War in the North

For the video game, see The Lord of the Rings: War in the North.

War in the North
Part of the Spanish Civil War
Map of the campaign
Date March 31 - October 21, 1937 Location Northern Spain Result Decisive Nationalist victory
Belligerents
Spanish Republic Basque Army	Nationalist Spain Italy (Italian CTV) Condor Legion
Commanders and leaders
Francisco Llano de la Encomienda	Emilio Mola José Solchaga
Strength
120,000 soldiers thousands of anarchists milicianos 250 artillery pieces 40 tanks 70 aircraft 2 destroyers 7 armed trawlers	100,000 nationalist soldiers 60,000 italian soldiers 400 artillery pieces 230 aircraft 1 battleship 2 cruisiers 1 destroyer
Casualties and losses
?	?

The War in the North, in the Spanish Civil War was the campaign in which the Nationalist forces defeated and occupied the parts of northern Spain that remained loyal to the Republican government. The campaign included several separate battles. The Battle of Bilbao resulted in the loss of the part of the Basque Country still held by the Republic. This part of the campaign saw the Bombing of Guernica and Durango. The Battle of Santander caused the loss of the province of Santander in Cantabrian Castile for the Republic. The Battle of El Mazuco lead to the capture of the Republican-controlled part of Asturias and the fall of Gijón, the Republic's last stronghold in the North, to the Nationalists. The campaign ended on October 27, 1937 with a decisive and total Nationalist victory.

Introduction

With the fall of Irun and then San Sebastián, in September 23, 1936, the Nationalists under Franco campaign in Gipuzkoa cut off the Republican controlled areas in northern Spain from the border with France. This area had been already isolated from the rest of Spain by Nationalist controls at the beginning of the war. This area was very attractive to the Nationalists because of the industrial production of Biscay and the mineral resources of Asturias. To conquer and control this area would be profitable through its valuable resources, would expel Republican forces and concentrate large numbers of Nationalist troops to dictate a two-front war. Franco realized that Madrid, the capital, was not going to be conquered quickly. Basque's resources of iron, coal, steel and chemicals were a tempting target. The Republican north was also politically divided and weakened by struggles between Basque nationalists and leftists. Furthermore its major supplies came by sea. Franco wisely ordered to his commanders in the Madrid front to go on the defensive and send all available resources to the north.

Beginning of the campaign

Emilio Mola was in command of the start of this campaign, beginning on march 21, 1937; however, Mola, died in an airplane crash, June 3, 1937. The Nationalists began the attack with 50,000 men of the 61st Navarre Division under General José Solchaga. The Republican Army of the North was commanded by General Francisco Llano de la Encomienda. This was the beginning of the Battle of Bilbao.

External links

• Juan Antonio de Blas, El Mazuco (La defensa imposible), in La guerra civil en Asturias, Ediciones Júcar, Gijón 1986 (pp369–383).
  • El Mazuco (the impossible defence) Translated from the Spanish
• La Guerra Civil en Cantabria
• Almirante Cervera log