun team, and one artillery battery.

The Main Attack

The attack started on November 30. The Basque forces managed to take control of the mountains around Vitoria. They then surrounded Villareal, which was only about 3 kilometers from Vitoria. Their cannons fired at the town, but they could not capture it.

The Nationalist soldiers fought back strongly against the Republican attacks. The Basque forces suffered many losses, with about 1,000 soldiers killed. More Nationalist soldiers, led by Colonel Camilo Alonso Vega, arrived to help defend the town.

Later Attacks and End of the Battle

On December 13 and December 18, the Basque forces launched new attacks on Villareal. But both of these attacks were stopped by the Nationalist soldiers. On December 18, the Nationalists began their own counter-attack. This ended the siege of the town. By December 24, the battle was over.

What Happened Next

The Villareal Offensive did not succeed in its main goal. The Basque forces were not able to capture Villareal. However, they did manage to take control of the mountains known as Maroto, Albertia, and Jarinto. They held onto these mountains until the start of the Biscay Campaign later in the war.

See also

• List of Spanish Nationalist military equipment of the Spanish Civil War
• List of Spanish Republican military equipment of the Spanish Civil War

Images for kids

• 

  A robot for kids.