The Battle of Almendralejo was a battle and masscare in Almendralejo

Almendralejo

Almendralejo is a town in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. It is situated 59 km south-east of Badajoz, on the main road and rail route between Mérida and Seville. , it has a population of 33,975. There was a battle and massacre here in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War.Sights...

, Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 during the Spanish Civil War

Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...

. On August 7, 1936, the troops of General Francisco Franco

Francisco Franco

Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...

, under the command of Gonzalo Queipo de Llano

Gonzalo Queipo de Llano

Gonzalo Queipo de Llano y Sierra, 1st Marquis of Queipo de Llano, a title bestowed upon him, to crown his professional career at the service of the "New" Spain forged by Dictator of Spain, 1939 - 1975, General Francisco Franco on 1 April 1950, once he had decided Spain would be again a Kingdom...

, entered Almendralejo and took the town. Upon the entrance of the troops, the Republican

Republican Faction (Spanish Civil War)

The Republican faction also known as the Republicans was the side in the Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939 that supported the Second Spanish Republic against the National faction.-Popular Front:-CNT/FAI:-People's Republican Army:...

militiamen withdrew; forty of them holed up in the Tower of the Parish of the Purification (Torre de la Parroquia de la Purificación), whose profile dominates the surrounding countryside. Military staff then decided to set fire to the parish and bomb the tower with a cannon installed in the Fuente La Negra, in order to force the Republicans to surrender. Roughly 1000 civilians were killed. The Republicans resisted until August 15, 1936.