Английская Википедия:Defense Council (Catalonia)
The Defense Council (Шаблон:Lang-ca) was a ministry created by the Generalitat de Catalunya on August 2, 1936,Шаблон:Sfn and that existed during the first years of the Spanish Civil War to take charge of military matters in Catalonia, despite the fact that defense powers were exclusive to the government of the Republic.Шаблон:Sfn
History
After the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the Generalitat de Catalunya began to assume powers that did not correspond to it according to the Republican Constitution and also according to its own Statute of Autonomy.Шаблон:Sfn On July 31, 1936 the government of the Generalitat established a Ministry of Defence to take charge of the military issues. This body was clearly unconstitutional since the powers of defense belonged to the government of Madrid.Шаблон:Sfn Such a fact would have had serious implications in a normal situation, but in the context of the chaos of the first days of the conflict this was another fact that went unnoticed.Шаблон:Refn
Lieutenant Colonel Felip Díaz i Sandino was appointed Minister of Defense.Шаблон:Sfn Vicenç Guarner was appointed Undersecretary of the Ministry in August 1936, being in charge of organizing the columns that left towards the Front of Aragon, to establish military industries, officers' schools and fortifications.Шаблон:Sfn Another of the works carried out by this body was the establishment of a war industry in Barcelona to support the republican war effort, given that in Catalonia there was no such industry. The Generalitat took over a dozen factories, although in reality they were controlled by anarchists.Шаблон:Sfn
The lack of coordination with the Madrid authorities was another major problem. For example, militias from Barcelona operating on the Aragon Front did so from the outset without any coordination with the Ministry of War in Madrid,Шаблон:Sfn which also happened during the Mallorca landings.Шаблон:Sfn When the Minister of Navy and Air, the socialist Indalecio Prieto, visited Díaz i Sandino, he was received "as if he were a minister of a foreign power".Шаблон:Sfn
Díaz Sandino achieved the dissolution of the Committee of Antifascist Militias of Catalonia in October 1936,Шаблон:Sfn which in theory left him at the head of all military forces for Catalonia.Шаблон:Sfn For Díaz Sandino it was a priority to carry out the militarization of the militias, as had already been done in the central area. On December 6, he signed a decree creating the People's Army of Catalonia,Шаблон:Sfn which in theory consisted of three divisions, nine infantry regiments, three artillery regiments and numerous support groups. However, despite his daring efforts, he was unable to carry out the long-awaited militarization and the anarchist militias continued to enjoy broad autonomy in both Catalonia and the Front of Aragon. Certainly, the anarchists also had a great influence within the Ministry of Defense,Шаблон:Sfn and after December 1936 it was an anarchist, Francesc Isgleas i Piarnau, who served as Minister of Defense.Шаблон:Sfn
After the May Days, the republican government intervened in Catalonia and regained its powers in defense matters, so the Ministry was dissolved. The Popular Army of Catalonia was also dissolved and in its place the Eastern Army was created,Шаблон:Sfn which proceeded to the definitive militarization of the militias.
Ministers
| Name | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Felip Díaz i Sandino | July 31, 1936 | December 17, 1936 |
| Francesc Isgleas i Piarnau | December 17, 1936 | May 5, 1937 |
See also
- People's Army of Catalonia
- War Industries Commission
- Central Committee of Antifascist Militias of Catalonia
Notes
References
Bibliography
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
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- Шаблон:Cite book
- Шаблон:Cite book
