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The Spanish Civil War Living History Group |
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The Asturian Uprising October 1934
Most rebellions against the Second Spanish Republic seem to owe their origins to disgruntled elites; unhappy with ideas such as social justice or the twentieth century. In 1934 the northern province of Asturias rose, not against progress, but for it and against the newly elected right wing government.Asturias is a region of contrasts. Parts of it were among the most industrialised areas of Spain in the 1930s. Some regions were the very image of an Alpine rural idyll. The contrast between towering mountain pastures, cramped mining valleys, rapidly growing towns like Oviedo and the thriving port of Gijon was stark as was the poverty in many communities. The province is separated from the rest of Spain by the Picos de Europa, that, a local language and a damp climate – made Asturias different. Despite, or maybe because of the diversity of employment, the traditionally competitive unions, the Anarchist CNT and Socialist UGT, represented members in the industrial, agricultural and service sectors. The CNT tended to be closer in organisation to the UGT model in Asturias. The Northern CNT leadership had distanced itself from the radical views of southern anarchism. This may have been one of the reasons why the two unions formed the Austrian Worker’s Alliance in the aftermath of the failed Gijon General Strike in 1933. Union membership was very high. Approximately 70% workers belonged to Unions, 60% were UGT members, 30% CNT and 10% in the catholic CGTU. This meant that, when the crisis came, a high level of organisation could be expected in Asturias. The World Wide Recession had led to a dramatic cut in the demand for coal. To reduce costs the mine owners reduced wages and sacked workers. This radicalised the rank and file miners who were impatient with the gradualist approach of the union leadership. At the same time the National Federation of Farm Workers became involved in a bloody strike in June 1934. The Civil Guard had been called in to deal with strikes in industrial areas in May and September. On 1st September an attack on a Socialist Women’s meeting by the Civil Guard saw 6 people killed. All this was boiling away and by October the region was ripe for revolt. The election of a right wing government, hostile to reform, was the final straw. Spain’s electoral system encouraged large majorities in parliament based small minorities of the electorate. The liberal-left alliance which had ruled the first Republican government had collapsed. This let in a right wing coalition which included ministers from the extreme CEDA party. On the 3rd October, CEDA’s assumption of the Agriculture, Labour and Justice Ministries seemed to herald in Fascism by legal means, as elections had done in Germany and Austria. Across Spain attempts at a General Strike faltered and failed. In Asturias they were answered by a revolt in defence of reform. The rising began on 5th October but preparations had begun in the months preceding. Socialist Youth groups took the lead, training in secret mountain locations. Once the signal to begin the revolt started the Civil Guard barracks were mostly neutralised. Not all attacks were so swiftly successful. At Sama the battle with the Civil Guards lead to 36 hours of fighting and left 38 Civil Guards dead. With the mining areas secure three columns, from Ablaña, Mieres and Langero, were sent to take Oviedo. The Ablaña column, under the command of González Peña, spent the most of the 5th waiting outside Oviedo, waiting for the order to attack. The attack did not begin till the 6th, the city failed to rise and 1200 rebels had to take on 1400 soldiers and 300 Civil Guards. It took 4 days of street fighting before the Government forces were reduced to holding on in the cathedral and a few other enclaves. The rebels managed to gain more weapons. A surprise attack on the 6th saw them take control of the Cannon factory. On the 7th they captured the state small arms factory and eventually, even the La Manjoya explosive factory fell. The inexperienced militia now had 27 pieces of artillery. Soon a third of Asturias’ land and 80% of its population, mainly the industrial areas, was under the control of the rebels and by the 8th the rest of the province, including the Trubia arms factory, was guarded by 30,000 militiamen. The rebels established their headquarters at Mieles, about 20km south of Oviedo. Having secured Asturias they now contemplated a march on Madrid. In the metalworking Felguerra area of Gijon the CNT took control and established libertarian Communist rule. Committees of supply arranged the distribution of groceries and flour. Other local committees took similar decisions. In La Felguerra the steel works began producing armoured cars during three, eight hour, shifts a day. Life continued. 600 vehicles were kept in a central pool in Sama, the railways ran and the transmitter at Turón broadcast to France. Prisons were run and prisoners generally treated well, although some were killed in reaction to news of Government atrocities. Once the Madrid government was sure that this was not a general rising they set about marshalling troops to end the northern rebellion. 57 year old General Eduardo Lopez Ochoa, veteran of colonial wars in Cuba and Africa, was appointed. Lopez Ochoa was a Republican and, at the time, Inspector General of the Army. He later claimed he had been recommended by President Alcala-Zamora because he would limit the bloodshed. The 26,000 men available to Lopez Ochoa included 27 battalions of Infantry, 5 squadrons of cavalry, 9 batteries of artillery and a couple of engineering companies. Further support came from approximately 800 Civil Guard and 560 Assault Guards. The 100 customs officers may have been of less value. The army assembled at Lugo consisted of units from the Peninsular and Regulares from the Army of Africa. Legionary forces advanced from the south and soon be came a by-word for atrocity. They had passed through Astorga, causing a stir amongst the local youth. Lopez Ochoa was assisted in his task by General Franco. It was ironic that this Christian gentleman would lead Moorish troops into the only part of Spain not to fall during the Islamic advances of the 8th century, all in the name of Christianity. Vengeance was soon at hand. The Spanish navy shelled the coastal cities and the air forced bombed several cities. Colonel Yagüe’s African troops landed at Gijon. Lopez Ochoa gathered forces in Galicia to the west and General Solchaga’s forces came from the east. To the south were Generals Bosch and Balmes. Yagüe’s men soon captured Gijon, which had been undersupplied with weapons, many being sent to Oviedo.
It was not entirely a one sided fight. Bosch gathered moved north from Leon. Advancing on the coalfields to the north he was surrounded by 2-3000 miners at Vega del Rey. The miners, who had organized medical resources, field kitchens and even telephone lines, kept General Bosch’s men entrapped until the 15th, when reinforcements helped the government forces break out and retreat south. Balmes, who was aiming to capture Mieres, was so nervous of a repeat of Bosch’s predicament that he made little progress at all and never reached the town. Numbers and arms told. A week after the rebellion began Oviedo had been recaptured. By the 18th it was all over. 61 innocent civilians were shot by government forces as they entered suburban Oviedo and 25-50 in the Pelayo barracks soon after.
Physically Asturias had suffered during the rebellion. Much of Oviedo has been damaged by explosions. The University and Cathedral were particularly badly hit. The best estimate is that 1500-2000 people were slain, many women and children. This included 320 Civil Guards, Assault Guards and Government troops. What followed was a period of repression, the Bienio Negro. The Government Forces carried out summary executions of rebels. Thousands of workers were put in prison, including the entire UGT executive. Many prisoners were tortured. Wages were slashed and across Spain the limited progress of the previous years was rolled back. Ironically it was the failing of the rebellion and the subsequent repression brought the disparate left wing parties together to form a new Popular Front. In February 1936 this Popular Front was elected and the remaining Asturian prisoners were freed. Lopez Ochoa was brought to trial and imprisoned. He was recovering from an operation in July when he was taken by a militia group and executed in the first days of the Generals Rebellion. The Asturian Uprising presaged the war in so many ways. Ill-equipped and impromptu forces fought remarkably well against the elite of the Spanish Army, in support of progressive change, only to be beaten by General Franco, who won the battle of logistics.
Sources:
Websites:http://www.el-caminoreal.com/historia/historia12revolucion.htm http://www.elgrancapitan.org/fotosmilitares/image-vp3590.html?sid=a13b600e6c475640b50d00601bfbab50 |
