National Guard (Nicaragua)

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In Nicaragua, the National Guard (Spanish: Guardia Nacional, otherwise known as Guardia) was a militia and a gendarmerie created during the occupation of that country by the United States from 1909 to 1933. It became notorious for human rights abuses and corruption under the regime of the Somoza family.

Contents 1 Creation 2 Somoza regime 3 Collapse 4 Weapons and equipment 5 Artillery 6 Combat and transport vehicles 7 Order of battle in 1978-79 8 References 9 Footnotes 10 External links

[edit] Creation

Prior to the U.S. occupation, the long period of civil strife had encouraged the development of a variety of private armies. The freshly-elected government of President Carlos José Solórzano requested that the U.S. Marines (equally interested in central control) remain in Nicaragua until an indigenous security force could be trained; the Nicaraguan government hired a retired US General to set up the Guardia Nacional de Nicaragua. US forces left in 1925, but after a brief resurgence of violence, returned in 1926, taking over command of the National Guard until 1933, when it was returned to Nicaraguan control under the government of Juan Bautista Sacasa.

Sacasa, under political pressure from José María Moncada, who had been a leader of a rebel faction which later joined the government after U.S. mediation efforts, appointed Anastasio Somoza García as chief director of the National Guard. Somoza Garcia was trusted as a friend of Moncada, a supporter of the liberal revolt, and a nephew of Sacasa. He was trusted by the U.S. from his service as a translator to Henry Stimson during the 1927 peace conference, schooling in the U.S., and training under the U.S. Marines (apparently, as an officer in the National Guard).

After the departure of U.S. troops in 1933 (at the depth of the Great Depression), the Sacasa government opened negotiations with the rebel faction of Augusto César Sandino. Sandino insisted on the dissolution of the National Guard, leading Somoza Garcia to react ruthlessly by arresting and executing Sandino, in violation of a safe passage agreement Sacasa had given the rebel leader. The National Guard then swiftly defeated Sandino's forces, further weakening the Sacasa government. By this time the force had grown to some 3000 troops.

After using the influence of the National Guard to support Sacasa's re-election in 1936, Somoza Garcia flouted civilian power, installing military cronies in key civilian posts and forcing Sacasa to resign that June. With an ally appointed interim president, Somoza Garcia then resigned from the National Guard position of chief director in order to meet constitutional requirements to run for the presidency himself. Breaking with the party, he established the Partido Liberal Nacionalista (PLN, National Liberal Party) and won the election with a remarkable 107,201 votes to 108. On January 1, 1937, President Somoza Garcia reappointed himself chief director of the National Guard, beginning a military dictatorship that would last four decades.

[edit] Somoza regime

Somoza Garcia rapidly took complete control of Nicaraguan institutions including the National Guard, promoting allies and purging enemies. The National Guard was the backbone of a growing network of control, eventually including telecommunications, railroads, and key civilian agencies from customs to hospitals to tax collection. In 1938, Somoza Garcia appointed a civilian assembly that rubber-stamped constitutional changes allowing him to stay in office; his personal fortune expanded as he and his family took over key areas of the private economy. Increasingly pervasive corruption comparable to a gangland mob, with bribery, kickbacks, and sometimes violent enforcement, protected the power of the Somoza family at all levels. The U.S. supported the National Guard through the World War II Lend-Lease act and under the terms of the Rio Treaty, but did not publicly approve of Somoza Garcia's extraconstitutional governance. The National Guard, which had been limited to small arms and was largely composed of rifle companies, began to acquire surplus equipment such as tanks and artillery.

The regime permitted nominal political dissent, and, in 1947, agreed to elections, hoping to mollify both United States and local opponents, but quickly deposed the winning candidate in a coup d'etat that brought strong disapproval from the United States. Under a new constitution, an assembly-appointed president, and a strong anti-communist stance relations improved. Nevertheless Somoza Garcia was the power behind the curtain and an increasing target of attempted coups and assassination; he even developed a personal bodyguard separate from the National Guard. In 1956, Somoza Garcia was fatally shot by a young dissident poet.

Succeeded in the presidency by one son, Luis Somoza Debayle, he was succeeded as head of the National Guard by another, Anastasio Somoza Debayle, a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Brutal repression of political opposition followed. In 1957, the National Guard was involved in the only external military action of its existence, a brief border skirmish with Honduras. The National Guard cooperated with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency in the preparation for the abortive Bay of Pigs Invasion of Cuba, permitting its bases to be used for training and staging areas. In 1965, the National Guard participated in a peacekeeping operation in the Dominican Republic under the aegis of the OAS.

Even as trusted friends of the family succeeded Luis in the presidency, his brother remained firmly in control of the National Guard. Eventually, in 1967, Anastasio himself was elected president; Luis soon died of a heart attack, leaving Anastasio in sole control. Without his brother's technocratic influence, Anastasio's corrupt ways were unrestrained. The 1972 earthquake, which severely damaged the capital of Managua, brought further evidence of corruption, as members of the National Guard openly looted damaged businesses and misappropriated international aid, and Somoza Debayle's personal wealth soared during the reconstruction period. In 1974, the growing Sandinista movement FSLN (named after the assassinated Sandino) succeeded in forcing the government to accept an amnesty, after which Somoza Debayle declared a state of siege and the National Guard launched a violent and repressive reaction. Though the FSLN was weakened, so was the regime.

[edit] Collapse

Direct U.S. military aid ended in 1978, although the U.S. still attempted to pursue a policy of "Somocismo sin Somoza," effectively allowing the power structure of the National Guard to prevent a Sandinista victory while removing the increasingly unpopular Somoza from power. The Carter Administration sent Somoza a congratulatory note from Carter after his disputed victory in the 1978 elections.^{[citation needed]}

After the assassination of an opposition leader among the business elites Pedro Chamorro, the Nicaraguan public reacted with a series of nationwide strikes and increasing political organization against the regime. The National Guard grew to a force of more than 10,000, with localized security companies throughout the country and modern specialized units such as mechanized and engineer battalions, a Presidential Guard, and a reinforced tactical battalion. The strengthened National Guard continued to tighten its grip but opposition only grew broader and fiercer. A humiliating hostage crisis ensued with Sandinista rebels taking over the National Assembly, led by "Comandante Cero (Commander Zero)" future Contra leader Eden Pastora. This hostage crisis was the second major action launched by the Sandinistas.^{[citation needed]}

By 1979, the Somoza regime faced an open civil war as well as being cut off from all aid by the United States, including blocking of a shipment of weapons and ammunition coming from Israel. As a result, the National Guard was out of supplies and could no longer fight against the rebels. At this point, Somoza Debayle fled the country. Members of the National Guard stayed to fight until the end. At the conclusion of the war, many former Guard members suspected of violating human rights were held in detention by the Sandinistas, while others fled to neighboring countries in Central America to organize an opposition force to the new Nicaraguan government, which would later become known as the Contras.{cn}}

The Sandinista junta replaced the Guardia Nacional with two new groups, the Ejército Popular Sandinista (EPS, Sandinista Popular Army) and the Policía Sandinista (Sandinista Police). Eventually, alumni of the National Guard would be reconstituted, with the support of the CIA and Honduras, as the Contra rebels.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Weapons and equipment

The standard issue weapon of the Guardia Nacional (GN) infantry companies at the early 1930s was the ‘Springfield’ US M1903 .30-06 (7.62 x 63mm) bolt-action rifle. The squad weapon was the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) M1919A2 US .30-06 (7.62 x 63mm) light machine-gun – the GN also appears to have received the American-made version of the famed WWI British-made Lewis gun .303 (7.7mm), the Savage Model 1917 LMG chambered for the US .30-06 (7.62 x 63mm) cartridge –, with officers and NCOs receiving the Thompson M1928A1 US .45 caliber (11.4mm) sub-machinegun, as well as the Colt M1911 .45 caliber (11.4mm) automatic pistol as personal sidearm. In the 1940s-50s the GN received surplus American infantry weapons of WWII/Korean War-vintage – M1/M2 US .30 carbines (7.62 x 33mm) and M1 ‘Garand’ US .30-06 (7.62 x 63mm) semi-automatic rifles replaced the earlier bolt-action ‘Springfields’, with Thompson M1A1 and M3 Grease Gun sub-machinegun models in US .45 caliber (11.4mm) the older Thompson M1928A1 model. Although the popular Colt pistol was retained, Smith & Wesson Model 15 revolvers in .38 Special were also adopted. Heavy machine guns, in the form of Browning M1919A4 US .30-06 (7.62 x 63mm) and the larger M2HB .50 Browning (12.7 x 99mm) were added to the Guardia's arsenal. Assault rifles began to be adopted towards the end of the 1960s, though they never displaced entirely the earlier weaponry, such as the ‘Garand’ rifle which remained the weapon of choice for soldiers serving in the Guardia’s infamous firing squads and the security companies, who employed it to disperse demonstrations. Nevertheless, by 1978-79 most GN infantry formations had either the FN FAL 7.62 x 51mm NATO or the US M16A1 5.56 x 45mm assault rifles, with elite units receiving the Israeli-made Galil SAR and ARM variants in 7.62 x 51mm which was adopted in the mid-1970s. At squad level, the Belgium-made FN MAG 58 and US M60 light machine guns both in 7.62 x 51mm NATO, replaced the obsolete BAR and Savage models though the heavier Brownings’ were retained as platoon and company’ machine guns. The Israeli 9mm UZI sub-machinegun was also given to armoured crews and EEBI “Commando” troops. Handgrenades were supplied by the Americans, who provided M-59 ‘baseball’ Grenades, M-26A1 Fragmentation Grenades, M-34 White Phosphorus and M-18 Colored Smoke Grenades. The Nicaraguan infantryman was also provided with two types of portable rocket weapons, the shoulder-fired US M79 ‘Blooper’ 40mm single-shot grenade launcher and the expendable anti-tank, one-shot US M72 66mm LAW; infantry mortars were the M2 60mm and M1 81mm models of WWII-vintage, or the more recent M-29 81mm.

[edit] Artillery

Guardia units were equipped with US M20 75mm, M67 90mm and M40 106mm recoilless rifles, as well as Israeli-supplied Hispano-Suiza 20mm Anti-Aircraft autocannons. Usually found mounted on the back of cross-country vehicles, such weapon systems proved useful in the direct fire supporting role, particularly against fortified positions and to root out snipers from urban buildings. The artillery batteries were provided with US M101A1 150 mm Howitzers.

[edit] Combat and transport vehicles

The Guardia also fielded a small armoured corps, organized since 1978 into a single mechanized company while platoon-sized units where attached to General Somoza Combat Battalion, the Presidential Guard, the engineer battalion, and the Infantry School. The inventory consisted mostly of WWII-vintage American vehicles acquired in the 1950s – ten ex-Filipines Army M4A3 and M4A4E1 "Sherman" Medium Tanks, four M3A1 “Stuart” Light Tanks, ten M2 Half-tracks and some forty-five M6 T17E1 “Staghound” reconnaissance armoured cars of Israeli origin. A chronic shortage of armoured personnel carriers (APCs) forced GN infantry units to rely on old WWII-vintage Willys Jeeps, US M38A1 MD Jeeps, Spanish “Ebro” jeeps and Land Rover Series III model, along with the popular Mercedes-Benz “Unimog” 406 light truck and the Spanish “Pegaso” heavy duty truck, which the GN received in both civilian and military versions. Besides being employed as troop carriers these vehicles also doubled as ‘gun-trucks’, being fitted with heavy machine-guns and recoiless rifles and AA autocannons. Moreover, their lack of protection rendered them highly vulnerable to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or small-arms fire, and many were lost together with their crews in 1979 due to intense street fighting and ambushes in rural areas. Commandeered tracked Caterpillar or wheeled civilian Bulldozers of American and Spanish origin were also employed by the Guardia during the battles for Masaya and Managua to clear paths on rebel-held urban neighbourhoods by demolishing buildings turned into bunkers by the guerrillas.

[edit] Order of battle in 1978-79

By 1978 GN strength peaked at about 25,000 officers and enlisted men. Ground forces were organized into one Presidential Guard battalion, one armoured battalion, one mechanized infantry battalion, one mechanized company, one engineer battalion, one Military Police battalion, independent Artillery and antiaircraft batteries, plus sixteen security companies. All above mentioned units were deployed in traditional Spanish colonial fashion in forteless-like Quarteles (barracks-cum-garrisons) at the main towns, including the national capital Managua. The latter was the headquarters of most of the GN’s armoured, mechanized, enginnering and support formations, the Presidential Guard Battalion (Guardia Presidencial), the 1st Armoured Battalion (Primero Batallion Blindado), the General Somoza Combat Battalion (Batallion de Combate General Somoza - BCGS), the Engineer Battalion (Batallion de Engeneria), the Military Police Battalion (Batallion de Policia Militar), and the Artillery Batteries. The Security Companies (Compañias de Seguridad de la Guardia Nacional - CSGN) were deployed along the country’s 16 provinces (Departamientos), being allocated one per each in the provincial capitals of Boaco (Boaco), Carazo (Jinotepe), Chinandega (Chinandega), Chontales (Juigalpa), Estelí (Estelí), Granada (Granada), Jinotega (Jinotega), León (León), Madriz (Somoto), Masaya (Masaya), Matagalpa (Matagalpa), Nueva Segovia (Ocotal), Rivas (Rivas), Río San Juan (San Carlos) and Bluefields (Zelaya).

[edit] References

• Carlos Caballero Jurado & Nigel Thomas, Central American Wars 1959-89, Men-at-Arms series 221, Osprey Publishing, London 1990. ISBN: 9780850459456
• Owen Williamson, Nicaraguan Guerrilla Victory, Military History magazine, August 1999 issue.

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] External links

• Country Studies: Nicaragua
• ThinkQuest: Somoza Dynasty
• Spartacus Schoolnet
• History of the Somoza Dynasty (PDF)
• Nicaraguan National Guard - original source LOC