1936 - Moments of death in the Spanish Civil War (00:09:10)
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The Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939) was the result of complex political differences between the Republicans and the Nationalists. The Republicans were supporters of the government of the day, the Second Spanish Republic, mostly subscribing to electoral democracy and ranging from centrists to those advocating leftist revolutionary change, and with primarily an urban power base. The Nationalists, on the other hand, rebelled against that government and their power base was primarily rural and more conservative. The war took place between July 1936 and April 1939 (although the political situation had already been violent for several years before) and ended in the defeat of the Republicans, resulting in the fascist dictatorship of Francisco Franco. The number of casualties is disputed; estimates generally suggest that between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people were killed.

Keywords:

Spain burning campaign Spanish Civil War Robert Capa Republicans Kurt Julius Goldstein Herbert Quickly Herbert Hampe Gervasio Puerta José Murillo Maria de Segura Picher Borell Ricard Bano Orestes Brotons Condor Legion dying soldier photographer General Franco Morocco monasteries International Brigades Madrid pronunciamiento declaration of opposition Eduardo Toledano Herbert Rasch Synchrony Orestes Borton Prof Antonio Criado Maria Segura Picher fascism destroyed Berlin 20th century street fighting Antonio Criado Portal war footage revolution footage Eduardo Tolenado churches bombing Adolf Hitler

Portal, Prof. Antonio Criado

(archeologist in 1936) , speaking Spanish:
-  "It seemed as if the soldier had just picked himself up to run down the hill or to shoot. But in that moment a bullet hit him. The surroundings were awful, the soldiers struggled sometimes face to face, everywhere was blood – horrible."

Tolenado, Eduardo

(Franco fighters association's president) , speaking Spanish:
-  "Chaos. Strikes, persecutions, crime everywhere; big confusion."

Murillo, José

(Guerrilla fighter) , speaking Spanish:
-  "“Where we were every woman was raped, everyone knew that, they came back one day, totally shocked and distraught. They cut off people’s fingers – whether the rings on them were gold or not.”"

Rasch, Herbert

(The member of condor's legion) , speaking German:
-  "As a matter of fact everything was secret. We changed clothes in Berlin and dressed as civilians. If an English ship would have caught us, they would have only found civilians with correct papers ... so we were camouflaged."

Goldstein, Kurt Julius

(the member of national brigade) , speaking German:
-  "Everybody was progressive-minded and those brave enough not only to think but also to act, travelled to Spain to save the interests of the Republic from Franco’s putsch."

Portal, Prof. Antonio Criado

(archeologist in 1936) , speaking Spanish:
-  "“If we look at the picture, at once we can see where it was taken. The highest point in the hills. An ideal hiding place where the enemy could be blocked if they should come. Here is this distinctive landscape and here is the yellow shape of a cornfield.” "

Borton, Orestes

(the son of Mario Borton) , speaking Spanish:
-  "“The Madrid archive and another archive had records of the dead man. Federico Borel, who in Alcoy was known as ‘El Taino’.”."

Picher, Maria Segura

(Signora de Borrell, the sister-in-law of the dead) , speaking Spanish:
-  "“Federico already had the wedding suit made. His younger sisters brought it back from the tailor and wanted to make sure it fitted. Federico said: Next time I am home, as soon as I get back, I will try the suit on. This never happened. He never came home.”"

Picher, Maria Segura

(Signora de Borrell, the sister-in-law of the dead) , speaking Spanish:
-  "As my husband returned from the front-line, he said: your brother is dead. Later when one of our relatives died he always said: at least we know where he/she is buried. I never got to know where my brother was buried.“"

Puerta, Gervasio

(At the age of 15 he was the soldier of the Republic, Today he is the president of the alliance of the Franco Victims) , speaking Spanish:
-  "Of course without the help of the Germans and the Italians the war would have ended otherwise. I am sure that we, the republicans, would have won."

Picher, Maria Segura

(Signora de Borrell, the sister-in-law of the dead) , speaking Spanish:
-  "The picture is very important to me. I think that this photo did justice to Federico and to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the idea of freedom."