Siege of the Alcazar

Siege of the Alcázar

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.

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Wikipedia