The Making of the Basque Nation

Civil war

Civil war erupted on 18 July 1936. The villagers had little information about events and few realised how serious General Franco's insurgency was. After one month the Carlist Requetés (militias) from Navarra invaded Guipúzcoa. One column quickly overran Irun on the French border. Another column attacked Tolosa. In Elgeta rumours started to circulate about executions of PNV sympathizers carried out by the Navarrese.

During the first few months of the war with rumours thick and hard news sparse, people listened to their radios and waited. Work continued as normal on the farmsteads and in the factories. The village Carlists gave immediate support to Franco. Within the PNV ranks people were initially ambivalent. The Basque nationalists found both the Carlists and the republicans disagreeable allies.

The village Carlists held many secret meetings which, of course, became public knowledge the morning after. Publically they agitated for Franco and maintained close contact with Navarra. Clandestinely they began to distribute some light arms.

The loyalties of the socialists and the republicans were also never in doubt. They waited for orders and arms to come from the Casa del Pueblo in Eibar. The orders came, but the arms did not.

Similarly the PNV held meetings and was in touch with local PNV headquarters in Vergara. Initial doubts were dispelled by a radio communiqué. Euzkadi was to fight with the Republic. The Basque nationalist youth in the village were particularly anxious. The forces of General Mola, supported by Requeté militias, were advancing on Vergara.