(Caption: Colonel Jose Moscardo. The Républica not hesitate to kill Luis, her son aged 17 and torturing his wife Maria and son aged 14 to force Carmelo to surrender. Luckily, her son Miguel had joined the Nationalist army and his daughter was safe Marichu) Toledo. The most glorious page of the English Civil War. More than a thousand men, women and children who resist the worst crime of humanity, at the cost of any sacrifice. Everything begins the night of July 18. The aftermath of a botched assault led by the CNT against the Guardia Civil who was among 5 dead revolutionaries (including their leader Huertas), Colonel Jose Moscardo amounts to Madrid to see the turn of events. Before rallying to Franco, he has the intelligence wait for the gathering of all the guards loyal civilians and their families, promised in the massacre. It receives the orders of General de la Cruz, co reds, to deliver the weapons in the arsenal, but to save time, he asked for written orders. On 21, the first contingent of Civil Guards, peasants, students gather in the Alcazar. At 16 hours, the Reds attack, the first dead drop and the car which was involved in the attack was destroyed by the Commander and Captain Badenas Villalba. 300 Civil Guard companies Ocana and Talavera take refuge in the Alcazar. The hospital was quickly bombarded by the battery of 105mm of the column of General Riquelme (2400 more than 1500 men anarchists) but despite the bombs that destroy a Republican truck, the Nationalists confiscated munitions factory run by local Republican Colonel Soto. The Republican attacks will fail and the last refugees gathered there. The 20 monks of the Carmelite convent refused to abandon their monastery, 18 of them will be killed by the anarchists, furious to see the Alcazar take.
At July 22, 1787 people sought refuge in the building: 196 officers, cadets 9, 232 men of the Academy and the School of gymnastics, 664 civilian guards, 19 guard assault, 5 members of the Vigilance, 108 armed peasants, 12 workers of the Academy, 2 auxiliary, 26 musicians, five nuns of the Sisters of Charity (Mother Josepha with their Barrel higher), 271 women (two speakers), 215 children and 73 unarmed civilians (elderly and helpless, plus a French baker Isidore Clamarigaud. The latter, captured by the Reds when he transferred his stock of flour to the Alcazar , was confined to the synagogue del Trasito and saved in extremis by the consul of the pack in France). Women and children are grouped in Price from west, the better protected. On 23 July, the Reds will cross another milestone in cowardice. Having captured Luis Moscardo, the son of Colonel age 17, they threatened to execute him if his father does not surrender. Child who was raised in a Christian duty and sacrifice, Luis knows that if his father capitulates, it is not only not sure I alive, but betraying the 1787 resistance. So after a brief telephone conversation with his father, also poignant short, he agrees to sacrifice himself. It will run Aug. 23 with 73 others in retaliation for a bombing of a barricade Republican by one of their own Breguet-XIX which had missed its target. His mother Maria and her little brother Carmelo (14 years) will be locked in an asylum, tortured, but a "nurse" Marxist, took pity, come to save their lives.
July 25, Captain Don Luis Alba Navas, a teacher at the school gym, trying to cross the lines to send a message to Franco. He was captured and shot in the neck ... The food is fast running out. The 199 horses and 27 mules of the Alcazar are charged for their meat. August 3 raid can take 32.4 tons of wheat on the nose and the red beard. To maintain morale, a small daily newspaper is created internally (El Alcazar) as director with Captain Victor Martinez and editor in chief Commander Felix Cano. Frequently bombed by planes Republicans who have absolute mastery of the air and by their powerful artillery, the Alcazar is still (in total, 9,800 shells have hit the citadel). The 14 aerial bombing destroyed two towers above the fortress. On 16 August, the anarchists of the CNT trying to blow up the fortress, but Molotov cocktails thrown by the defenders do their tunnel collapsed. August 22, a plane Nationalist brings them mail. The first planes nationalists, Ju-52 and SM-81 involved 26 and 27 August bombed the munitions factory acquired in red. September 3, the besieged learn that the Reds were crushed by General Yague Talavera, 30 km from Toledo. The hope is reborn. The wounded are made for 120 of them (for amputees and 14) in a makeshift hospital lacks everything, treated by three doctors, five sisters and a few women promoted nurses.
September 8, Franco decided to postpone the capture of Madrid, he judge too well defended, and immediately sends the column of General José Enrique Varela, composed of 2 Moroccan Tabors (225 men), a strip of the Legion (600 men) over 5000 men of various services for free Toledo. For the Alcazar, it must be at 600 against more than 8,000 munitions and depleted. Learning the movement of Franco, the Reds are trying to capitulate Moscardo. The commander, General Asensio, send the command Rojo (former instructor at the Alcazar and socialist) to negotiate, without success. The only thing required is the Nationalists sends a priest, not to mention that the spiritual support Antonio Rivera, president of the Catholic Youth of Toledo (who died of his injuries in November). Reds send Father Enrique Vasquez, canon of the Cathedral of Madrid, a priest known to republican ideas. It administers the last rites to the dying, named one of two babies (the other, a little girl named Josefa, born on 18 full assault red), celebrated Mass and gave a general absolution. He tries to convince the Nationalists to go, but can not even give them the guarantee that women and children would be spared. He knows only too well his " friends "... The nationalists do not trust, and rightly so ... September 18, knowing that women, children and refugees were injured in the west wing, the anarchists of the CNT blew it, collapsing one quarter of the building. The final assault, at least so they believed, was launched. The latter was a fiasco. Anarchist militias, very strong to burn churches and attack defenseless monasteries, are cut to pieces by the defenders, kids of 16 years: more than a hundred dead in their ranks. Even their tanks are ineffective. Their artillery pounded without Alcazar which releases the ammunition are scarce: the vast majority of soldiers did more cartridges and half the workforce is made up of wounded. The dead are buried in the pool. In total, there will be 82.
On 25 September, the republican forces were attacked with three kilometers of the city by regulares de Varela. On 27, the latest Republican assault is launched and ends with another defeat: the 6000 liters of gasoline that was burned alive the defenders of the Alcazar are destroyed by a grenade nationalist, the fire spreads and covers an Part of Toledo ... But already, arenas are occupied by legionaries of the 5th bandera. Three Ju-52 are emerging, the opportunity for the Reds to commit one last crime of war. One of the planes will be shot by Dewotine offered by France, the pilot will be shot at while falling parachute and co-pilot ejected to happen, but after emptying his clip on the Reds, it will fall combat. Captured, the third will be castrated and dismembered alive into small pieces by anarchist militia. Moroccans 1 tabor Regulares tumble of the red and issue commanding the garrison Barcelo whence come true undead, shocked, exhausted, blinded by the light of day, but free. It's a Moroccan, Mohammed El Mizzan commander, former Cadet of the Alcazar, which comes first. Christianity and Islam united against Bolshevism as they will later in the USSR. On 28, the city is cleaned and criminals red face just punishment for their crimes: the Moors are merciless. 29, Franco went to the scene of victory and decorates all survivors of the Cross of San Fernando. Jose Moscardo was appointed general and posted on the front of Siguenza. The latter, out of hell, will deliver these historic words: "Nothing to report at the Alcazar! . All cadets will be promoted officers survivors. Only one will survive the war. ARRIBA ESPANA! Moscardo gives us a lesson of courage and shows the way: he refused to negotiate and surrender and survived. He had no confidence in the word Republicans with good reason. He did not finish as the martyrs of Quiberon, the Grand-Bornand, the grotto of the Virgin who paid their lives for their naivete ...
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