Siege of Alcazar

Siege of the Alcázar
Part of the Spanish Civil War
Alcázar of Toledo today
Date July 21–September 27, 1936 Location Toledo, Spain Result Decisive Nationalist victory
Belligerents
Second Spanish Republic	Nationalist Spain
Commanders and leaders
Cándido Cabello	José Moscardó Ituarte, Pedro Romero Basart
Strength
8,000 militia 2–3 tanks	1,028 regulars and militia 2 artillery pieces
Casualties and losses
Unknown	65 dead, 438 wounded, 22 missing

The Siege of the Alcázar was a highly symbolic Nationalist victory in Toledo in the opening stages of the Spanish Civil War. The Alcázar of Toledo was held by a variety of military forces in favor of the Nationalist uprising. Militias of the parties in the Popular Front began their siege on July 21, 1936. The siege ended on September 27 with the arrival of the Army of Africa under Francisco Franco.

On July 17, 1936, Francisco Franco began the military rebellion in Spanish Morocco. On July 18, the military governor of the province of Toledo, Colonel Moscardó, ordered the Guardia Civil of the province to Toledo. During July 19 and 20, various attempts were made by the War Ministry of the Republican government to obtain the munitions in the arms factory at Toledo. Each time, Colonel Moscardó refused and was threatened that a force from Madrid would be sent against him.

The Republican forces dispatched to Toledo consisted of approximately 8,000 men of the militias of the FAI, CNT and the UGT. They had several pieces of artillery, a few armoured cars and 2 or 3 tanks. The Republican Air Force performed reconnaissance, spotted for the artillery and bombed the Alcázar on 35 occasions.

...
Wikipedia