Victims of Civil War in Navarre

The Victims of the Civil War in Navarre resulted from the repression exerted by those alienated from the Second Spanish Republic, in a territory quickly controlled by the government, without actual war.[1]

History

The Spanish Civil War began in Navarre, instigated by the Carlists and the Alfonsis monarchists. With the arrival of the new military governor in 1936, the general Emilio Mola, Navarre became a key piece of the military uprising that would take place on 18 July 1936.[2]

Unlike elsewhere in Spain, in which the rebels faced the power of the republican authorities or of left-aligned groups, the uprising in Navarre was a complete success, meeting little to no resistance.[1][2]

This absence of opposition did not prevent repression against the adherents and supporters of the left, with many deaths. The violence affected mainly militants of the Federation of Workers of the Earth and the General Union of Workers given the predominance in the region of the Bank of Navarre, and represented mostly peasants without land. The majority of deaths came in the early months, with extrajudicial killings and removal of prisoners from custody.[3][4] Near Pamplona, in Fort Saint Cristóbal, several hundred republican prisoners were taken. The extreme conditions and the famous escape that took place in May 1938, with many deaths and the recapture of the main group of escapees, contributed to the number of deaths.[2] Other deaths came from the republican air strikes.[5]

Violence

The political violence unleashed after the triumph of the uprising has its roots in the political and social situation. During this period Navarre was Catholic and Conservative. The poor economy, combined with high taxes, led to high rates of emigration.[6][7] The social problems of land ownership were the major factors, as during the republican period peasants lost access to traditional communal lands (corralizas), mainly in the south of the province, to big landowners. The political tensions manifested in occasional violence and confrontations while the right was in power, given the extreme poverty of the peasants.[8] Other political subjects of major importance during the republican period, such as the Statute of autonomy Basque-Navarro, were not a major factor in the repression, due to the fact that Basque Catholic identity was strong and ideological differences avoided the aggregate statute.[2]

More than 3,000 persons died in the period. During the civil war, the Francoist regime silenced dissent and forbade public discussion of the events. After the installation of the democracy, multiple investigations were undertaken, primarily at the behest of the victims' families. This process culminated with the publication of the extensive work Navarre in 1936. Of the Hope to the Terror explored the period. These studies led to the official statement of the Parliament of Navarre in 2003 that recognized the deaths during the civil war and rehabilitated the reputations of those killed.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 (Vázquez de Prada: 613) Spanish Civil War: Rediscovered photos in Navarra museum
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Navarra 1936: de la esperanza al terror. Altaffaylla. 2004. ISBN 978-84-930957-9-6.
  3. Diario de Noticias
  4. Casanova, Julián (1 January 2001). La Iglesia de Franco. Ediciones Temas de Hoy. p. 56. ISBN 978-84-8460-080-0.
  5. (Vázquez de Prada: 623)
  6. Según datos de la Guía Diocesana de Pamplona de 1937, en Navarra había un sacerdote por cada 335 habitantes.
  7. Artículo de José María Jimeno Jurío de 1986 titulado Hacer la Paz, introducción en la obra de (Navarra 1936)
  8. Virto Ibáñez, Juan Jesús; Arbeloa Muru, Víctor Manuel (1984), "La cuestión agraria navarra (1900-1936) (I)", Revista Príncipe de Viana, 45 (171), pp. 117–130, ISSN 0032-8472
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