Battle of Menorca

For other battles for control of Menorca, see Invasion of Menorca.
Battle of Minorca
Part of the Spanish Civil War

Balearic islands. Minorca in blue.
Date 7 February-9 February 1939
Location Minorca, Balearic Islands Spain
Result
  • Surrender of the Republican garrison.
  • Nationalist's occupation of Minorca.
Belligerents
 Spanish Republic  Nationalist Spain
Fifth Column
Commanders and leaders
Luis Gonzalez Ubieta Juan Thomas
Strength
one brigade three batallions[1]
Casualties and losses
? ?
Background
July 1936 uprising
Melilla · Seville · Barcelona · Cuartel de la Montaña · Gijón · Oviedo · Cuartel de Loyola
1936
Alcázar · Extremadura · Convoy de la victoria · Almendralejo · Sigüenza · Mérida · Badajoz  · Mallorca · Sierra Guadalupe · Córdoba · Gipuzkoa · San Marcial · Monte Pelato · Talavera · Irún · Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza  · Cerro Muriano · Cape Espartel  · Seseña · Madrid · Ciudad Universitaria · 1st Corunna Road · Villarreal · Ursula · Aceituna · Lopera · 2nd Corunna Road
1937
3rd Corunna Road · Málaga · Jarama · Cape Machichaco · Guadalajara · Pozoblanco · War in the North · Biscay · Guadarrama · Durango · Jaén · Guernica · Barcelona May Days · Deutschland · Almería · Segovia · Huesca · Bilbao · Albarracín · Brunete · Santander · Zaragoza · 1st Belchite · Asturias · El Mazuco · Cape Cherchel · Sabiñánigo · Teruel
1938
Alfambra · Cape Palos  · Aragón · 2nd Belchite · Bombing of Barcelona · Caspe · Lérida · 1st Gandesa · Segre · XYZ Line · Balaguer · Los Blázquez · Alicante · Granollers · Bielsa · Merida pocket · Ebro · 2nd Gandesa · Cantabria · Cabra
1939
Catalonia · Valsequillo · La Garriga · Menorca  · Cartagena · Olite · Final offensive

The Battle of Menorca took place in Menorca between the 4 and 9 February 1939 during the Spanish Civil War.

Contents

Background

After the fall of Catalonia, the island of Minorca, the only Balearic island held by the Republic, was isolated from the Republican held territory. Then, Franco said to the British government that the Italian troops would abandon the Balearic Islands after the war and the British government accepted to arrange the surrender of the Republican garrison.[2]

The rising

On 7 February the british cruiser HMS Devonshire came to the Mahon harbor with a Nationalist emissary, Fernando Sartorius on board. Sartorius said to the Republican commander, Luis Gonzalez Ubieta that the Nationalists forces would occupy the island on 8 February, but the Republican officers and supporters would abandon the island. The same day, three batallions of the republican garrison, led by a member of the Fifth column, the officer Juan Thomas, occupied the Minorca ciudadela, after killing the Republican commander Marcelino Rodríguez. The Republican troops, one brigade, arrived from Mahon, defeated the rebel troops after a brief combat and surrounded the Ciudadela, nevertheless the Republican officers believed that the fight was useless, desired to abandon the island and the British arranged the surrender of the island to the Nationalists on board of the HMS Devonshire. On 8 February, Italian and Spanish bombers bombing Mahon, but the HMS Devonshire sailed to Marsella with 452 Republican refuges on board.[3] On 9 February, the 105th division of the Nationalist disembarked at the Ciudadela and the Republican troops surrendered.[4]

Aftermath

After the surrender of Minorca, many Republican officers in the central zone believed that they would negotiate a deal with the Nationalists, and then started to plan a coup against the Negrin’s government.[5]

References

  1. ^ Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p. 860
  2. ^ Beevor, Antony. The Battle for Spain. THe Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. Penguin Books. London. 2006. p.385
  3. ^ Jackson, Gabriel. The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-1939. Princeton University Press. Princeton. 1967. p.861
  4. ^ http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batalla_de_Menorca_(1939)
  5. ^ Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. 2006. London. p. 861.