July II Insurgents

The murder of Calvo Sotelo seems to have forced the insurgent leaders to start their revolution prematurely. The outcome is in doubt. Much of the traditionally conservative countryside, especially in Galicia and Navarra, have joined the uprising, but in the industrial centers the loyalists have retained control. Of the big cities, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Murcia, Cartagena, Malaga, Gijon, Santander, Bilbao, and San Sebastian are in loyalist hands; Sevilla, Cordoba, Granada, Salamanca, La Coruna, Leon, Valladolid, Burgos, and Zaragoza have joined the insurgents. The success of the revolution will hinge to a good part on the insurgents’ ability to transfer troops from Spanish Morocco to mainland Spain.

Jul II Loyalists

Treason! A military coup attempt against the rightful government has failed, but instead resulted in an armed uprising. Luckily, large parts of the army, navy and air force remains loyal to the Spanish republic, and large masses of people are already volunteering for military service. The wide range of political alignments, and the lack of officers can prove to be a future problem however.

The turn

Because general chaos has severely limited mobility, little combat between military units has occurred so far. In Andalucia, Moroccan troops landed at Cadiz have seized Jerez de la Frontera and cleared the way to insurgent- controlled Sevilla. In the north, nationalist aircraft have damaged Santander’s airfield while loyalist attempts to bomb rail lines at Leon remained unsuccessful. A nationalist naval taskforce with battleship Espana has made an ominous appearance off the Asturian coast, and insurgents have seized the little port of Aviles close to Gijon, possibly in preparation for a troop landing. However, the Asturian militia is getting organized and should be able to out up a strong defense. A relief force has also started an overland advance from Santander, but likely won’t get there in time. In Cataluna, chaos reigns. While parts of the army scrambles to meet the threat from Zaragoza, and possibly link up with the northern Gobernitos, other units are securing the loyalties of the citizens of Cataluna. In Barcelona, the Durrutti column and the POUM legion are “ideologically purifying” a half of Barcelona each, a good picture of the confusing situation in the region.