Battle of Sigüenza

The Battle of Sigüenza took place from 7 August 1936 to 15 October 1936 during the Spanish Civil War.[1]

Sigüenza's position north-east of Madrid made it an important strategic location for the rebel opponents of the elected government, also known as the Nationalists and later led by Franco, in their advance on Madrid. The Republicans, consisting of loyalist supporters of the elected government and volunteers who came to Spain to fight against the fascist rebels, barricaded the city to protect it from the rebels, and made guerilla attacks on nearby rebel bases.[2]

By the beginning of October the rebels had surrounded Madrid in a "C" shape, with Sigüenza being an important location on the "C" holding the rebels back from Madrid.[3] The rebel troops surrounded the Sigüenza and with the assistance of heavy air raids took the city.

After reports that the rebels were advancing on Sigüenza to stop travel to and from Madrid in early October,[4] the town was reported to have fallen to the rebels on October 9th, leaving both flanks of the government defences "seriously threatened".[5] On October 11 the government claimed they had retaken Sigüenza, though the rebels denied this.[6] In the October 12 edition, the New York Times reported "desparate fighting at Sigüenza".[7] A few days later, the rebels had taken Sigüenza again and had moved closer to Madrid.[8]

Rather than surrender, 300 remaining soldiers, including personnel from the FAI, barricaded themselves inside the cathedral, for 20 days according to one report,[9] for a week according to another.[2] Eventually the soldiers ran out of the cathedral, shooting at the enemy. They were all killed.[2] The cathedral was badly damaged during the fighting, but was subsequently repaired.[10]

Militiawomen who had signed up to fight fascism were among the fallen soldiers at the Battle of Sigüenza.[11] Women who had travelled to Spain to fight against the fascists also took part in the Battle of Sigüenza, including Argentinian Mika Etchebéhère, who initially worked as an administrative assistant and ambulance officer, but who took up arms after her husband was killed at Sigüenza, and later became captain of her unit.[12]

References

  1. ^ Martín del Moral, José Manuel (2008). "La Catedral de Sigüenza" (PDF). La Voz del Frente : boletín de la asociación madrileña de recreación histórica Frente de Madrid. No. 3. pp. 4–5. ISSN 1989-6964. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Alexander, Robert Jackson (1999). The Anarchists in the Spanish Civil War. Janus Publishing Company Lim. p. 195. ISBN 978-1-85756-400-6.
  3. ^ "Left's Resistance Stiffens in Spain". The New York Times. 1936-10-23. p. 2. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
  4. ^ "FOES DEADLOCKED IN HARD FIGHTING NORTH OF MADRID; Rebels Advance in Gredos Mountains -- Checked in the Guadarramas. DRIVE ON SIGUENZA BEGINS Insurgents Combine Push From Northeast With That on Southwest Tagus Front". The New York Times. 1936-10-04. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
  5. ^ "SIGUENZA FALLS TO REBELS". Kalgoorlie Miner. Vol. 42, no. 10, 765. Western Australia. 10 October 1936. p. 7. Retrieved 29 December 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Siguenza Retaken, Madrid Says". The New York Times. p. 12. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
  7. ^ "The Campaign to Capture Madrid". The New York Times. 1936-10-12. p. 12. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-12-28.
  8. ^ Kluckhohn, Frank L. (1936-10-18). "REBELS MEET MADRID'S MIGHT; Advance on the Spanish Capital Believing Capture Will Mean Recognition by Powers". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Peirats, José (2001). The CNT in the Spanish Revolution. ChristieBooks.com. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-873976-24-1.
  10. ^ José Juste Ballesta and Eduardo Barceló de Torres (1998). "El Plan Director de la Catedral Sigüenza" (PDF). p. 10.
  11. ^ López, Sofía Rodríguez (2023-01-01). "Fallen Militiawomen in the Spanish Civil War: The Identity of the Unknown Fighters". European History Quarterly. 53 (1): 115–134. doi:10.1177/02656914221144028. ISSN 0265-6914.
  12. ^ Lines, Lisa Margaret (2012-01-01). Milicianas: Women in Combat in the Spanish Civil War. Lexington Books. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-7391-6492-1.

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