Córdoba offensive

On 18 July, the military governor of Cordoba, Ciriaco Cascajo, started the coup in the city, bombing the civil government and arresting the civil governor, Rodriguez de Leon.[1] After that, he and Major Bruno Ibañez, Don Bruno, carried out a bloody repression (in the first weeks, 2,000 persons were executed).[2][3][4] In the second week of August, the Nationalist troops were reinforced by 400 regulares who, led by Colonel Varela, after the capture of Huelva, launched an attack eastwards from Seville in order to relieve the besieged nationalist-held city of Granada. After a corridor to the city was established, Varela prepared to attack Malaga. At that point, the Republican Army launched an attack in order to recover Córdoba.[5]

The Republican force, led by General Miaja, was composed of 3,000 men, mainly regular troops, civil guards, militiamen from Madrid and local volunteers. Opposing them, the Nationalists had the small force of the Nationalist commander in Cordoba, Colonel Cascajo, and the column of Colonel Varela. The Nationalists also had one DC-2 and several Sa-81 bombers.[6]

The advance of Miaja's force had started on August 5, but its advance was very slow and only occupied small towns like Adamuz and Pozoblanco.[7] The Republican attack against Cordoba itself started on August 20. The Republican troops reached the gates of Cordoba (5 km from the city), but they were beaten back and the attack failed on August 22. According to Thomas, the offensive failed because of the skillful use of the Italian Savoia bombers and because Cascajo threatened to execute the family of Miaja who were in Cordoba.[8] According to Beevor, the attack failed because of the incompetence of Miaja and the Republican professional officers.[5] Furthermore, many of Miaja's officers were, in fact, Nationalist supporters (Miaja's adjutant was hoping to cross the lines and, on August 23 one captain, Antonio Reparaz, deserted with 200 civil guards).[9]

Nationalist repression in the towns briefly occupied by the Republicans was very harsh. In the town of Palma del Rio, a local landowner killed 300 supporters of the Republic[10] (the Republicans had killed 42 supporters of the Nationalists there).[11] After a nationalist counter-offensive in September, the Cordoba front was stabilised.[5]