Battle of Guadalajara
Part of the Spanish Civil War
Date March 8-23, 1937 Location Guadalajara, Spain Result Decisive Republican victory
Combatants
Second Spanish Republic	Italian CTV Nationalist Spain
Commanders
Enrique Jurado José Miaja Cipriano Mera	Mario Roatta
Strength
20,000 infantry 45 guns 70 light tanks 80 aircraft	45,000 infantry 270 guns 140 light tanks 62 aircraft
Casualties
6,000 dead or wounded	2,500 dead 4,000 wounded 300 captured

The Battle of Guadalajara (8 March–23 March 1937) saw the Spanish Popular Army defeat Italian and Nationalist forces attempting to encircle Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. The Nationalist forces involved in the Battle of Guadalajara were primarily the Italian Corps of Volunteer Troops (Corpo Truppe Volontarie). Not to be confused with the Spanish Civil War of 1820-1823. ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location Coordinates: Country Spain Autonomous Community Castile-La Mancha Province Guadalajara Tows 5 (Guadalajara, Iriépal, Taracena, Usanos & Valdenoches) Founded 8th century, probably, by moors Government  - Mayor Jesús Alique (PSOE) Area  - Land 236 km² (91. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Second_Spanish_Republic. ... Anthem El Himno de Riego Capital Madrid Language(s) Spanish Government Republic President  - 1931–1936 Niceto Alcalá-Zamora  - 1936–1939 Manuel Azaña Legislature Congress of Deputies Historical era Interwar period  - Monarchy abolished April 14, 1931  - Spanish Civil War 1936–1939  - Surrender to Franco April 1, 1939 Currency Spanish peseta... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy_(1861-1946)_crowned. ... The Corpo Truppe Volontarie (Division of Volunteer Troops) was an Italian expeditionary force which was sent to Spain to support Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Spain_under_Franco. ... The Spanish Civil War officially ended on 1 April 1939, the day Francisco Franco announced the end of hostilities. ... Image:SPmaija. ... Cipriano Mera Sanz (Madrid, 1896-Paris, 1975) was a Spanish military and political figure during the Second Spanish Republic. ... Not to be confused with the Spanish Civil War of 1820-1823. ... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders Cándido Cabello José Moscardó Ituarte Strength 8,000 militia 1,028 regulars and militia Casualties Unknown 65 dead 438 wounded 22 missing The Siege of the Alcázar was a highly symbolic battle in the opening stages of the Spanish Civil War. ... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders Manuel Otero Antonio Pinilla † Strength Unknown 180 regulars and militia Casualties Unknown 180 dead or wounded The Siege of Gijón took place in the Spanish Civil War between July 19 and August 16, 1936. ... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Popular Front militia units CNT-FAI UGT Nationalist Spain Commanders UGT miner, Otero CNT Steelworker, Higinio Carrocera Colonel Antonio Aranda Mata Strength Unknown 3000 Casualties Over 5,000 2,500 // A memorable event in the Spanish Civil War, the siege lasted from July 19, 1936, until... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders Unknown Carlos Asensio Heli Rolando de Tella Strength 2,600 militia 1,000 regulars Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Mérida was contested early in the Spanish Civil War when Republican militia twice attempted to halt the Army of Africa near the... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders Alberto Bayo Manuel Uribarri García Ruiz Strength 8,000 militia 10 guns 3,500 regulars and militia Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Mallorca, known as the Mallorca Landings in Spanish (optimistically called the Reconquest of Mallorca by the Republicans) was a... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders Ildefonso Puigdendolas Juan Yagüe Carlos Asensio Antonio Castejón Strength 6,000 militia 3,000 regulars 30 guns Casualties 750 dead 3,500 wounded, captured or missing 285 dead or wounded The Battle of Badajoz was one of the first major Nationalist... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders Manuel Riquelme André Malraux Juan Yagüe Carlos Asensio Antonio Castejón Heli Rolando de Tella Strength 9,000 regulars and militia 4,000 regulars Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of the Sierra Guadalupe (English: Guadalupe Mountains), also the Tagus Campaign, was a... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders Mario Angeloni † Unknown Strength Unknown 500 regulars Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Monte Pelato (Bald Mountain) was an engagement of the Spanish Civil War fought on 28 August 1936. ... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders Manuel Riquelme Juan Yagüe Strength 10,000 regulars and militia 3,500 regulars Casualties 500 dead 1,000 captured 1,000 dead or wounded The Battle of Talavera de la Reina was fought on September 3, 1936 in the Spanish Civil War. ... Combatants Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders Unknown Francisco Moreno Strength 3 destroyers 2 heavy cruisers Casualties 1 destroyer sunk 1 destroyer damaged Unknown The Battle of Cape Espartel was a naval battle of the Spanish Civil War that broke the Republican blockade of the Strait of Gibraltar, securing the naval... The Siege of Madrid was a three year siege of the Spanish capital Madrid, during the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. ... The Battle of the Corunna Road was a battle of the Spanish Civil War from 13 December 1936 to 15 January 1937, north west of Madrid. ... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders José Villalba Lacorte Queipo de Llano Mario Roatta Strength 40,000 militia 10,000 Moors 5,000 Requetés 5,000 Italians Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Málaga was the culmination of an offensive in early 1937 by the combined Nationalist... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders José Miaja, Sebastián Pozas Perea, Enrique Líster, Valentín González, Robert Merriman Enrique Varela, García Escámez, Carlos Asensio, Fernándo Barrón Ortiz Strength ~30,000 infantry, (June 15)[1] 19,000–40,000 infantry, ~40 guns[2... The bombing of Guernica was an aerial attack on April 26, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War by planes of the German Luftwaffe Condor Legion and subordinate Italian Fascists from the Corpo Truppe Volontarie expeditionary force organized as Aviazione Legionaria. ... Combatants Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Strength  ?  ? Casualties ~? ~? The Battle of Bilbao was part of the War in the North, in the Spanish Civil War where the Nationalist Army conquered Bilbao and the part of the Basque Country still held by the Republic. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders Mariano Gamir Ulibarri Fidel Dávila Arrondo Strength 80,000 infantry 90,000 infantry 126 guns 220 aircraft Casualties 60,000 dead, wounded, or captured Unknown The Battle of Santander was fought over the summer of 1937 in the Spanish Civil War. ... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders Enrique Líster Alfonso Trallero † Strength 80,000 infantry 105 tanks 90 aircraft 7,000 infantry Casualties Unknown Unknown Battle of Belchite was a group of military operations that took place in the Spanish Civil War between august 24 and september 7, 1937... Combatants Asturian popular army (Second Spanish Republic) Army of the North (Nationalist Spain) Commanders Colonel Juan Ibarrola Orueta Colonel Francisco Galán Rodríguez General José Solchaga Zala Strength under 5,000 33,000, plus elements of the Legión Cóndor and Corpo Truppe Volontarie Casualties Unknown Unknown The... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders Unknown Unknown Strength 2 cruisers 4 destroyers 1 heavy cruiser Casualties Unknown 1 ship damaged The Battle of Cape Cherchell was a sea battle between the Nationalist heavy cruiser Baleares and the Republican light cruisers Libertad and Méndez Núñez in the... A Republican soldier seeks cover on the Plaza de Toros in Teruel, north-east of Madrid The battle of Teruel was fought in and around the city of Teruel in the Spanish Civil War in December 1937-February 1938. ... The Battle of Cape Palos, also known as the Second Battle of Cape Palos, was the biggest naval battle of the Spanish Civil War, fought on the night of March 5 - 6 1938, 70 miles east of Cape Palos near Cartagena, Spain. ... Combatants Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders Juan Modesto Enrique Lister Queipo de Llano Francisco Franco Strength 100,000 90,000 Casualties 30,000 dead 20,000 wounded 19,563 captured 200 aircraft 6,500 dead 30,000 wounded 5,000 captured The Battle of the Ebro (Spanish: Batalla del Ebro... The outbreak of war can be seen to be the uprising in Morocco on July 17 triggered by events in Madrid. ... This article covers the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) during 1937. ... This article covers the Spanish Civil War in the period from the start of 1938 to the end of 1939. ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Spanish capital. ... Not to be confused with the Spanish Civil War of 1820-1823. ... The Corpo Truppe Volontarie (Division of Volunteer Troops) was an Italian expeditionary force which was sent to Spain to support Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. ... The Corpo Truppe Volontarie (Division of Volunteer Troops) was an Italian expeditionary force which was sent to Spain to support Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. ...

The battle opened with an Italian offensive on 8 March. This offensive was halted by 11 March. Between 12 March and 14 March, renewed Italian attacks were supported by Spanish Nationalist units. These too were halted. On 15 March, a Republican counter-offensive was prepared. The Republicans successfully launched their counter-offensive from 18 March to 23 March. is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 71st day of the year (72nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Preceding activities

After the collapse of the third offensive on Madrid, Spanish Nationalist General Francisco Franco decided to continue with a fourth offensive aimed at closing the pincer around the capital. The Nationalist forces, although victorious at Jarama River, were exhausted and could not create the necessary momentum to carry the operation through. However, the Italians were optimistic after the capture of Málaga, and it was thought that the Italian forces could score an easy victory owing to the heavy losses sustained by the Republican army during the Battle of the Jarama River. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini endorsed the operation and committed the Italian units to it. This article is about the Spanish capital. ... “Franco” redirects here. ... Jarama River in Titulcia Jarama is a river in central Spain. ... Location of Málaga Municipality Málaga Government  - Mayor Francisco de la Torre Prados Area  - City 385. ... Combatants Second Spanish Republic Nationalist Spain Commanders José Miaja, Sebastián Pozas Perea, Enrique Líster, Valentín González, Robert Merriman Enrique Varela, García Escámez, Carlos Asensio, Fernándo Barrón Ortiz Strength ~30,000 infantry, (June 15)[1] 19,000–40,000 infantry, ~40 guns[2... “Mussolini” redirects here. ...

The Italian commander, General Mario Roatta, planned that his forces would surround the defences of Madrid from the north-west. After joining the Spanish Nationalist corps "Madrid" on Jarama River, they would begin the assault on Madrid. The Italian forces would execute the main attack. The Spanish division "Soria" was present to secure the operation, but played no part in the first five days of fighting. The main attack began in the 25 km-wide pass at Guadalajara-Alcalá de Henares. This region was well suited for an advance, as there were five roads of high quality running through it. Three other roads in the area led to Guadalajara, allowing for the possibility of capturing this town as well. The Nationalist forces had 35,000 soldiers, 222 cannon, 108 Fiat Ansaldo CV-33 (tankettes) light tanks, 32 armoured cars, 3,685 cars and 60 Fiat CR.32 fighter planes. Location Coordinates: Country Spain Autonomous Community Castile-La Mancha Province Guadalajara Tows 5 (Guadalajara, Iriépal, Taracena, Usanos & Valdenoches) Founded 8th century, probably, by moors Government  - Mayor Jesús Alique (PSOE) Area  - Land 236 km² (91. ... Location Location of Alcalá Coordinates : 40º28’N , 3º22’W Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Alcalá de Henares (Spanish) Spanish name Alcalá de Henares Founded Preromanian Postal code 28. ... The 1925 Fiat Ansaldo armored car was produced in a prototype version only, and was based on a Pavesi heavy tractor. ... The Carro Veloce CV-33 was a tankette originally built in 1933 and used by the Italian Army before and during World War II. The original CV-33s were retrofitted to meet the specifications of the CV-35 in 1935. ... Polish TK-3. ... Military armored cars A French VBL reconnaissance vehicle. ... Fiat CR.32 The Fiat CR.32 was a Italian biplane fighter used in the Spanish Civil War and WW2. ...

The Republican presence in the Guadalajara region consisted only of the 12th Division of the Spanish Popular Army under Colonel Lacalle. He had under his command 10,000 soldiers with only 5,900 rifles, 85 machine guns, and 15 cannon. One company of T-26 light tanks were also sent to the area. No military engineering works had been effected in the Guadalajara region, because it was regarded as a peaceful part of the front. The Republican Army staff was sure that the next Fascist offensive would come from the south. General characteristics Length: 4. ...

Italian offensive

March 8

After 30 minutes' artillery fire and air raids on the Republican positions, the Italians began advancing upon the 50th Republican brigade. Led by tankettes, they broke through the Republican line. Their assault then slowed down, mainly because fog and sleet had reduced visibility down to 100 metres (110 yards) in places. The Italians captured between 10 and 12 km of terrain, including the towns of Mirabueno, Alaminos and Castejon. Falling back, the Republican commander requested infantry reinforcements and the company of tanks.

March 9

The Italians continued their assault on Republican positions. The main attack was carried out with tanks, but was again bogged down by poor performance and low visibility. The Republican 50th Brigade escaped without a fight. At about noon, the Italian advance was suddenly turned back by battalions of the XI International Brigade (battalions involved were "E. Andre", "E.Thaelmann" and "Commune Paris" – with soldiers mainly from Germany, France, and the Balkan countries). The Italians had taken another 15 to 18 km of terrain and the towns of Almadrones, Cogollor, Masegoso. In the evening, the first formations of Italian troops reached the suburb of Brihuega, where they settled down to await a widened breach in the Republican lines. This break in momentum, though incompatible with the blitzkrieg tactics they were nominally following, was under the circumstances necessary to allow the soldiers to rest. Blason of the International Brigades The International Brigade was the name given to the band of volunteers and mercenaries who travelled to Spain to fight against the Nationalist forces led by General Franco and helped by Nazi German and Mussolini Italian forces, and defend the legitimate Spanish Republic government in... The defining characteristic of what is commonly known as Blitzkrieg is that it is a highly mobile form of mechanized warfare. ...

The Republican forces on this day consisted of the XI International Brigade, two artillery batteries and two companies of infantry from the 49th Brigade, 12th Division. They had 1,850 soldiers with 1,600 rifles, 34 machine rifles, 6 cannons, and 5 tanks. By the end of the day, more reinforcements started to arrive as Colonel Enrique Jurado was ordered to form IV Corps with Líster's 11 Division in the centre at the Madrid–Saragossa road at Torija, 12th Division on the left flank and 14th Division on the right. General Enrique Líster at the Battle of the Ebro, 1938. ... This article is about the Spanish capital. ... For alternative meanings, see Zaragoza (disambiguation). ... Torija is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. ...

March 10

The Republican forces received new reinforcements: XII International Brigade (two battalions; Jarosław Dabrowski Battalion and Giuseppe Garibaldi Battalion), three batteries of artillery, and an understrength battalion of tanks. The Republican forces now had 4,350 soldiers, 8 mortars, 16 cannon and 26 light tanks.

In the morning Italian forces launched heavy artillery and air bombardments and began the assault on the XI International Brigade without success. At that point they had 26,000 soldiers, 900 machine guns, 130 tanks and a large number of cannon committed to battle. The Nationalists captured the towns Miralrio and Brihuega. The latter town was taken almost unopposed. Combatants France Spain Britain Commanders Louis Joseph de Vendôme James Stanhope Strength 20,000–24,000 16,000–18,000 (4,000 present) Casualties 1,000 dead 600 dead 3,400 wounded or captured The Battle of Brihuega took place on December 8, 1710 in the War of the...

Italian attacks on XI and XII International Brigades continued throughout the afternoon, still without success. At Torija, they met the Italian Garibaldi Battalion. During the skirmish the Italians from the Garibaldi Battalion took the opportunity to encourage the Fascist soldiers to join the Republicans. The attacks were halted towards evening, and the Italian Nationalist units built defensive positions. Torija is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. ...

At the end of the day, Lacalle resigned his command, officially for health reasons, but probably because of his resentment over being passed over by Jurado. Command over 12th Division was given to the Italian communist Nino Nanetti.

March 11

The Italians began a successful advance on the positions of XI and XII International Brigades, who were forced to retreat down the main road. The Italian vanguard was stopped some 3 km before the town of Torija. The Spanish Nationalist division "Soria" captured the towns of Hita and Torre del Burgo. Torija is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. ...

Republican counterattacks

March 12

The Republican forces under Líster's command redeployed in the morning and launched a counterattack at noon. Close to 100 Chato and Rata fighter planes and two squadrons of Katiusha bombers had been made available at Albacete. The Nationalist Legionary Air Force Fiats were grounded on water-logged airports; the Republicans did not have this problem as the Albacete airfield had a concrete strip. After an air bombardment of the Italian positions, the Republican infantry supported by T-26 and BT-5 light tanks attacked the Italian lines. Several Italian tankettes were lost when General Roatta attempted to change the position of his motorized units in the muddy terrain; many got stuck and were easy target for strafing fighters. The advance reached Trijueque. An Italian counterattack did not regain lost terrain. Nickname: Location of Albacete Municipality Government  - Mayor Manuel Pérez Castell (PSOE) Area  - City 1,141. ... Nickname: Location of Albacete Municipality Government  - Mayor Manuel Pérez Castell (PSOE) Area  - City 1,141. ... General characteristics Length: 4. ... The Bystrokhodniy Tank (Fast Tank), was a series of Soviet light tanks which were produced between 1932 and 1941. ...

March 13

The Republican counterattack on Trijueque and Casa del Cabo, Palacio de Ibarra was launched with some success. The plan was to concentrate 11th Division under Líster and all armoured units on the Saragossa road, while 14th Division under Mera crossed the River Tajuña to attack Brihuega. The Italians were warned that this might happen, but ignored advice from the Spanish chief of operations, Colonel Barroso. Mera nearly failed to cross the river, but local CNT members advised him where to place a pontoon bridge. For alternative meanings, see Zaragoza (disambiguation). ... Combatants France Spain Britain Commanders Louis Joseph de Vendôme James Stanhope Strength 20,000–24,000 16,000–18,000 (4,000 present) Casualties 1,000 dead 600 dead 3,400 wounded or captured The Battle of Brihuega took place on December 8, 1710 in the War of the... The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (National Confederation of Labour or CNT), founded in Barcelona, Spain, in 1910, was at one time that countrys largest labour union. ...

March 14–17

On March 14, most Republican infantry formations rested while their airforces executed successful attacks. The International Brigade captured the Palacio de Ibarra. In the subsequent days the Republicans redeployed and concentrated their forces. is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Republican forces now consisted of some 20,000 soldiers, 17 mortars, 28 cannon, 60 light tanks and 70 planes.

The Italian and Spanish Nationalist forces consisted of some 45,000 soldiers, 70 mortars, 200 cannon, 80 light tanks and 50 planes.

March 18

At dawn, Mera led 14th Division across the pontoon bridge over the River Tajuña. They had cover from heavy sleet, but the weather also delayed the assault. After midday, the weather had improved enough to allow the Republican air force to operate. At around 13:30, Jurado gave the order to attack. Líster was slowed down by the Italian Littorio Division, arguably the best of the Italian units. 14th Division nearly managed to surround Brihuega, and the Italians retreated in panic. Remaining Italian soldiers were cleared out by the XI International Brigade. An Italian counterattack on Republican positions failed. The Littorio Division saved the Italians from a complete disaster when they conducted a well-organized retreat. Combatants France Spain Britain Commanders Louis Joseph de Vendôme James Stanhope Strength 20,000–24,000 16,000–18,000 (4,000 present) Casualties 1,000 dead 600 dead 3,400 wounded or captured The Battle of Brihuega took place on December 8, 1710 in the War of the...

March 19–23

The Republican forces recaptured the cities of Gajanejos and Villaviciosa de Tajuña. Their counter-offensive was ultimately halted on the Valdearenas–Ledanca–Hontanares line, because Franco had sent reserve formations to settle the line of defence between Ledanca and Hontanares. “Franco” redirects here. ...

Significance

The Battle of Guadalajara was the last major Republican victory and did much to lift morale; the New York Times boasted that Guadalajara "was to Fascism what the defeat at Bailén had been to Napoleon." The Italians lost some 6,000 men (Spanish Nationalist losses were marginal) and a considerable number of light tanks and planes. In addition, the Republican army captured sizeable quantities of badly needed matériel and equipment, including 35 artillery pieces, 85 machine guns, and 67 vehicles. The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and other societal interests subordinate to the needs of the state, and seeks to forge a type of national unity, usually based on, but not limited to, ethnic, cultural, or racial attributes. ... Combatants First French Empire Kingdom of Spain Commanders Pierre Dupont Francisco Castaños Strength 24,000 regulars 33,000 regulars and militia Casualties 2,200 dead, 400 wounded, 17,600 captured 240 dead, 730 wounded The Battle of Bailén was contested between the Spanish regular army, led by Generals... Napoléon I, Emperor of the French (born Napoleone di Buonaparte, changed his name to Napoléon Bonaparte)[1] (15 August 1769; Ajaccio, Corsica – 5 May 1821; Saint Helena) was a general during the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ...

Strategically, the Republican victory prevented the encirclement of Madrid, ending Franco's hopes of crushing the Republic with a decisive strike at its capital. Franco decided to adopt a new strategy of chipping away at the Republican territories, starting in the north. This article is about the Spanish capital. ...

More than anything, the Guadalajara was a severe blow to Italian morale and a personal loss of prestige for Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, who had personally orchestrated the deployment of the Italian army at Guadalajara in order to benefit from the glory of a successful offensive.^[1] The generally poor performance of Italian arms reached its nadir at Guadalajara. In response, Franco ordered the dismantlement of the Italian army in Spain, seeking to disperse them among Spanish Nationalist units. A dictator is an absolutist or autocratic ruler who assumes sole power over the state, though the term is normally not applied to an absolute monarch. ... “Mussolini” redirects here. ...

The tactical lessons of the battle were ambiguous and widely misinterpreted. The failure of the Italian offensive was thought to demonstrate the vulnerability of massed armoured advances in unfavourable conditions and against a coherent infantry defence. The French General Staff, in harmony with existing beliefs in the French Army, concluded that mechanized troops were not the decisive element of modern warfare and continued to shape their military doctrine accordingly. The Germans escaped this conclusion by dismissing the Guadalajara failure as the product of Italian incompetence. A General Staff is a group of professional military officers who act in a staff or administrative role under the command of a general officer. ... The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre (Army of the land), is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces and the largest. ... Modern warfare involves the widespread use of highly advanced technology. ... Military doctrine is a level of military planning between national strategy and unit-level tactics, techniques, and procedures. ...

In truth, both views had some merit: armoured forces were largely ineffective in adverse weather and without proper air support (Italian strategists failed to consider these variables).^[2] But the German assessment correctly noted the deficiencies in Italian soldiery that contributed to their rout at Guadalajara. In particular, their vehicles and tanks had lacked the technical quality and their leaders the determination necessary to maintain the unfaltering advances characteristic of later German blitzkrieg tactics. The defining characteristic of what is commonly known as Blitzkrieg is that it is a highly mobile form of mechanized warfare. ...

References

• Hugh Thomas (2001). The Spanish Civil War. Modern Library. ISBN 0-375-75515-2. 

Hugh Thomas, Baron Thomas of Swynnerton (born October 21, 1931 Windsor), is a British historian. ...

External links

• http://www.Lacucaracha.info
• Site about the Guadalajara Offensive (Spanish)