Spanish Republican Navy
| Spanish Republican Navy Marina de Guerra de la República Española |
|
|---|---|
Cruiser Almirante Cervera
|
|
| Active | 1931 - 1939 |
| Country |
 Spanish Republic
|
| Branch | Spanish Republican Armed Forces |
| Type | Navy |
| Role | Maritime and coastal defence |
| Engagements | Insurrection in Asturias, Spanish Civil War |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Miguel Buiza Fdez.-Palacios, Luis González de Ubieta, Eduardo Armada Sabau, Tomás de Azcárate, Antonio Azarola y Gresillón, Camilo Molins Carreras, Fernando Barreto Palacios, Joaquín de Eguía y Unzueta, José García Barreiro, Diego de Marón Jordán, Fernando Navarro Capdevila, Luis Núñez de Castro Márquez, José Núñez Rodríguez, Manuel Núñez Rodríguez, Pedro Prado Mendizábal, José María Sánchez Ferragut, Juan Sandalio Sánchez Ferragut, Luis Sánchez Pinzón, Carlos Soto Romero |
| Insignia | |
| Naval ensign and Jack | .svg) |
| Rank flag of the Captain General of the Fleet |  |
| Rank flag of the Admiral of the Fleet |  |
| Emblem | .png) |
The Spanish Republican Navy was the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939.
In the same manner as the other two branches of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces, the Spanish Republican Navy went through two clear phases during its existence:
Spain had inherited a large Navy from colonial times. A sizeable Military Fleet had been deemed necessary when the Spanish crown ruled over such far-flung places as the Philippines and Cuba, but by the early 1930s young military officers saw the institution as too large, old-fashioned and ineffective. They balked at the costs and at the lack of results of the Spanish military during the Rif Wars in Morocco and their vision was to have a smaller and more modern Spanish Navy that would meet the needs of the country. Ramón Franco, who was in the Air Force at the time of the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic, said: "Our little colonies —referring to the small outposts in the Moroccan shores, the Western Sahara and Equatorial Guinea— don't need a strong navy made up of large and numerous units. The policing of our harbors, the implementing of fishery laws and the prevention of smuggling are nowadays the only missions that our Navy has to do."
Most top Navy officers, however, were comfortable with the old system, enjoying the perks and the prestige the Navy provided. Life in the high echelons of the Spanish Navy was more glamorous than among Army and Air Force officers, for it often included Yacht Club membership, with regattas, gala dinners and balls. They cast a dim eye on the reforms of the armed forces introduced by newly nominated Republican Minister of War Manuel Azaña within the first few months of the new government. Azaña's aim was to modernize the Spanish Military and cut down the expenses of the state in the aftermath of the Great Depression, but the naming of Santiago Casares Quiroga, a civilian without a Navy background, as Minister of the Navy was unwelcome by the traditional Spanish Navy officers who despised Casares Quiroga and privately mocked him.
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Wikipedia