The 91st Mixed Brigade was a unit of the

Spanish Republican Army The Spanish Republican Army () was the main branch of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces, Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic between 1931 and 1939. It became known as People's Army of the Republic (''Ejército Popular de la República'' ...

that took part in the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

. Throughout the war, the brigade was present on the Extremadura front, attached to the 37th Division.

History

The unit was created in March 1937, from the troops from 20th Mixed Brigade, as well as the "Extremadura" battalions No. 1 and No. 2, and two battalions that had been created in the Extremaduran town of Campanario. It was under the command of Juan García Pina, with the

anarcho-syndicalist Anarcho-syndicalism is an anarchist organisational model that centres trade unions as a vehicle for class conflict. Drawing from the theory of libertarian socialism and the practice of syndicalism, anarcho-syndicalism sees trade unions as both ...

Germán Clemente de la Cruz as political commissar. The Brigade was integrated into the 37th Division of the VII Army Corps. Shortly after its creation, it was sent to participate in the Siege of Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza, along with other republican brigades. Then she was sent to the Extremadura front, to participate in "

Plan P A plan is typically any diagram or list of steps with details of timing and resources, used to achieve an Goal, objective to do something. It is commonly understood as a modal logic, temporal set (mathematics), set of intended actions through wh ...

". During the following months, Juan Bautista Gómez Ortiz and Ignacio López Montilla held command of the brigade, the 91st Brigade held defensive positions, without taking part in military operations. In

July 1938 The following events occurred in July 1938: July 1, 1938 (Friday) *Jewish schools in Nazi Germany lost tax exemption status. *The four-day 1938 Gettysburg reunion began, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. *Don Budg ...

, at the beginning of the

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

offensive Offensive may refer to: * Offensive (military), type of military operation * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tendency to cause acts of violence by the ...

on the Extremadura front, the 91st Mixed Brigade was located opposite of

Peraleda del Zaucejo Peraleda del Zaucejo is a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2014 census, Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) the municipality has a population of 562 inhabitants. See also * List of municipalities ...

. After the start of the fight, the head of the unit, Ignacio López Montilla, was taken prisoner by the nationalists, having to be replaced by Copérnico Ballester Francés; but Ballester was wounded during the fighting, so the command of the brigade passed to

Olegario Pachón Núñez Olegario Pachón Núñez ( Bienvenida, 1907– Llerena, 1996) was an Extremaduran anarchist. Biography He was born in the Badajoz town of Bienvenida in 1907. Born into a peasant family, in his youth he worked in the fields as a day laborer ...

. Around

July 20 Events Pre-1600 * 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, storms the Fortress of Antonia north of the Temple Mount. The Roman army is drawn into street fights with the Zealots. * 792 – Kardam of Bulgaria defe ...

, the 91st MB defended the southern front of the Mérida pocket, in

Guareña Guareña is a Spanish municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura. It has a population of 7,326 (2007) and an area of 283.3 km². People from Guareña * Luis Chamizo Trigueros (1894 – 1945) was a Spanish writer in Castilian and ...

. After concentrating on La Coronada, on

July 23 Events Pre-1600 * 811 – Byzantine Empire, Byzantine emperor Nikephoros I plunders the First Bulgarian Empire, Bulgarian capital of Pliska and captures Khan Krum's treasury. *1319 – A Knights Hospitaller fleet scores a Battle of Chi ...

it tried to reconquer

Castuera Castuera is a municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2014 census, Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) the municipality has a population of 6,255 inhabitants. Notable people * Maria Dolores Aguilar See al ...

, without success. The next day it was taken inside the pocket, together with the 20th Mixed Brigade. On

July 25 Events Pre-1600 * 306 – Constantine I is proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops. * 315 – The Arch of Constantine is completed near the Colosseum in Rome to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridg ...

, the head of the VII Army Corps authorized the brigade to retreat towards the Zújar river, but the authorization came too late. The brigade was practically destroyed.

Command

;Commanders * Juan García Pina; * Juan Bautista Gómez Ortiz; * Ignacio López Montilla; * Copérnico Ballester Francés; *

; ;Commissars * Germán Clemente de la Cruz, of the CNT; * Vicente Pastor Vicario;

References

Bibliography

* * {{Mixed brigades of Spain Military units and formations established in 1937 Military units and formations disestablished in 1939 Mixed Brigades (Spain)