Military Campaign Takes Shape in Spain

Monday 5^th October 1936

The military campaign in the Spanish civil war continued to take shape following Franco’s appointment as commander in chief of the insurgents. He claimed to have massed 150,000 troops, spear-headed by 15,000 Foreign Legionaries and Moorish troops for the operation. It was an uncomfortable reminder that Spain’s professional army was anything but representative of the country’s society.

Their prime stated objective was Madrid. The chief consideration was political here. In strategic terms it would make far greater sense of consolidate the areas under insurgent control in the South West, which was in fact what happened. Madrid held out for the Republic almost to the end.