
The 11th Division ()
[Carlos Engel, ''Historia de las Brigadas Mixtas del E. P. de la República'', 1999] was a
division 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'' ...
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 ...
. It was formed in January 1937 in
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
beginning with the
1st Mixed Brigade which in turn had originated in the
Fifth Regiment.
Nicknamed ''División Líster'', it would become one of the elite divisions, as well as one of the most battle-hardened formations, of the
Spanish Republican Armed Forces
The Spanish Republican Armed Forces () were initially formed by the following two branches of the military of the Second Spanish Republic:
* Spanish Republican Army (''Ejército de la República Española'' (1931–1936) and ''Ejército Popular ...
.
History
Origins: The 'C Division'
Although the 11th Division was officially established on 24 January 1937, its origin lies in the
C Division of the Republican Army that was created owing to circumstances by joining a number of newly constituted
mixed brigades in order to send them to the
Jarama River area in order to respond to the rebel attacks towards the
Valencia
Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
road. However, after much effort,
Enrique Líster's men were successful in repelling the rebel offensive at the
Battle of Jarama
The Battle of Jarama (6–27 February 1937) was an attempt by General Francisco Franco's Nationalists to dislodge the Second Spanish Republic, Republican lines along the river Jarama, just east of Madrid, during the Spanish Civil War. Elite Spa ...
, where the combats in the ''El Pingarrón'' area caused a high number of casualties in loyalist ranks.
[Carlos Engel (1999); p. 10] Finally, towards the end of February the rebel advance in the Jarama banks was halted and fixed until the end of the Civil War. After the victory and, as a result of the reorganization of the Spanish Republican Armed forces, the 'C Division' firmly became the 11th Division.
Battles of Guadalajara and Brunete
Following the bloodbath at the Jarama the 11th Division was barely being reorganized when it was sent to
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
where on 8 March the
Fascist Italian
Italian fascism (), also called classical fascism and Fascism, is the original fascist ideology, which Giovanni Gentile and Benito Mussolini developed in Italy. The ideology of Italian fascism is associated with a series of political parties le ...
Corpo Truppe Volontarie had launched an offensive. The purpose of the Italians was to encircle the loyalists in a pocket around
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
and the ensuing battle would be known as
Battle of Guadalajara. In this conflict the 11th Division was formed by the
1st Bis Mixed Brigade, the 1st Mobile Shock Brigade ''(1.ª Brigada Móvil de Choque)'' led by
Valentín González
Valentín González González (4 November 1904 – 20 October 1983), popularly known as ''El Campesino'' (the Peasant), was a Spanish Republican military commander during the Spanish Civil War.
Life
Spanish Civil War
Born in Malcocinad ...
''"El Campesino"'' —which would later be known as the
10th Mixed Brigade— as well as the
XI International Brigade ("Thälmann Brigade") and the
XII International Brigade
The XII International Brigade was mustered on 7 November 1936 at Albacete, Spain. It was formerly named the Garibaldi Brigade, after the most famous and inspiring leader in the Italian Independence Wars, General Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Structure
Its ...
("Garibaldi Brigade"). The 11th Division, together with the
12th and the
14th divisions —the latter under
Cipriano Mera—, was put under the newly established
IV Army Corps under the command of
Enrique Jurado Barrio.
After Guadalajara the 11th Division took part in the
Battle of Brunete in the summer 1937. There Líster and his division resisted at the
Brunete graveyard until 25 July, but ended up losing the disputed town in the face of the heavy Francoist assaults.
[Hugh Thomas (1976); p. 771]
Interventions in Aragon
The independence with which the
Regional Defence Council of Aragon acted had always been an irritant for the republican authorities. Thus, after having re-established its control over
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
, the republican government, backed by its
republican, socialist and communist sectors, was determined to disband this Aragonese entity.
[Hugh Thomas, (1976). ''Historia de la Guerra Civil Española.'' Barcelona: Círculo de Lectores. .; p. 780-781] Finally on 4 August 1937
Indalecio Prieto
Indalecio Prieto Tuero (30 April 1883 – 11 February 1962) was a Spanish politician, a minister and one of the leading figures of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in the years before and during the Second Spanish Republic. Less radi ...
, the National Defense Minister, ordered 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'' ...
to intervene and the 11th Division was sent to
Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...
, officially disbanding the Aragon Council (''Consejo de Aragón'') on 10 August.
[Gaceta de la República: Diario Oficial núm. 223, (11 August 1937)](_blank)
/ref> Joaquín Ascaso and various anarchist members of the Regional Defence Council were arrested under various charges, such as jewel smuggling. A total of about 700 anarchists ended up being arrested in those days in Aragon. The fact that the 11th Division was chosen for this operation demonstrated the high regard in which it was held by the Republican government.
Once in Aragon the division participated in the Zaragoza Offensive on 24 August which eventually gave way to the difficult Battle of Belchite. The 11th Division fought these battles together with the 35th International led by General "Walter" and again with the 46th Division led by " El Campesino". The 11th Division was then under the V Army Corps led by ''Modesto
Modesto ( ; ) is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the 19th-most populous city in California.
Modesto is locate ...
''. In October the division was again sent to an operation against the rebels in Zaragoza
Zaragoza (), traditionally known in English as Saragossa ( ), is the capital city of the province of Zaragoza and of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributaries, the ...
through Fuentes de Ebro, but despite the forty new BT-5 tanks deployed by Lister's unit, the battle ended in disaster owing to the intense rains and the muddy terrain, so that only 28 tanks came back safely to Republican lines. After this turn of events the campaign stabilized and the 11th Division remained in Aragon through the Autumn of 1937, being later sent to fight the Battle of Teruel.
In Teruel
Teruel () is a city in Aragon, located in eastern Spain, and is also the capital of Teruel (province), Teruel Province. It had a population of 35,900 as of 2022, making it the least populated provincial capital in Spain. It is noted for its har ...
the 11th Division fought together with the 25th Division led by García Vivancos in the ''Columna Norte'', of the XXII Army Corps led by Lieutenant Colonel Ibarrola. Here the 11th was given the mission to break the front and be at the vanguard of the attack, which the division did on 15 December under heavy snow.[Hugh Thomas (1976); p. 849] Before the evening the city was surrounded by Republican and Lister went to the strategic ''La Muela'' hill. The 11th Division suffered many casualties, as all units involved in the ensuing defence of the city against the fierce rebel counterattacks. When the defence became impossible, Líster was ordered to withdraw his troops, following which he was criticized by '' El Campesino'', who was trapped with the 46th Division in the city. But later both Líster and ''Modesto
Modesto ( ; ) is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the 19th-most populous city in California.
Modesto is locate ...
'', leader of the V Army Corps, would in turn accuse ''El Campesino'' of having fled Teruel leaving his men behind.
Following the bloodbath at Teruel the 11th Division was sent to the rearguard
A rearguard or rear security is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or Withdrawal (military), withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as Line of c ...
in order to recover from the heavy losses it had suffered. But there would be no respite for the much-battered Republicans, for right after reconquering Teruel the rebel faction launched the massive Aragon Offensive that caught all republican units that were in Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...
by surprise and routed the Eastern Army ''(Ejército del Este)''. In the middle of the hasty and chaotic withdrawal the 11th Division troops were able, however, to contain the Fascist Italian '' Corpo Truppe Volontarie'' troops when these arrived to the lower course of the Ebro
The Ebro (Spanish and Basque ; , , ) is a river of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. It rises in Cantabria and flows , almost entirely in an east-southeast direction. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a de ...
at the beginning of April 1938. The resistance put up by the 11th Division would be decisive to briefly stop their advance in the Ebro, but the division would remain henceforward locked in Catalonia and isolated from the remaining Republican territory when the rebel troops led by General Aranda reached the Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
on 3 April, dividing the Spanish Republic in two.
Last battles and end of the division
Battle of the Ebro
On 25 July 1938 in the early morning, at the onset of the Battle of the Ebro
The Battle of the Ebro (, ) was the longest and largest battle of the Spanish Civil War and the greatest, in terms of manpower, logistics and material ever fought on Spanish soil. It took place between July and November 1938, with fighting mainly ...
, the 11th Division crossed the Ebro River
The Ebro (Spanish and Basque ; , , ) is a river of the north and northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, in Spain. It rises in Cantabria and flows , almost entirely in an east-southeast direction. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea, forming a del ...
between Ginestar and Benifallet. It was one of the favourite units of ''Modesto
Modesto ( ; ) is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the 19th-most populous city in California.
Modesto is locate ...
'', Chief Commander of the Ebro Army, and had been awarded the honor and responsibility of being the spearhead of the whole V Republican Army Corps during the attack. However, the 11th Division would be also the first unit that was seen by the troops of the rebel army and thus had to endure the fiercest and most scathing attacks. Despite the difficulties the division fulfilled all its military targets and launched an attack against Móra d'Ebre
Móra d'Ebre () is the capital of the ''comarca'' of the Ribera d'Ebre in Catalonia,
Spain. It is situated on the right bank of the Ebre river in the Móra Hollow, and is served by the N-420 road
to Reus and Gandesa, the N-230 road to Lleida ...
, the most important town in the Ribera d'Ebre
Ribera d'Ebre () is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. It extends to both sides of the Ebre river between the reservoir of Riba-roja and Miravet. It belongs to the Terres de l'Ebre
Terres de l'Ebre (, in English 'Ebro, Ebre Lands') is t ...
''comarca
A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...
''.
But Móra d'Ebre housed a large number of enemy troops and the 11th Division, not being able to dislodge them, chose to encircle the town leaving its defenders isolated. After conquering the bridgehead
In military strategy, a bridgehead (or bridge-head) is the strategically important area of ground around the end of a bridge or other place of possible crossing over a body of water which at time of conflict is sought to be defended or taken over ...
, the 11th Division advanced towards the mountains in order to link with the troops of the 46th Division in order to control the strategic heights of the Pandols and Cavalls ranges above the town of Gandesa. In the early morning hours of 26 July the Republican troops reached their objectives, but after the long march and the ascension of the rocky ranges the men of the 11th Division were physically exhausted. Thus the division did not launch the planned surprise attack against Gandesa and was not able to continue the advance southwards in order to reach Bot
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**Spambot, an internet bot ...
and Batea.
On 2 August the Republican advance had run out of steam and the 11th Division occupied the Pandols Range, holding its position against the 84th Division of the rebel faction[Andreu Besolí ''et al'' (2005); p. 164-165] and entrenching itself in the rocky hills awaiting the enemy counterattack. The Francoist counterattack was fierce and intense. For a whole week the Republican division was subjected to a continuous hail of artillery and airborne projectiles, while its men repelled numerous attacks of the enemy infantry, especially from the 4th Navarra Division which was made up of three Spanish Legion
For centuries, Spain recruited foreign soldiers to its army, forming the foreign regiments () such as the Regiment of Hibernia (formed in 1709 from Irishmen who fled their own country in the wake of the Flight of the Earls and the Penal la ...
units.
Despite the bloodbath in the veteran Republican ranks, Modesto
Modesto ( ; ) is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California, United States. With a population of 218,069 according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, it is the 19th-most populous city in California.
Modesto is locate ...
insisted in keeping the Pandols position and ordered the integration of all the artillery of the V Corps in the 11th Division. However, after numerous waves of continuous attacks the Francoist troops succeeded in wrestling the hills from the Republican division on 15 August —including the highly disputed Hill 705, which changed hands no less than eight times on 14 August. Owing to the high number of casualties caused by enemy artillery and close combat
Close-quarters battle (CQB), also called close-quarters combat (CQC), is a close combat situation between multiple combatants involving ranged (typically firearm-based) or melee combat. It can occur between military units, law enforcement and cr ...
in the highest points of the range, the battered 11th Division units were relieved and partially replaced by the 35th Division. Following its valiant and resilient behaviour and the losses it had to bear, the 11th Division was awarded the Laureate Plate of Madrid, but the Spanish Republic had lost a great number of irreplaceable battle-hardened veterans.[Carlos Engel, p.136]
At the beginning of September the division returned to its former positions in the Pandols Range, where the Francoist armies would give no respite, so that again it fought fierce battles against the rebel troops for a period of two months,[Carlos Engel (1999); p. 136] losing some key positions and continuing to suffer a high number of casualties. Finally a massive Francoist counteroffensive began at the end of October and the much crushed 11th Division could no longer bear the avalanche of rebel attacks. The rebel counteroffensive marked the end of the Battle of the Ebro
The Battle of the Ebro (, ) was the longest and largest battle of the Spanish Civil War and the greatest, in terms of manpower, logistics and material ever fought on Spanish soil. It took place between July and November 1938, with fighting mainly ...
and on 5 November what remained of the 11th Division withdrew, crossing again the Ebro River at Benifallet.
Catalonia Campaign
Following the Battle of the Ebro debacle the 11th Division retreated to the rearguard in order to recover and reorganize, being temporarily made part of the Republican Military Reserve. But not long thereafter, on 23 December, the rebel faction launched its final Catalonia Offensive and the 11th Division —which had been in need of a longer period of rest— was urgently deployed in the Segre Front, together with the remainder of the V Army Corps commanded by Enrique Lister, in order to close the gaps in the front where inexperienced groups of the Eastern Army had fled in panic before the fierce rebel assault, abandoning the lines they were defending at the Segre River. Enrique Lister set up his general headquarters at Castelldans[Hugh Thomas (1976); p. 934] and with his competent, battle-hardenend troops he was able to contain the Francoist onslaught for almost two weeks in the area near Borges Blanques. Finally on 3 January 1939 the rebels launched a powerful attack against Lister's divisions with armoured vehicles in the vanguard, so that even the men 11th Division became overwhelmed and had to abandon their lines of defence and the much devastated town of Borges Blanques fell to the Fascist Italian troops of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie (CTV).
Later some of the Republican forces counterattacked and made some prisoners among the Italian Fascists, which were executed after having been interrogated. But in the face of the vehement Francoist offensive all Republican units had to retreat and left the area of the Segre Front, gradually withdrawing in a northeastern direction.
Thus the Ebro Army covered the massive Republican retreat along the Mediterranean coastline until reaching Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, where there had been plans to organize a strong resistance against the Fascist onslaught on the lines of the Defence of Madrid in 1936. But the option proved unrealistic, for the city's population was hungry and demoralized and the troops lacked arms and ammunition, hence the only option open for the exhausted Republican divisions of the elite V Corps was to abandon Barcelona to its fate and retreat towards the French border. By the beginning of February what remained of the units of the 11th Division arrived to the northern zone of Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
where, together with other retreating Republican units, they tried to establish a defensive line
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...
along the lower course of the Tordera River
The Tordera (; ) is a river of Catalonia (Spain). It flows through the town of Tordera.
Course
The river is long. Its source is in the Montseny Massif, and it discharges in the Mediterranean Sea. The river's average discharge is .
Its main t ...
to halt the powerful advance of the rebel armies, but this effort quickly proved unsuccessful in the face of scathing enemy attacks.[Hugh Thomas (1976); pág. 946]
This last-ditch attempt had been part of a grand strategy of the Spanish Republic to resist the Francoist offensives until the deemed onset of a larger European War between the Fascist powers and the western democracies, in order to link the Spanish conflict with the wider European one. Thus ''Modesto'' and Líster saw the retreat to France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
of the remainder of the Ebro Army as part of a tactical evacuation, with the aim to regroup these units with the remaining units of the last area under Republican control in order to continue the resistance.[ Salas Larrazábal (2001); p. 2237]
The French government, however, would not allow the Republican units that crossed the border to be transferred to the remaining Spanish Republican territory, for all the veteran survivors of the 11th Division, together with all Republican military, were disarmed and swiftly interned in French concentration camps right after crossing its border. Thus the 11th Division, along with all units of the V Army Corps, was extinguished.[Hugh Thomas (1976); p. 943]
Before its demise the 11th Division had briefly resisted, however, in the line of the Ter River on 5 February, and after crossing the Muga River on 8 February. Finally, in the early morning of 9 February the last units of the once mighty Ebro Army under ''Modesto'' crossed the border into France and the very next day all Spanish border posts fell into Francoist hands.
Order of battle
Commanders
*Commanders in Chief
** Enrique Lister
** Joaquín Rodríguez López
*Commissars
** Santiago Álvarez Gómez
** José Fusimaña Fábregas
*Chief of Staff Leaders
** Julio Suárez-Llanos Adiansens
** Manuel López Iglesias
** Fernando Pozo Oliver July 1938
** Jesús Sáiz Barberá
See also
* Fifth Regiment
* Mixed Brigades
References
External links
SBHAC - El Ejército Popular
Organización militar republicana - 1936 - La Guerra Civil
El Ejército Popular Republicano (EPR)
{{Divisions of the Spanish Republic
Military units and formations established in 1937
Military units and formations disestablished in 1939
Divisions of Spain
Military units and formations of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction)
Military history of Spain
Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic