Battle of the Ebro
Encyclopedia
The Battle of the Ebro was the longest and bloodiest battle of the Spanish Civil War
. It took place between July and November 1938, with fighting mainly concentrated in two areas on the lower course of the Ebro
River, the Terra Alta
comarca of Catalonia
, and the Auts
area close to Fayón
(Faió) in the lower Matarranya, Eastern Lower Aragon
. These sparsely-populated areas saw the largest array of armies in the Civil War. The results of the battle were disastrous for the Second Spanish Republic
with tens of thousands of dead and wounded, with little effect on the relentless advance of the Nationalists.
By 1938, the Spanish Republic was in dire straits. The Basque Country
had fallen, the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification
(POUM) had been crushed by the Stalinist Communist Party of Spain, and many foreign governments felt it was only a matter of time before the question of who would rule Spain would be settled in favour of the Nationalists.
In the winter of 1937/38 the Republican Popular Army had spent its forces in the Battle of Teruel
, in a series of bloody combats in subzero temperatures around the city of Teruel
, which ended up being taken by the Francoist army in February.
General Franco then launched his Aragon Offensive
in March without giving his enemies a chance to recover. This would be one of the most decisive operations in the Spanish Civil War. Fighting in the middle of bitter winter temperatures, the exhausted Republican army could offer only feeble resistance. Rushing victoriously across the rugged mountainous terrain of Southern Aragon, Franco's troops reached the Mediterranean sea at Vinaròs
on April 15.
As a result, the Nationalist Nacionalista army conquered Zaragoza
, Lleida
and the hydroelectric dams that provided much of the Catalan industrial areas with electricity. This situation demoralized Republican leaders and proved the strength and decisiveness of the Nationalist armies in an area between Barcelona
and Valencia, that leaving Republican territory split in two.
The Francoist armies attacked the Levante Offensive
north of Valencia with the intention of capturing the Republican capital, instead of advancing towards Barcelona, fearing that France
would enter the war in support of the ailing Republic. In response to the situation, Spanish premier Juan Negrín
approved a plan by Vicente Rojo Lluch
to launch attacks against the main Nationalist Francoist forces advancing towards Valencia. The purpose of the attacks were to relieve the pressure on Valencia and Catalonia
, as well as to show European governments that the Republican government was still viable.
Some scholars have argued that Negrín's "active war policy"—attacking rather than adopting strong defences and hoping for a wider European conflict or harrying the nationalist forces—was primarily driven by the PCE's desire for propaganda
victories, and, as at the Ebro, destroyed the Republican army for no great purpose.
basin. The size of the army was important but it lacked enough air
and artillery support. The Army of the Ebro was formed on May 15 under Lieutenant Colonel Juan Modesto
, merging the 15th and the 5th Army Corps. It would receive reinforcement from the 12th and 18th Army Corps as soon as the battle began. Its command center was located in Espluga de Francolí.
, with base in Salou
:
. Later, the Maestrazgo Army Corps was sent as reinforcements, led by General Rafael García Valiño.
:
Except for the 50a División, made up of relatively inexperienced soldiers, all other divisions were battle-hardened Legionarios, Regulares
, African mercenaries from Ifni
and Western Sahara
, as well as Carlist and Falangist militias.
.
launched attacks across the Ebro river. The surprise was total and Republican forces were initially successful. Nevertheless, the Republican forces were only lightly armed and had no means to transport their artillery and armor across the river. The key to the battle was Nationalist air superiority, provided by Italian and German squadrons that flew under the Aviación Nacional
markings. Some 550 first class planes were available on the Nationalist side against only some 35 modern fighters and some 40 second class aircraft of the Spanish Republican Air Force
. The Nationalist air force was thus able to quickly identify the areas of Republican penetration and attack the Republican troops that were crossing the river.
The key target for the Republicans was the town of Gandesa
, some 25 km west of the Ebro, a cross-roads to Catalonia and the north/south roads running parallel to the Ebro. The terrain around the town was extremely hilly with the Serra de Cavalls
, Serra de Pàndols
and Serra de la Fatarella
mountain ranges whose hard and bold limestone
rocks and scant forest cover provided little shelter against Francoist fire. Eventually the Republican attacks bogged down and became stalled, and within a week Franco sent heavy artillery and some 500,000 troops into the battle that annihilated most of the Republican strong points. Within a month Negrín understood that the effort had failed, but in his desperation was unable to consider any withdrawal. The difficulty of the terrain, however, delayed Franco considerably and the battle lasted for another 2 months, until November 16, 1938.
The Republicans were unable to accomplish any of their strategic objectives and, according to Beevor, were unwilling to apply the theory of the deep operation to their attacks — meaning their forces spent a long time clearing Nationalist secondary defensive positions, allowing the highly mechanised Nationalist forces to quickly deploy in strong defensive positions.
The battle was fought by both sides as a World War I Western Front
battle, with each side launching bloody frontal assaults on enemy positions in what became a war of attrition. The Nationalist superiority in numbers and armaments meant they were better able to withstand the losses and exhaust the Republicans. The Ebro saw the Republican army destroyed as an effective force while the Republican air force was no longer capable of offering further resistance.
The battle was also the last action of the International Brigades, who were ordered to withdraw by the Non-Intervention Committee
midway through it.
declared the war over.
A well-known Republican
song, El Paso de Ebro
, commemorates the battle.
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...
. It took place between July and November 1938, with fighting mainly concentrated in two areas on the lower course of the Ebro
Ebro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
River, the Terra Alta
Terra Alta
Terra Alta is a sparsely populated inland comarca in Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Gandesa. It is also known as Castellania, a name dating back to its medieval status as a fiefdom held by the Order of Knights of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem under the Crown of Aragon.- Municipalities...
comarca of Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, and the Auts
Auts
Auts is a small mountain range west of the Ebro river in the Bajo Aragón-Caspe/Baix Aragó-Casp comarca, Aragon, Spain. It is located about 9 km north of Fayón , close to the road between Maella and Mequinenza ....
area close to Fayón
Fayón
Fayón or Faió is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 395 inhabitants....
(Faió) in the lower Matarranya, Eastern Lower Aragon
Bajo Aragón-Caspe/Baix Aragó-Casp
Bajo Aragón-Caspe or Baix Aragó-Casp is a comarca in eastern Aragon, bordering the Spanish Autonomous Community of Catalonia.It borders the Aragonese comarques of Matarranya, Monegros, Bajo Cinca, Bajo Martín and Ribera Baja del Ebro, and the Catalan comarques of Terra Alta, Baix Ebre, and Ribera...
. These sparsely-populated areas saw the largest array of armies in the Civil War. The results of the battle were disastrous for the Second Spanish Republic
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
with tens of thousands of dead and wounded, with little effect on the relentless advance of the Nationalists.
Background
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
had fallen, the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification
Workers' Party of Marxist Unification
The Workers' Party of Marxist Unification was a Spanish communist political party formed during the Second Republic and mainly active around the Spanish Civil War...
(POUM) had been crushed by the Stalinist Communist Party of Spain, and many foreign governments felt it was only a matter of time before the question of who would rule Spain would be settled in favour of the Nationalists.
In the winter of 1937/38 the Republican Popular Army had spent its forces in the Battle of Teruel
Battle of Teruel
The Battle of Teruel was fought in and around the city of Teruel during the Spanish Civil War in December 1937 – February 1938. The combatants fought the battle during the worst Spanish winter in twenty years. It was one of the bloodier actions of the war. The city changed hands several times,...
, in a series of bloody combats in subzero temperatures around the city of Teruel
Teruel
Teruel is a town in Aragon, eastern Spain, and the capital of Teruel Province. It has a population of 34,240 in 2006 making it one of the least populated provincial capitals in the country...
, which ended up being taken by the Francoist army in February.
General Franco then launched his Aragon Offensive
Aragon Offensive
The Aragon Offensive was a Nationalist campaign during the Spanish Civil War, which began after the Battle of Teruel. The offensive began on March 7, 1938, and ended on April 19, 1938...
in March without giving his enemies a chance to recover. This would be one of the most decisive operations in the Spanish Civil War. Fighting in the middle of bitter winter temperatures, the exhausted Republican army could offer only feeble resistance. Rushing victoriously across the rugged mountainous terrain of Southern Aragon, Franco's troops reached the Mediterranean sea at Vinaròs
Vinaròs
Vinaròs is a town and municipality in eastern Spain, in the province of Castelló and part of the autonomous Valencian Community. The town is on the Gulf of Valencia coast of the western Mediterranean Sea, Vinaròs is a fishing harbour and tourist destination....
on April 15.
As a result, the Nationalist Nacionalista army conquered Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, Lleida
Lleida
Lleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
and the hydroelectric dams that provided much of the Catalan industrial areas with electricity. This situation demoralized Republican leaders and proved the strength and decisiveness of the Nationalist armies in an area between Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and Valencia, that leaving Republican territory split in two.
The Francoist armies attacked the Levante Offensive
XYZ Line
The XYZ Line, or Matallana Line, was a system of fortifications built during the Spanish Civil War in order to defend the capital of the Second Spanish Republic in Valencia, Spain...
north of Valencia with the intention of capturing the Republican capital, instead of advancing towards Barcelona, fearing that France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
would enter the war in support of the ailing Republic. In response to the situation, Spanish premier Juan Negrín
Juan Negrín
Juan Negrín y López was a Spanish politician and physician.-Early years:Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Negrín came from a religious middle-class family...
approved a plan by Vicente Rojo Lluch
Vicente Rojo Lluch
Vicente Rojo Lluch was Chief of the General Staff of the Spanish Armed Forces during the Spanish Civil War.-Early life:...
to launch attacks against the main Nationalist Francoist forces advancing towards Valencia. The purpose of the attacks were to relieve the pressure on Valencia and Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, as well as to show European governments that the Republican government was still viable.
Some scholars have argued that Negrín's "active war policy"—attacking rather than adopting strong defences and hoping for a wider European conflict or harrying the nationalist forces—was primarily driven by the PCE's desire for propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
victories, and, as at the Ebro, destroyed the Republican army for no great purpose.
Loyalist Army
In order to distract the Nationalist armies that were advancing towards Valencia, the Popular Republican Army decided upon an offensive in the lower EbroEbro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
basin. The size of the army was important but it lacked enough air
Spanish Republican Air Force
The Spanish Republican Air Force, , was the air arm of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939...
and artillery support. The Army of the Ebro was formed on May 15 under Lieutenant Colonel Juan Modesto
Juan Modesto
Juan Modesto Guilloto León was a Republican army officer during the Spanish Civil War.-Early life:He originally worked at a sawmill before joining the Spanish Army...
, merging the 15th and the 5th Army Corps. It would receive reinforcement from the 12th and 18th Army Corps as soon as the battle began. Its command center was located in Espluga de Francolí.
15th Army Corps
The 15th Army Corps XV Cuerpo del Ejército was led by Manuel Tagüeña from Escaladei and was formed by the following Divisions:- 35th International Division led by Commander Pedro Mateo Merino, including the 11th, 13th and 15th International Brigades.
- 3d Popular Republican Army Division, led by Commander Esteban Cabezos, including the 31st, 33d and 60th brigades.
- 27d Division, under Commander Manuel AlvarezManuel ÁlvarezManuel Álvarez Jiménez is an Chile football defender who played for Chile in the 1950 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Universidad Católica.- Record at FIFA Tournaments :-External links:*...
, including the 226th, 227th and 59th brigades.
- In mid July the 15th Army Corps was reinforced by the 16th Popular Republican Army Division of the 12th Army Corps, the 3d Cavalry Regiment, anti-aircraft guns, armoured vehicles and army engineers.
5th Army Corps
The 5th Army Corps V Cuerpo del Ejército Popular, led by Lieutenant Colonel Enrique LísterEnrique Líster
Enrique Líster Forján was a Spanish communist politician and military officer.-Early life:...
, with base in Salou
Salou
Salou is a municipality of the comarca of Tarragonès, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The city is approximately 10km from Tarragona and Reus on the Costa Daurada and 112km from Barcelona...
:
- 11th Division led by Commander Joaquin Rodríguez, including the 1st, 9th and 100th brigades.
- 46th Division led by Commander Valentín GonzálezValentín GonzálezValentín González González was a Republican military commander during the Spanish Civil War. Known as El Campesino , González was one of many competent officers to have served in the Ejército Popular of the Second Spanish Republic.Born in Malcocinado, Badajoz, Spain, Gonzalez worked as a miner...
"El Campesino", including the 10th, 37th and 101st brigades. - 45th Division, international division led by Lieutenant Colonel Hans Kahle, including the 12th "Garibaldi", 14th "Marsellesa" and 139th brigades.
12th Army Corps
The 12th Army Corps led by Lieutenant Colonel Etelvino Vega, was based at Bisbal de Falset :- 16th Division led by Commander Manuel Mora Torres, including the 23d and 24th brigades.
- 44th Division led by Ramón Pastor, including the 140th, 144th and 145th brigades.
18th Army Corps
The 18th Army Corps, led by Lieutenant Colonel José del Barrio acted as tactical reserve of the two first ones:- 27th Division, led by Marcelino Usatorre including the122th (with its 1st battalion, "la Bruixa"), 123d and 124th brigades.
- 60th Division led by Commander Manuel Ferràndiz, including the 95th, 84th and 224th brigades.
- 43a División, led by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Beltrán Casaña "l'Esquinazau", including the 72d, 102d and 130th brigades.
Spanish Nationalist Army
The Morocco Army Corps was positioned on the right bank of the EbroEbro
The Ebro or Ebre is one of the most important rivers in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the biggest river by discharge volume in Spain.The Ebro flows through the following cities:*Reinosa in Cantabria.*Miranda de Ebro in Castile and León....
. Later, the Maestrazgo Army Corps was sent as reinforcements, led by General Rafael García Valiño.
Morocco Army Corps
The Morocco Army Corps Cuerpo del Ejército de Marruecos included about 98000 men led by General Juan YagüeJuan Yagüe
Juan Yagüe y Blanco, 1st Marquis of San Leonardo de Yagüe was a Spanish army officer during the Spanish Civil War, one of the most important in the National side.-Early life:...
:
- 40a División
- 50a División
- 105a División
Except for the 50a División, made up of relatively inexperienced soldiers, all other divisions were battle-hardened Legionarios, Regulares
Regulares
The Fuerzas Regulares Indígenas , known simply as the Regulares , were the volunteer infantry and cavalry units of the Spanish Army recruited in Spanish Morocco. They consisted of Moroccans officered by Spaniards...
, African mercenaries from Ifni
Ifni
Ifni was a Spanish province on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, south of Agadir and across from the Canary Islands.It had a total area of 1,502 km² , and a population of 51,517 in 1964. The main industry was fishing....
and Western Sahara
Western Sahara
Western Sahara is a disputed territory in North Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its surface area amounts to . It is one of the most sparsely populated territories in the world, mainly...
, as well as Carlist and Falangist militias.
Maestrazgo Army Corps
The Maestrazgo Army Corps Cuerpo del Ejército del Maestrazgo was led by General Rafael García ValiñoRafael García Valiño
Rafael García Valiño was a Spanish Army Officer who participated in the Spanish Civil War.-Early life:He was born in Toledo, Spain, and enrolled in the Infantry Academy at age fifteen. In 1916 he earned his commission as a lieutenant, volunteering to fight in the Spanish Army of Africa...
.
- 1a División de Navarra
- 74a División la Leona
- 84a División
- 13a División
Battle
The Battle of the Ebro opened on July 25, 1938. Republican forces under Colonel Juan ModestoJuan Modesto
Juan Modesto Guilloto León was a Republican army officer during the Spanish Civil War.-Early life:He originally worked at a sawmill before joining the Spanish Army...
launched attacks across the Ebro river. The surprise was total and Republican forces were initially successful. Nevertheless, the Republican forces were only lightly armed and had no means to transport their artillery and armor across the river. The key to the battle was Nationalist air superiority, provided by Italian and German squadrons that flew under the Aviación Nacional
Aviación Nacional
Aviación Nacional or Fuerza Aérea Nacional may refer to any of the following military air units supporting General Franco in the Spanish Civil War:*Condor Legion, of Nazi Germany*Aviazione Legionaria, of Fascist Italy...
markings. Some 550 first class planes were available on the Nationalist side against only some 35 modern fighters and some 40 second class aircraft of the Spanish Republican Air Force
Spanish Republican Air Force
The Spanish Republican Air Force, , was the air arm of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939...
. The Nationalist air force was thus able to quickly identify the areas of Republican penetration and attack the Republican troops that were crossing the river.
The key target for the Republicans was the town of Gandesa
Gandesa
Gandesa is the capital of the comarca of Terra Alta, in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.-History:In the place known as Coll del Moro there is an ancient Iberian archaeological site belonging to the Ilercavones tribe that lived in this area before Roman times.Gandesa has a church with...
, some 25 km west of the Ebro, a cross-roads to Catalonia and the north/south roads running parallel to the Ebro. The terrain around the town was extremely hilly with the Serra de Cavalls
Serra de Cavalls
Serra de Cavalls is a mountain chain located at the southern end of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range, Catalonia, Spain.The ridge's highest point is Punta Redona . This mountain range lies within the Benissanet, Gandesa and El Pinell de Brai municipal term...
, Serra de Pàndols
Serra de Pàndols
Serra de Pàndols is a limestone mountain chain located at the southern end of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range, in Catalonia, Spain.There is a project to install wind turbines on the Serra de Pàndols and neighboring Serra de Cavalls which has met with public protests...
and Serra de la Fatarella
Serra de la Fatarella
Serra de la Fatarella is one of the isolated mountain ranges of the Catalan Central Depression located off the southern end of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range between La Fatarella and Ascó....
mountain ranges whose hard and bold limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rocks and scant forest cover provided little shelter against Francoist fire. Eventually the Republican attacks bogged down and became stalled, and within a week Franco sent heavy artillery and some 500,000 troops into the battle that annihilated most of the Republican strong points. Within a month Negrín understood that the effort had failed, but in his desperation was unable to consider any withdrawal. The difficulty of the terrain, however, delayed Franco considerably and the battle lasted for another 2 months, until November 16, 1938.
The Republicans were unable to accomplish any of their strategic objectives and, according to Beevor, were unwilling to apply the theory of the deep operation to their attacks — meaning their forces spent a long time clearing Nationalist secondary defensive positions, allowing the highly mechanised Nationalist forces to quickly deploy in strong defensive positions.
The battle was fought by both sides as a World War I Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
battle, with each side launching bloody frontal assaults on enemy positions in what became a war of attrition. The Nationalist superiority in numbers and armaments meant they were better able to withstand the losses and exhaust the Republicans. The Ebro saw the Republican army destroyed as an effective force while the Republican air force was no longer capable of offering further resistance.
The battle was also the last action of the International Brigades, who were ordered to withdraw by the Non-Intervention Committee
Non-Intervention Committee
During the Spanish Civil War, several countries followed a principle of non-intervention, which would result in the signing of the Non-Intervention Agreement in August 1936 and the setting up of the Non-Intervention Committee, which first met in September...
midway through it.
Aftermath
This defeat destroyed the Republican Army as a fighting force. After this battle, the Republicans would continue to lose ground until April 1, 1939 when FrancoFrancisco 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...
declared the war over.
A well-known Republican
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
song, El Paso de Ebro
Ay Carmela (song)
The lyrics to this Republican song, which is also known as El Paso del Ebro and Viva la XV Brigada, date from the Spanish Civil War. The melody, however, is a folk tune of far greater antiquity, dating back to the early 19th century. For comparative purposes, the links are: , , and -Lyrics:...
, commemorates the battle.