Thursday, October 29, 1936. Battle of Seseña.

The Nationalist added to their string of victories at the Battle of Seseña where a Republican armored attack was turned back after assaulting the Nationalist stronghold.

It was the first use of tanks in the war and the assault was at first successful.  Some of the crewmen were Soviets, but as the Republicans were largely unfamiliar with tanks, which they'd only had for a few days, the assault was an overall failure in the end.

Pols Armāns of the Red Army, who commended Republican tanks at the Battle of Seseña.  He was killed by a German sniper during World War Two.

The Iraqi government was overthrown in a coup.

Last edition:

Sunday, October 25, 1936. Formation of the Axis. Martyrdom of Fr. Recaredo Centelles Abad, Ferragut Roig, María de Jesús, María Verónica, María Felicidad, Josefa de la Purificación.

Labels: 1930s, 1936, Axis Powers, Belgium, Catholic, Christianity, Clerico-fascism, Communists, Germany, Italy, Nazi Germany, religion, Spanish Civil War, Spanish Republicans, USSR

Sunday, October 25, 1936. Formation of the Axis. Martyrdom of Fr. Recaredo Centelles Abad, Ferragut Roig, María de Jesús, María Verónica, María Felicidad, Josefa de la Purificación.

Ferragut Roig was executed by a firing squad with four of daughters, the latter of whom were nuns, by Spanish Republicans for being Catholic.  The daughters were María de Jesús, María Verónica, María Felicidad, Josefa de la Purificación.  They were all beatified in 2001.

Fr. Recaredo Centelles Abad, his brother in law, another priest and two laymen were likewise executed.

A person should make no mistake about it. The Spanish Republicans were not democrats. They were communists.

The Rome Berlin Axis was formalized with an alliance between Germany and Italy being signed.

The Rexist March on Brussels failed.

Over 70% of Republican Spain's gold left Spain for the USSR.

Last edition:

Saturday, October 24, 1936. The Estado Novo severs relations with the Republic.

Labels: 1930s, 1936, 1936 Election, Colorado (Denver), Portugal, Railroads, Republican Party, Spain, Spanish Civil War

Thursday, October 22, 1936. Worsening conflicts

Spanish General José Miaja was put in charge of the Republican defence of Madrid, where things were getting overall worse in general.

Contrary to the common assumption, about 40% of Spanish Army officers remained loyal to the Spanish Republic.

And it wasn't just in Europe where things were getting worse.

The far political right wasn't just on the march in Spain. The Belgian far right wing Rexist Party announced its intention to march on Brussels in order to "sweep out the Paul van Zeeland government and its corruption" in a move inspired by Mussolini's march on Rome.  Van Zeeland declared martial law.

The News issued its awards it its photo contest.

And a cartoon shows how some common comments I'll hear from some people today were common ninety years ago.

University education was expanding, but was far from what it is now.  It's interesting to see the contempt of youth for professors expressed here.  

I don't think that's a common view, but I have heard it from the time I was in university, up to now, from time to time, probably most recently when Chuck Gray's current campaign manager just went off on how professors at the University of Wyoming were all left wing, coming from a person whose views are closer to those who were advancing on Madrid on this day in 1936.

Last edition:

Friday, October 16, 1936. Siege of Oviedo broken.

Labels: 1930s, 1936, 1970s, 1979, France (Paris), Monarchy, Nationalist, Personalities, Siege of Oviedo, Spanish Civil War, Spanish Nationalist, Spanish Republicans, War

Friday, October 16, 1936. Siege of Oviedo broken.

The Siege of Oviedo, which had started on July 19 with a Republican investiture, ended in a Nationalist victory.

Col. Antonio Aranda Mata, the commander of the besieged Nationalist at Oviedo.  He'd be sacked by Franco in the 1940s for being part of a secret monarchist movement, but was restored to rank and promoted by King Juan Carlos.  He died at age 90 in 1979.

Newspaper owner Lord Beaverbrook called on King Edward VIII and informed him that he would help enforce a voluntary media blackout on the king's relationship with Wallace Simpson.

Paris conducted a nocturnal practice air raid.

Last edition:

Thursday, October 15, 1936. Battle of Sigüenza ends.

Labels: 1930s, 1936, Battle of Sigüenza, British Empire, Edward VIII, Equine Transportation, Great Depression, Kentucky, Nazi Germany, Spain, Spanish Civil War, The Holocaust, The Press, The written word, United Kingdom

Monday, October 12, 1936. Armor to the Spanish Republicans, FDR in Cheyenne.

It was Columbus Day, which had been officially recognized as a permanent honorific day in 1934.

Republican T-26.

Fifty Soviet T-26 tanks and some BA-3 armored cars arrived in Cartagena, Spain.

The T-26 tank was a very good tank for the period and would serve in the Red Army throughout World War Two.

A cross channel locomotive ferry service commenced between Dover and Dunkirk.

The Rocky Mountain News reported that Franklin Roosevelt had been in Cheyenne the day prior, where he attended Episcopal Church services.

He was in Denver today.

Last edition:

Sunday, October 11, 1936. End of the Arab General Strike, Fascists attacks in London, War Concerns, Hermaphrodites.

Labels: 1930s, 1936, 1936 Election, Agriculture, Arab General Strike, Austria, British League of Nations Mandates, Franklin Roosevelt, Great Palestinian Revolt, Hermaphrodite, Men, Palestine, Science, Third Parties, Women

Friday, October 9, 1936. Boulder generates electricity, foreign communists in Spain.

Boulder Dam began generating electricity.

Flag of the International Brigades.

The European committee on neutrality in the Spanish Civil War met in London with representatives of 27 nations present. The meeting adjourned without agreement or action.

Meanwhile 650 volunteers for the Spanish International Brigades comprised of heavily very far left volunteers to fight for the Republicans arrived in Alicante.  Romantically remembered, particularly after World War Two, as small d democrats, in reality they were mostly dedicated communists.

Last edition:

Thursday, October 8, 1936. Picture Page.

Labels: 1930s, 1936, 1950s, 1952, British Broadcasting Corporation, Germany, Nazi Germany, Spanish Civil War, television, USSR