For this reason, the corpses of the dead were displayed publicly in the first few months of the war.Īs communities changed hands, from Republican to Nationalist and back again, the atrocities defied belief. The point was to terrorize the populace into obedience.
Men were seized and executed at night, with or without trials mourning was prohibited.
Atrocities and Terrorįrom the earliest days of the war, Mola stated that, “It is necessary to spread an atmosphere of terror.” He decreed that all supporters of the government were to be shot, an order that was followed to varying extremes in the Nationalist-held provinces and cities of northern Spain. Although the phrase “Fifth Column” became famous, it led to the deaths of many in Madrid as anyone deemed disloyal to the Republican government could be executed. He told reporters he had a “Fifth Column,” referring to Nationalist sympathizers hiding in the capital city, who would rise and fight alongside the Nationalists when Madrid was taken. Mola commanded one army, which had taken control of almost all of northern Spain except the coast, and General Franco commanded the southern army.īy October 1936, Mola led four columns of soldiers, poised to besiege Madrid. In late July, Mola set up a ruling junta with General Miguel Cabanellas as president. The revolt began, but the intended leader of the new Nationalist government (Jose Sanjurjo) died in a plane crash. Mola set the date for the coup: July 18, 1936, at 5:00 a.m. In summer 1936, a string of political killings left the plotters no choice: if they did not act soon, they would lose all credibility. His efforts and detailed strategies earned him the title “El Director.” The task put enormous strains on Mola, driving him at times to consider both suicide and murder. When Mola began actively planning the overthrow of the government, he realized that a civilian as well as a military uprising was necessary. Navarre was a center of the Carlist party, and Mola became involved in its politics. In 1936 Mola took charge of the military in Navarre and transferred to the provincial capital, Pamplona. Mola was Director-General of Security when Spain’s king was forced into exile, and his conservative views made him many enemies in the Second Republic. Like Franco and most of his contemporaries, Mola’s leadership abilities emerged during Spain’s tribal wars in Spanish Morocco. Early CareerĮmilio Mola Vidal, born in Cuba, came from a military family. He died in a plane crash before his compatriots ousted the Republican government, leaving Francisco Franco the unchallenged leader of the Nationalists. General Emilio Mola (1887–1937), a dynamic and ruthless commander, was one of the principal planners of the coup that led to the Spanish Civil War. Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) Major Figures Emilio Mola
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