Cartagena Uprising
Encyclopedia
The Cartagena Uprising took place 4-7 March 1939 during the Spanish Civil War
. SS Castillo de Olite
sunk during the event
in February 1939, the military situation of the Republic was hopeless. The republic still had the capital city and the 30 per cent of the Spanish territory, but it had lost 220.000 soldiers, the second city of the country and the catalan war industry. Furthermore, in 27 February Manuel Azaña
the president of the Republic resigned and Great Britain and France recognized the francoist government. The high commanders of the Republican army believed that a further military resistance was impossible, but the prime minister backed by the Communist Party of Spain
(PCE) wanted to continue the resistance. Then the colonel Segismundo Casado
, supported by the generals Matallana
and Miaja
, the CNT
(Cipriano Mera
), the secret service of the republic (the SIM), a section of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
(PSOE) (Julian Besteiro) and a section of the UGT (Wenceslao Carrillo
), planned a coup
against Negrin.
. On 4 March, Franciso Galan arrived in Cartagena to take over command and the supporters of Casado, led by the colonel Gerardo Armentia, revolted and arrested Galan. Then, the Fifth Column
in the city, led by the Colonel Arturo Espa, joined the rebellion, seized the coastal batteries of Los Dolores and the radio station, from where they broadcast appeals for help from the nationalists. A retired general living in the city, Rafael Barrionuevo proclaimed himself military governor.
On 5 March, the Nationalist air force bombed the harbour of Cartagena, sinking the destroyer Sanchez Barcaiztegui
, and the Admiral Miguel Buiza ordered the fleet (the cruisers Miguel de Cervantes, Libertad
and Mendez Nuñez
, and eight destroyers) to fled from Cartagena and headed to Bizerta. Then, the IV division, led by the communist officer Joaquin Rodriguez, was dispatched to Cartagena in order to crush the revolt, by Jesus Hernandez. On 7 March, the 206th brigade arrived to Cartagena, crushed the rising and seized the radio station and the coastal batteries. There were 61 deaths.
Franco had ordered to send troops to Cartagena in order to support the uprising, and the same day, two Nationalist transport ship arrived to support the rebellion, without knowing that the rebellion had been crushed. The shore batteries of Cartagena fired at close rank and sunk one of them, the Castillo de Olite
. 1,225 soldiers died and 700 were taken prisoners.
. The French authorities seized the ships and later handed over to the Nationalists.Without the fleet the evacuation of the Republican refugees was impossible.
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...
. SS Castillo de Olite
SS Castillo de Olite
The Castillo de Olite was a merchant steamship, which was sunk by the costal defense batteries of Cartagena in the last days of the Spanish Civil War, while transporting 2,112 Spanish Nationalist troops.-History:...
sunk during the event
Background
After the fall of CataloniaCatalonia Offensive
The Catalonia Offensive was part of the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalist Army started the offensive on December 23, 1938, and rapidly conquered Republican-held Catalonia with its capital city from October 1937, Barcelona. Barcelona was captured on January 26, 1939. The Republican government...
in February 1939, the military situation of the Republic was hopeless. The republic still had the capital city and the 30 per cent of the Spanish territory, but it had lost 220.000 soldiers, the second city of the country and the catalan war industry. Furthermore, in 27 February Manuel Azaña
Manuel Azaña
Manuel Azaña Díaz was a Spanish politician. He was the first Prime Minister of the Second Spanish Republic , and later served again as Prime Minister , and then as the second and last President of the Republic . The Spanish Civil War broke out while he was President...
the president of the Republic resigned and Great Britain and France recognized the francoist government. The high commanders of the Republican army believed that a further military resistance was impossible, but the prime minister backed by the Communist Party of Spain
Communist Party of Spain
The Communist Party of Spain is the third largest national political party in Spain. It is the largest member organization of the United Left electoral coalition and has influence in the largest trade union in Spain, Workers' Commissions ....
(PCE) wanted to continue the resistance. Then the colonel Segismundo Casado
Segismundo Casado
Segismundo Casado López was a Spanish Army officer in the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War.-Early life:...
, supported by the generals Matallana
Manuel Matallana
Manuel Matallana Gomez. . Spanish officer and lawyer. A professional officer of the Spanish Army, he supported the Republican goverment during the Spanish Civil War. On november of 1936 he was a member of the general Miaja’s staff during the battle of Madrid.After that, he was promoted to colonel...
and Miaja
José Miaja
José Miaja Menant was a Spanish Army Officer in the Second Spanish Republic.-Early life:He entered the Infantry Academy at Toledo in 1896. His first post was in Asturias...
, the CNT
CNT
-Buildings:* Canadian National Tower, or CN Tower, a communications and observation tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada-Businesses:* Cantiere Navale Triestino , an Italian shipbuilding company founded in 1908 and renamed Cantieri Riuniti dell' Adriatico Monfalcone in 1929-Non-profit organizations:*...
(Cipriano Mera
Cipriano Mera
Cipriano Mera Sanz was a Spanish military and political figure during the Second Spanish Republic.-Early life:...
), the secret service of the republic (the SIM), a section of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
(PSOE) (Julian Besteiro) and a section of the UGT (Wenceslao Carrillo
Wenceslao Carrillo
Wenceslao Carrillo was a prominent Spanish Socialist leader, father of Santiago Carrillo. He belonged to the "Caballerist" faction of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party....
), planned a coup
Final offensive of the Spanish Civil War
The Final offensive of the Spanish Civil War took place between the 26th of March and the 1st of April 1939, towards the end of the Spanish Civil War...
against Negrin.
The uprising
On 3 March, Juan Negrin appointed Francisco Galan, a member of the PCE, to command the naval base of CartagenaCartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
. On 4 March, Franciso Galan arrived in Cartagena to take over command and the supporters of Casado, led by the colonel Gerardo Armentia, revolted and arrested Galan. Then, the Fifth Column
Fifth Column
Fifth Column was a Canadian all-women experimental post-punk band from Toronto, which came about during the early 1980s. They took the name Fifth Column after a military manoeuvre by Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War, in which nationalist insurrectionists within besieged Republican...
in the city, led by the Colonel Arturo Espa, joined the rebellion, seized the coastal batteries of Los Dolores and the radio station, from where they broadcast appeals for help from the nationalists. A retired general living in the city, Rafael Barrionuevo proclaimed himself military governor.
On 5 March, the Nationalist air force bombed the harbour of Cartagena, sinking the destroyer Sanchez Barcaiztegui
Spanish destroyer Sánchez Barcáiztegui
Sánchez Barcáiztegui was a Churruca-class destroyer of the Spanish Navy. She took part in the Spanish Civil War on the government side....
, and the Admiral Miguel Buiza ordered the fleet (the cruisers Miguel de Cervantes, Libertad
Almirante Cervera class cruiser
The Cervera or Alfonso class were three light cruisers built for the Spanish Navy in the 1920s. The ships were built by Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval in Ferrol which had strong British links and were designed by Sir Philip Watts. The design was based on the British Emerald class cruiser,...
and Mendez Nuñez
Blas de Lezo class cruiser
The Blas de Lezo class cruisers were a group of two cruisers built for the Spanish Navy in the 1920s. The ships were ordered in 1915 but construction proceeded slowly due to materials shortages during World War I...
, and eight destroyers) to fled from Cartagena and headed to Bizerta. Then, the IV division, led by the communist officer Joaquin Rodriguez, was dispatched to Cartagena in order to crush the revolt, by Jesus Hernandez. On 7 March, the 206th brigade arrived to Cartagena, crushed the rising and seized the radio station and the coastal batteries. There were 61 deaths.
Franco had ordered to send troops to Cartagena in order to support the uprising, and the same day, two Nationalist transport ship arrived to support the rebellion, without knowing that the rebellion had been crushed. The shore batteries of Cartagena fired at close rank and sunk one of them, the Castillo de Olite
SS Castillo de Olite
The Castillo de Olite was a merchant steamship, which was sunk by the costal defense batteries of Cartagena in the last days of the Spanish Civil War, while transporting 2,112 Spanish Nationalist troops.-History:...
. 1,225 soldiers died and 700 were taken prisoners.
Aftermath
The rebellion was crushed, but the Republican fleet didn’t return to Cartagena and fled to BizerteBizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
. The French authorities seized the ships and later handed over to the Nationalists.Without the fleet the evacuation of the Republican refugees was impossible.
Further reading
- Viñas, Ángel; and Hernández Sánchez, Fernando. El Desplome de la República. Editorial Crítica. Barcelona. 2009. ISBN: 978-84-9892-031-4