Santoña Agreement
Encyclopedia
The Santoña Agreement or Pact of Santoña was an agreement signed in the town of Guriezo
, near Santoña
, Cantabria
, the August 24, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War
, between politicians close to the Basque Nationalist Party
(Partido Nacionalista Vasco or PNV), fighting with the Republican Side, and Italian forces
fighting with the Francoist side
.
During the Battle of Santander
, the Francoist troops pierced through the Republican defense lines. The Republican troops, including the Basque army
, retreated to the west in a disorderly fashion, with numerous desertions.
After the fall of Bilbao
, practically all Basque territory had fallen into Franco's hands. Juan de Ajuriaguerra, then president of the Biscay
Regional Council of the Basque Nationalist Party
, negotiated with the Italian army command a surrender agreement. The PNV offered to surrender the Basque army in exchange of its prisoners being treated as POWs
under Italian commandment, and PNV members being allowed to go to exile in several British ships.
The Basque nationalists
units of the Republican army in the Basque territory, fighting under the direction of Basque president José Antonio Aguirre, met at Santoña, and surrendered to the Italian forces on August 24. When news of the agreement arrived to his headquarters, Franco cancelled the agreement and ordered the immediate jailing in Santoña's El Dueso prison of the 22,000 soldiers captured. Three months later, around half of them had been freed, the other half remained in prison, and 510 were sentenced to death, a lower reprisal level than registered elsewhere. Ajuriaguerra, the highest rank in the PNV, was released from prison in 1943.
The agreement was carried out by the PNV behind the Republican government's back. For this reason, it is also known as the Santoña Treason.
Guriezo
Guriezo is a municipality located in the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain. According to the 2007 census, the town has a population of 1,979 inhabitants. Its capital is El Puente.-External links:* - Cantabria 102 Municipios...
, near Santoña
Santoña
Santoña is a town in the eastern coast of the autonomous community of Cantabria, on the north coast of Spain. It is situated by the bay of the same name. It is 45 km from the capital Santander. Santoña is divided into two zones, an urban plain, and a mountainous area, with Mount Buciero at its...
, Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
, the August 24, 1937, 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...
, between politicians close to the Basque Nationalist Party
Basque Nationalist Party
The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country...
(Partido Nacionalista Vasco or PNV), fighting with the Republican Side, and Italian forces
Corpo Truppe Volontarie
The Corps of Volunteer Troops was an Italian expeditionary force which was sent to Spain to support General Francisco Franco and the Spanish Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War...
fighting with the Francoist side
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...
.
During the Battle of Santander
Battle of Santander
The Battle of Santander was fought over the summer of 1937 in the War in the North campaign in the Spanish Civil War. Santander's fall on September 1 assured the Nationalist conquest of the province of Santander and marked the last stand of the Republic's "Army of the North," which was destroyed...
, the Francoist troops pierced through the Republican defense lines. The Republican troops, including the Basque army
Euzko Gudarostea
Euzko Gudarostea was the name of the army commanded by the Basque Government during the Spanish civil war. It was formed by Basque nationalists, socialists and communists under the direction of lendakari José Antonio Aguirre and coordinating with the army of the Second Spanish Republic...
, retreated to the west in a disorderly fashion, with numerous desertions.
After the fall of Bilbao
Battle of Bilbao
The Battle of Bilbao was part of the War in the North, during the Spanish Civil War where the Nationalist Army captured the city of Bilbao and the remaining parts of the Basque Country still held by the Republic....
, practically all Basque territory had fallen into Franco's hands. Juan de Ajuriaguerra, then president of the Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
Regional Council of the Basque Nationalist Party
Basque Nationalist Party
The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country...
, negotiated with the Italian army command a surrender agreement. The PNV offered to surrender the Basque army in exchange of its prisoners being treated as POWs
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
under Italian commandment, and PNV members being allowed to go to exile in several British ships.
The Basque nationalists
Basque nationalism
Basque nationalism is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or, chiefly, full independence of the Basque Country in the wider sense...
units of the Republican army in the Basque territory, fighting under the direction of Basque president José Antonio Aguirre, met at Santoña, and surrendered to the Italian forces on August 24. When news of the agreement arrived to his headquarters, Franco cancelled the agreement and ordered the immediate jailing in Santoña's El Dueso prison of the 22,000 soldiers captured. Three months later, around half of them had been freed, the other half remained in prison, and 510 were sentenced to death, a lower reprisal level than registered elsewhere. Ajuriaguerra, the highest rank in the PNV, was released from prison in 1943.
The agreement was carried out by the PNV behind the Republican government's back. For this reason, it is also known as the Santoña Treason.