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Battle of Teruel

Battle of Teruel
Part of the Spanish Civil War

Republican soldiers at Teruel, 1938
DateDecember 15, 1937 – February 22, 1938
Location
Teruel, Aragon, Spain
Result Nationalist victory[1]
Belligerents
Second Spanish Republic Spanish Republic Spain Nationalist Spain
Commanders and leaders
Second Spanish Republic Juan Hernández Saravia
Second Spanish Republic Enrique Fernández Heredia
Second Spanish Republic Juan Ibarrola
Second Spanish Republic Vicente Rojo Lluch
Second Spanish Republic Enrique Líster
Second Spanish Republic El Campesino
Second Spanish Republic Karol Świerczewski
Spain Francisco Franco
Spain Antonio Aranda
Spain José Enrique Varela
Spain Juan Yagüe
Spain Domingo Rey d'Harcourt  (POW)
Strength

40,000[2]

100,000[3][4]

Teruel garrison: 4,000[5]-less than 10,000[2]

Reinforcements: 100,000 [6]
Casualties and losses
~60,000[7] ~57,000[8]

The Battle of Teruel was fought in and around the city of Teruel during the Spanish Civil War between December 1937 and February 1938, during the worst Spanish winter in 20 years.[9] The battle was one of the bloodiest actions of the war, with the city changing hands several times by first falling to the Republicans and eventually being retaken by the Nationalists. In the course of the fighting, Teruel was subjected to heavy artillery and aerial bombardment. In the two-month battle, both factions together took 110,000 casualties.

With his superiority in men and material, the Nationalist leader Francisco Franco regained Teruel. This battle became the military turning point of the war.[9][10]

  1. ^ Hugh Purcell, The Spanish Civil War (part of the Documentary History Series) (1973), p. 95.
  2. ^ a b Beevor, Antony. The battle for Spain; the Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. 2006. p. 316
  3. ^ Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. 2001. p. 768
  4. ^ Jackson, Gabriel. The Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-1939. Princeton University Press. Princeton. 1967. p. 399
  5. ^ Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. 2001. p. 770
  6. ^ Beevor, Antony. The battle for Spain; the Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. 2006. p. 321
  7. ^ Beevor, Antony. The battle for Spain; the Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. 2006. p. 322
  8. ^ Thomas, Hugh. The Spanish Civil War. Penguin Books. London. 2001. p. 773
  9. ^ a b Hugh Purcell, p. 95.
  10. ^ Paul Preston, The Spanish Civil War, an Illustrated Chronicle 1936-39 (New York, 1986), p. 149.

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