Campaign of Gipuzkoa

The offensive of Guipúzcoa was an offensive at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, in which the Nationalists captured the province of Guipúzcoa. The nationalist campaign began in August 1936 and had cut the target, the Basque country of France.

In August, Emilio Mola and Francisco Franco met in Seville and decided to San Sebastian and Irun to conquer. The Nationalist troops came then with 3,500 men from Pamplona to San Sebastian before and Irun. The nationalists succeeded on August 11, take the old Basque capital Tolosa. Furthermore, the nationalists marched along the French border towards Irun before and conquered on August 11, the ridge of Picoqueta, about 15 kilometers south of Irun. However, by the destruction of the bridge at Endarlatsa succeeded the Republicans to stop the advance of the Nationalists on the national road N- 121 to Irun. On August 26, Colonel Alfonso Beorlegui Canet began the attack on Irun and conquered the city after bloody fighting on 3 September. On September 13, the financial statements of the offensive was followed by the capture of San Sebastian. Thereafter, the advance of the Nationalists took place on the Vizcaya Province.

International militiamen

On August 28, 1936 Polish miners from France crossed the French-Spanish border and participated in the defense of the city in part Irun. They fought with the French in the militia group Wroblewski, with the German group Edgar André, the militia group the militia group with Hoffmann and Gorizia. The deputy commander of the 200 -strong international militia was a body Jampolski (Jean -Paul ) and the leader of the Polish militia was Francis Palka.