The Pete Quiñones Show - Pete Reads 'The Last Crusade' by Warren H Carroll Part 3

Episode Date: July 5, 2024

50 MinutesPG-13Pete begins a reading of Warren H. Carroll's 1996 book, "The Last Crusade: 1936." In this episode, he covers the first half of the July chapter; the Summer of 1936.Antelope Hill - Promo code "peteq" for 5% off - https://antelopehillpublishing.com/FoxnSons Coffee - Promo code "peter" for 18% off - https://www.foxnsons.com/The Last CrusadePete and Thomas777 'At the Movies'VIP Summit 3-Truth To Freedom - Autonomy w/ Richard GroveSupport Pete on His WebsitePete's PatreonPete's Substack Pete's SubscribestarPete's GUMROADPete's VenmoPete's Buy Me a CoffeePete on FacebookPete on TwitterBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-quinones-show--6071361/support.

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Vouchers can be used on next grocery shop. Those people who love going out shopping for Black Friday deals, they're mad, aren't they? Like, proper mad. Brenda wants a television and she's prepared to fight for it, if you ask me. It's the fastest way to a meltdown. Me, I just prepare the fastest way to get stuff, and it doesn't get faster than Appliances Delivered.e. Top brand appliances, top brand electricals, and if it's online, it's in stock.

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The Dream Kitchen, check out at Cube Kitchens. Beacon South Quarter Dublin, where the smart shoppers go. Two hours free parking, just off the M50, exit 13. It's a Black Friday secret. Keep it to yourself. I want to welcome everyone back to part three of my reading of Warren Carrey. The Last Crusade. I am pretty sure I said in the first two episodes that his middle initial was E, and it's actually

H. I'm sorry, Mr. Carroll in heaven. And sorry to the Carroll family. That was dumb. I want to remind you about Thomas and my review of movies, FreemamandMeontheWall.com forward slash movies. We've reviewed the great. 1984 movie Red Dawn,

taxi driver from 1976, and near dark from 1987. So check those out. Also, Anelope Hill Press that has some amazing books there. Some books that I have. I have to get around to reading, some that I haven't, some I have.

If you go there, anything you buy, PQ at checkout, all lowercase, 5% off your order. All right. So this, July, getting into July 1936, this is the longest chapter in the book.

So this is probably, this is probably going to be split up into three episodes. So, yeah, this is basically how everything happens. So, let's do this. July.

After another meeting of Falcande and Mola, July 7th, produced no results whatsoever. Falcande sent Antonio Lazzat Lizarza to Portugal to urge Sanjuro to persuade Mola to make substantial concessions to the Carlis. The critical negotiations of the next week have been much reviewed and discussed by historians who have tended to dwell on the great difficulty Falcande and Prince Javier would have had in holding the Rikete back if the rising occurred without them, and therefore to state or imply that Mola could

have simply assumed their support and did not really make, did not really need to make any concessions to them. Also for this reason, the concessions which to Carlos did eventually obtain from Sanjuro are dismissed as illusory or unimportant. Though there is some force in these arguments, they have been greatly overstated. For Mola could not afford to assume anything. His very life was at stake. If the rising failed and he was captured, he would be shot. said later that he would have killed himself if the carliss had not joined him. He very much wanted a free hand after the rising began and was prepared to go a long way to get it, but not all

the way, not to a total rejection of all the carless sought. They did have some bargaining leverage with him, as Falcande the lawyer well knew. Carlism was an old cause which had been thought dead. It had been revived by an extraordinary combination of historical convergencies and coincidences. The Carlos would almost certainly never have such an opportunity again. They must make the most of it. Their future depended on gaining strong influence in the new government of Spain that would be established by a successful uprising. They must come into the rising as full partners

with a pledge from the military leadership to grant at least a substantial part of what meant most to them. For this, they look now to Sanjuro. On July 9, Sanjuro wrote a letter for Lazarsa, to take back to Falcande and Mola, saying that the carless should be allowed to fly the red and gold flag of the monarchy from the beginning, while the regular army at the outset of the rising should fly no flag at all, that the provisional government after the rising should be apolitical, including civilian as well as military members, and should dismantle the republic, rectify its

religious and social legislation, abolish political parties, and establish a genuinely new state without the liberal parliamentary system. He made no mention in the Ministry of Education, propaganda, and church relations, or of the Ministry of Local Government. Even so, the concessions were large, much of what Falcande had demanded. Lazarza was overjoyed,

firmly believing that Sanjuro had given his backing to the Carliss. When Lazarza presented Sanhudo's letter to Mola July 12th, Mola questioned its authenticity. Later it was reported that it lacked a secret countermark, which Sanjuro placed on his genuine letters, and that Sun Suido sent a separate emissary to Mola, unknown to Lazarsa, to explain that he had only signed the letter to keep the carless in the movement. He was not restricting Mola's freedom of action. This report contained in the Spanish government's official history of the Civil War,

but not attested elsewhere, is open to grave doubt, for it was very much in the interest of the Franco government after the Civil War, to deny any commitment had ever been made to the Carlis, who had no significant role in that government, especially since Sanjuro and Mola, who might have set the record straight, were both by then, were by then both dead. On the face of it, the letter is genuine, and Lazarza, who received it personally from Sanhudho, always insisted that it was. On that same day, apparently without yet knowing the contents of San Jujo's letter, Balasthena, Beresan, and two other Navarice-Colus leaders went to St. Jean-Delus to confer with Javier, telling him that Mola had agreed to allow

the Riquete to use the red and gold flag and the Carlos to administer Nevada after the rising. Javier said this was not good enough, and he would have to contact Alfonso Carlos in Vienna before accepting these minor concessions as sufficient to justify full Carly's support of the rising. But when pressed, Javier agreed that if the rising occurred before Alfonso Carlos' reply arrived, he would commit the Riquete to it. The next day, Monday, July 3rd, 13th, Mola, upon receiving the news of the murder of rightist leader Calvo Sotelo, the preceding night, set the hour of the rising in Morocco at dawn 5 a.m. Saturday, July 18th, with the risings in Spain to come on the following day, Sunday, the 19th.

On July 14th, Mola wrote to Lazarza, formally accepting the conditions stated by Sanhudho in his letter of July 9th, whose authenticity he had allegedly questioned. Martin Blinkhorn's statement that Mola had nothing to lose by doing so is not reasonable. Any leader, even if sure of victory, and no one was sure of victory in Spain at that point, something to lose by putting political pledges in writing, specifically his freedom of action if he keeps his word, or if he does not keep his word the difficulty he may later encounter in explaining why he did not keep it. It is more probable that Mola believed Sanhuro wanted his agreement with the Carlas and with the rising now imminent decided to comply.

The letter from Mola satisfied Falcande and Prince Javier. The Carless rising in Pamplona was set for Sunday, July 9th. 19th, one day after the military rising, and the prince in Falcande signed the order to mobilize that he Kete, quoting, the traditionalist communion with all its forces in the whole of Spain, joins the military movement for the salvation of the fatherland, assuming that his excellency, the general director, Mola, accepts a program of government along the general lines contained in the letter directed to him by his excellency, General Sanjuro, on the ninth of this month." End quote. The Rechete were ordered to recognize officers of the regular army as in

overall command of the rising, but not to fight under any banner but the red and gold, to keep their own symbols and organization, and where possible to make a consecration of the sacred heart and to receive the sacraments in preparation for the crusade they were undertaking. Yeah, I mean, I think if you listen to the first, too, you understand just how serious this was. The Republican government, the anarchists, and the, um, the socialist, the communists, they want them all dead. So this is literally another crusade where they're basically fighting for the history of their

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An indispensable element of Mola's plan for the rising in Morocco was to get Franco there, since he was confident rightly as it turned out, that nearly everyone in the army of Morocco would follow Franco if he were present in person. Franco was stationed in the Canary Islands. There was not nearly time enough for a sea voyage, nor had Franco a plausible excuse for making one. He had to come by air, and air transport in 1936 was still largely the preserve of adventurers and inventors. It was still considered unusual and rather daring to fly across the English channel,

though there was a commercial airline making such flights. The author has a footnote here. He says, My parents took it that fall with me aged four. We nearly froze when the heaters failed. That's really interesting. The overseas flight from the Canary Islands to Maraca was much longer, 150 miles, and no commercial planes flew it. The problem had been foreseen in a plan made,

solve it. On July 5th, the publisher of Madrid's monarchist newspaper ABC called the papers correspondent in London, Luis Bolin, with instructions to charter a plane in England able to fly from the Canary Islands to Morocco. Cost, Bolin was told, was no object. This is in parentheses. One of Spain's wealthiest men won March, who had fled the country the day after the February 1936 election, with much of his money, provided the funds. The Spaniard Juan de la Sierra Ves, inventor of the helicopter, was living in London. Bolin knew him well and called upon him immediately. La Sierra sent him to Croydon Airport near London the next day,

where a small company called Ali Air Services had a twin engine to Havelin plane to rent called the Rapid Dragon, which could carry up to seven people. La Sierra suggested he take along another man and two glamorous women, to make the party look like tourists. On July 8th, they had lunch with Douglas Gerald, editor of the Catholic Periodical English Review. Bolin told Gerald he needed a companion and two young and attractive women

to accompany him on a mission to West Africa, whose purpose he could not disclose, but which he was sure the sympathetic Gerald strongly suspected. Gerald suggested a retired major, Hugh Pollard, who was an expert with firearms and very much of your way. of thinking. Pollard was called and agreed to see them at his home. A true British adventurer of the old school, he accepted Bolin's unique proposition only after a few minutes of reflection and

offered his daughter Diana and her friend Dorothy Watson, 19 and 21, respectively, as the glamorous blondes. Diane was overjoyed, bubbling, it's too wonderful for words. I can hardly believe it. The next day of the ninth, Bolin paid Ali air services for the rental of the Rapid Dragon and was introduced to the pilot, Captain Cecil, William Henry Beb, young but very competent, with red hair and freckles, blue eyes, and an infectious grin. A mechanic and radio operator were also engaged for the trip. At 7.15 in the morning, Saturday, July 11th, Bolin, Beb, Pollard, Diana, Dorothy, the mechanic, and the radio operator took off from Croydon, none but Bolin, knowing their mission. Thus did the Rapid Dragon,

fly merrily into history as two beautiful feminine passengers flirted with its handsome young pilot under the indulgent eye of Major Pollard, while Luis Bolin's eyes kept slipping to his watch. As the tense drama of the cataclysmic week unfolds, the reader should always keep one ear open for the drone and rattle of the Rapid Dragon Swin engine as its primitive propellers beat through the air, guided always by Cecil Beb's steady hand upon the stick. After a sometimes harrowing ten-hour flight during which the Rapid

Dragon iced up over the Pyrenees and nearly ran out of gas over Portugal since they had only roadmaps to set their course. Beb landed at a military airfield at Espinho near Porto at quarter past eight in the evening. Diana and Dorothy helped to charm the lieutenant in charge

into not arresting their party and confiscating their plane for their unauthorized landing. This is like a movie. This is unbelievable. I've read it, so I know, but yeah. That night they dined in style at a restaurant called Escondi-Eid Inho, the little hidden one in Porto, and went on the next morning Sunday the 12th to Lisbon. General Sanjuro was staying with his family at a small hotel in that city,

but when Bolin went to see him, he found him not at home. Told he might be at the famous resort of Asturo 16 miles away, Bolin got a car and sped out there, but still could not find the general. Returning to Lisbon, he amazingly encountered Sanhoto in a car in a narrow street. Bolin told him he was going to bring Franco from the Canary Islands to Morocco. Sanhudo assured him that his mission was supremely important, since only Franco could be counted on to rally the Moroccan army to the rising. Bolin now decided the time had come to let his English colleagues in on at least part of this tremendous secret.

Their destination, he told them, was the Canary Islands. If for any reason he was unable to go all the way there, the major, after landing at the airport on Grand Canary Island, the only one big enough to accommodate the Rapid Dragon, was to go by sea to the island of Tenerife and contact Dr. Garaba in its town of Santa Cruz with the message Galicia salutes France, which would mean the airplane has arrived. He and Diana and Dorothy should then remain on the island for a few days and return to England by sea. To Beb, he said only that his destination was to kill.

canaries and that he would have different passengers for the return journey whom Pollard would present to him. Bev responded, righto. Belin and his passengers reboarded the rapid dragon and took off from Lisbon at quarter past four in the afternoon of a very hot day, determined to reach Africa before nightfall. In these days, no one who could possibly avoid it flew planes by night. Near sundown, at quarter of eight in the evening, Captain Webb landed at Casablanca in French Morocco. At 9.45 that night, a Falangist hit squad shot and killed Jose Castillo, the communist lieutenant and the assault guards who had shot the Falangists in the battle at the cemetery in Madrid on April 17. At 2 o'clock in the morning of Monday the 13th, a reprisal team of assault guards led by Fernando

Condez, a close friend of Castillo, after obtaining authorization from the government's interior your minister to arrest some phalanus, went to the home of Antonio Goyice, a close paramilaterally, paramilitary, let's try that again, went to the home of Antonio Goya Eche, a close parliamentary ally of the outspoken monarchist Calvo Satello, but found Goyece not at home. Then they went to the home of Gil Robles, but found him gone also. Then they decided to seize Calvo Sotelo himself. Calvostello's life had been threatened twice on the floor of the Cortez by militant's socialist Nielken and Galasa on May 7th and July 1st.

Early in July, his police escort had been told by a police official named Aguirre Sanchez not to oppose any attempt to assassinate him. Jose Cavosotelo did not fear death. Sometimes he seemed to invite it to hope to become a martyr for Catholic Spain. At the great debate in Cortez, June 16th, on the collapse of law and order in Spain, he had said, quoting, I recall the answer given by sent Dominic of Silos to a Spanish king. Sire, my life you may take from me, but more you cannot take.

It is not indeed better to perish. Is it not indeed better to perish gloriously than to live in contempt? End quote. informed July 8th of the orders given to Aguirre Sanchez not to protect him from assassination, he remarked that perhaps his murder would inspire the organizers of the projected rising to put aside their differences in unite. So when the fatal knock came upon his door in Velasquez Street in Madrid at 3 o'clock in the morning and his night watchman let Condes and his team of vengeful assault guards into the house

on the display of Acondes identification papers, Calvo Sotelo calmly told his wife in that he would let them take him to police headquarters. From there, he said he would telephone them later, unless these gentlemen are going to blow my brains out. One of them, Victoriano Quinka, a young Galician socialist, did precisely that as their service truck reached a corner of Ayala, Ayala, and Valasco streets.

Without stopping or even slowing down, they proceeded to the nearest cemetery. Captain Condes presented his papers again to the caretaker who opened the cemetery gates. Calvo Sotella's body was dumped inside without identification. The truck drove away. Almost as soon as they left the cemetery, the driver said, Someone will surely denounce us.

Condes replied, don't worry, nothing will happen. Jose Del Rey, a friend of Condé said in confirmation, whoever whispers are worried about this as a dead man. We'll kill him in the same way that we killed that swine. Nevertheless, they were arrested the following afternoon, but there was not nearly time left to bring them to trial before the war began. told that the murder which galvanized almost every opponent of the government and the revolutionaries in Spain, Prime Minister Casinos Kidoga could only say what a mess they've gotten us into.

The news reached Berlin in Casablanca that afternoon, and he instantly realized that he must now have Franco picked up and brought to Spanish Morocco with the greatest possible speed, but it was not clear where Franco could land. Spanish Morocco had only four airfields that could accommodate a plane the size of the rapid dragon. the international airport at Tangier and three military fields. Franco could not risk landing at any of them until he was sure of a friendly reception. Belin decided that he had to remain in Casablanca to act as liaison between Spanish-Moraco, his associate the Marquise de Marito, had gone to Tangier for that purpose, and the rapid dragon going and returning from the Canary Islands.

This would have the additional advantage that only Englishmen, and women would now be aboard the Rapid Dragon, diverting any suspicion as to its real mission. Meanwhile, Beb and the mechanic were checking out the Rapid Dragon's engines, and the radio operator had disappeared into the Casbah, where he was eventually found in an alcoholic stupor. Do you blame him? The disgusted Pollard wanted nothing more to do with him. Beb will find the islands without the bastard's help, he told Berlin. Why not pack him home?

I'll see to everything. My console will send him back on a... a tramp steamer, and it won't cost you a penny. On Tuesday, the 14th, the funerals of both Calvo Sotelo and Lieutenant Castillo were held in Madrid. Castillo's coffin was draped in a red flag befitting the communist he had been. It was saluted with clenched fists by communist socialists and fellow assault guard. Calval Sotelo was buried as he had requested in a Franciscan habit. His close associate, Goichiya, declaimed, quoting, before that flag placed like a cross on your chest, before God that hears and sees us,

we make a solemn oath to put our lives to this triple work. To imitate your example, avenge your death, and save Spain, which is all one thing. To save Spain will be to avenge your death and to imitate your example, will be the sure way to save Spain. Gil Robles, less inspirational, but more pithy, predicted Sotelo's blood will drown the government. immediately after Calvo Sotelo's funeral, the assault guards in Madrid engaged in another gun battle with Falungists, which produced four dead and several wounded. Largo Caballero, who had been attending a meeting of the Socialist International in London, returned by train to Madrid that day. His advisory, Prieto, who had so often warned about against the coming disaster, was now reconciled to it. For all his relative moderation, he had no doubt which would be his side. If reaction dreams of a bloodless coup d'etat like that of 1923, it is entirely mistaken. If it supposes that it will find the regime defenseless, it is diluting itself. To conquer, it will have to surmount the human barrier with which the proletarian masses bars its way.

There will be, I have said it too many, I have said it many times, a battle to the death. Because each side knows that the adversary, if he wins, will give him no quarter. Even if this were the way it had to be, a decisive engagement would be better than this continuous bloodletting. About noon on Wednesday the 15th, after taking off from Casablanca at dawn, the Red Dragon landed at the exceedingly primitive airfield in Cabo Yubi in the Spanish Sahara, the closest point on the African continent to the Canary Islands. The garrison at this desert outpost was much impressed by the plane and by Diana and Dorothy. numerous chickens were killed, plucked, and roasted for a banquet in their honor. In Spain, it is usual to eat the main meal in the early afternoon, at which the English party had a little too much to drink. The Spanish commander at Cabo Hubi radioed the Ministry of War in Madrid to report the group's unauthorized arrival and destination. The staff there forwarded the message to General Franco as commandant of the Canary Islands directing him to detain them for questioning when they arrive there.

But no one tried to detain them at Cabo Hube, and by mid-afternoon, they were flying over the 150 miles of ocean, separating the Canary Islands from the African coast. In just over an hour, they had landed at Gondow Airport near San Palmas on the island of Grand Canary. Captain Beb was successful in convincing the authorities there that their arrival, without papers of any kind, was a mere oversight by muddle-headed tourists. by muddle-headed tourists. The day the Cortez met in Madrid under, that day, the Cortez met in Madrid, under a standing order for deputies to check all firearms in the cloak room. Most of the right declared that this was the last session they would attend.

Before walking out with almost all his Seda deputies, Gil Robles presented his final statistics on disorder. Since his previous speech of June 16, there had been 61 more killed, 224 more injured, 74 more bombings, 10 more churches burned, and nine more priests attack. War, he declared, was now inevitable. Quoting, when citizens' lives are at the mercy of the first gunmen, when the government is incapable of putting an end to this state of affairs, do not pretend that people believe in either legality or democracy. Rest assured that they will turn more and more to paths of violence, and we who are not capable of

preaching violence, nor of profiting from it, will gradually be displaced by others, Boulder and more violent men who will come to harvest this deep national feeling." End quote. Now Franco had to get from Tenerife, where he had been living under the towering two-mile high peak of Mount Teed to Las Palmas on Grand Canary, where the rapid dragon awaited him. At 7.30 in the morning of Thursday the 16th, Pollard, Diana, and Dorothy, arrived at Tenerife, somewhat the worst for a rough passage. Pollard went immediately to Dr. Gabarda to give him the coded message. Since he knew hardly a word of Spanish, she had to spell it out.

Suspicious of this peculiar procedure, the Dr. Cole shouldered him. Pollard kept him a plum. Fortunately, Dr. Gabarda spoke English, and Pollard gave him the actual message in that language that the aircraft had arrived. It was transmitted quickly, soon afterward, a young officer officer in plain clothes came up to Pollard to say, can the plane fly direct to Spanish Morocco? Is the pilot quite reliable? When will he be ready to leave? The day before, General Amadeo Balmus,

military governor of Las Palmas and the Canary Islands, had shot and killed himself during target practice while trying to unblock a jammed pistol. That sounds fishy. His funeral was scheduled for Friday the 17th, giving Franco a good reason for leaving Tenoriff to go to Les Palmas in order to attend it. Just before midnight, he took ship with his wife and daughter for the inter-island journey.

But conspiracies to overthrow governments rarely go exactly as planned. In the morning of the 17th, meeting in the map room at Malia, Colonel Juan Sigi, a phalanist and designated leader of the rising in eastern Morocco, briefed fellow Falangus on the plans and distributed arms to them. The traitor in the Falunge betrayed the plan. learning of the betrayal almost as soon as it took place, Colonel Segui went to the Spanish Foreign Legion. Its creator and flamboyant commander, Jose Milan Estre, who had lost a leg and arm in most of his teeth and had made Hail Death, the Legion's battle cry, and El Nouveo del Mara, he who is betrothed

to death their song, was in Argentina, but the men he had trained and inspired were ready for anything. They gave full support to Colonel Segui, with them behind him. He arrested General Manuel Manuel Romerales, the commander of the army in eastern Morocco, who was loyal to the government and reputedly the fattest general in the army. He was shot before nightfall and act with the passions and fears of the moment may explain but cannot excuse. Sagi immediately telegraphed Colonel Yaake designated second to Franco in the leadership of the rising in Morocco at the city of Quetta, where he was stationed to report what had happened. happened. He sent a similar telegram to Franco in Las Palmas. By the end of the evening, all of Spanish Morocco except the town of Larache had been secured before the government in Madrid found out what was going on. Larache resisted through the night, but fell to the rebel officers at

dawn. Arriving at Las Palmas on the 17th, Franco attended Balmas funeral in the morning. During the afternoon, he walked calmly through the town and arranged for his wife and daughter to board a German ship to sail to safety. He ate dinner late, as is the Spanish custom. At four o'clock in the morning of Saturday, July 18th, he was awakened to read his telegram from Morocco, telling him that the rising had taken place ahead of time. He wasted not a moment. It does not appear that he had confided in many officers stationed in the Canary Islands about the rising. Indeed, some authorities believe he had not made his final decision to join it until a few days before. But now he moved with cool and masterful decision, and most of the officers followed him. During the next two hours, while most

of the people and the soldiers were asleep, he secured the islands, occupying their radio stations, powerhouses, and reservoirs. He proclaimed martial law and sent telegrams to generals in Morocco and throughout Spain, urging them to rally to his cause. Each message ended with the words, Blind Faith in Victory. At 5.15 in the morning, Canary Islands radio stations began broadcasting Franco's proclamation, drafted before his departure from Tenerife, stating his reasons for taking up arms against Spain's government. Quoting, Spaniards, whoever feels a holy love of Spain, whoever among the army and the Navy has made profession of faith in the service of his country, whoever has sworn to defend her from her enemies, the nation calls you to her defense.

With each day the situation in Spain becomes more critical. In most of her fields and villages, anarchy reigns. The authority of the government is employed to foment revolution. His proclamation promised a new political order described only in the most general terms. It was also notable for what it did not say. There was no reference to General Sanjuro, and there was no reference to the peril of the church nor the attacks made on her. The Spanish Civil War was not yet a crusade. At two o'clock that afternoon, a short, dark complexion man walked up to the rapid dragon and introduced himself to Captain Beb with a firm handshake. I am General Franco.

He climbed into the plane with two companions and a radio operator. Major Pollard, Diana, and Dorothy remained on Las Palmas. As they soared over the eastern Atlantic, leading to the coast of Africa, Franco took off his uniform, changed into civilian dress so as not to be identified when they landed in French Morocco and tossed the uniform into the sea. They refueled at Agadir. When at length they approached Casablanca a few minutes before 9 o'clock, It was the last stage of twilight.

Berlin was waiting at the airport. All police and customs officials had left for the night, assuming no planes would arrive in the dark. Someone turned on the landing lights, a fuse promptly blew, and they went out. It was too dark to land without them. Captain Beb had to make a second approach to the runway while fortunately available electrician replaced the fuse.

Immediately after his landing, they had a fast meal of ham sandwiches and beer at the airport, and then went to a shabby hotel some distance away from the city. Franco and Bolin shared a small room where Franco talked until two in the morning, reviewing prospects for the rising. With remarkable foresight, which proved almost correct, Franco said that most of the military officers in the country and the country people of Spain would support his cause from the beginning, but most of the cities in the present rank and file of the army and Navy probably would not. That would mean a long war, not a quick takeover.

Could they win such a war? Belin asked. Franco answered. In the last resort, we would take to the hills, and from there carry out the kind of guerrilla warfare at which my men excel. The enemy could never beat us, but we shall not have to do that. We have ideals, faith, and discipline. Our opponents lack all this. It may take longer than most people think, but in the end, we are certain to win. After just two hours sleep, Franco and Belin rejoined their party at the Casablan Airport at dawn Sunday, July 9th.

for the first time they were asked for their passports. Franco had a diplomatic passport given to him by a friendly official in the Spanish foreign ministry into which he had inserted his own photograph. No one checked the physical description which did not fit Franco at all. Franco's aide Salgado had no passport but got through by saying that Bolin had it. Once in the air, Franco donned another uniform. They landed at the Spanish Moroccan city of Tetuan, firmly held by the rebel officers at 7 a.m.

The historic flight of the Rapid Dragon was completed as General Franco took command of the army in Morocco against the government of Spain. Meanwhile, the betrayal of the rising in Morocco by the Falanga spy had disarrayed its whole program. From early in the morning on Saturday the 18th, the government was on the air declaring that no one had risen outside Morocco and that the rebellion there would be swiftly put down. The appearance of calm control the situation given by these radio podcasts, was very far from the truth. Prime Minister Cesardo's Chiroga was in a state of near panic, shouting and screaming.

At one moment, he blurted in what could have been either a pathetic attempted humor or a touch of madness. They're rising. Very well. I shall go and lie down. Whenever anyone was listening to the radio, the element's surprise was lost. This caused many of the generals who had conspired

with Mola to hesitate. One who did not hesitate was Kiyapo de Yano in Sevilla. He was assigned to lead its rising, but had only arrived in the city the day before and had just four officers with him. But he moved it once before most of the military men in the city had heard of the rising in Morocco, or had time to grasp its significance. In an astonishing demonstration of bluff and bravado, he prevailed. His proceedings would be incredible if they were not well documented. First, he set up his headquarters in a block of offices and a building abandoned because of Seville's fierce summer heat. Then he walked on an ounce into the

officer general Fernandez via Abria, commander of the army in Andalusia. I have to tell you, Kieppo informed the astounded general that the time has come to take a decision. Either you are with me and my other comrades, or you are with this government who is leading Spaden to ruin. When Via Arribié did not respond, Kiebo declared him and his staff on under arrest. Since he had no place to put anybody under arrest, he simply sent them into the next room, which had no lock turned to a corporal standing nearby, and ordered him to shoot anyone who came out of that room. The abashed corporal obeyed, and the equally abashed officers stayed inside. Then Kieppo went to the infantry barracks, where he found that the colonel commanding had drawn

up his men in military formation on the plaza. I shake your hand, my dear colonel, Kiapo exclaimed, and I congratulate you on your decision to put yourself in the side of brothers in arms in these hours when the fate of our country is being decided. When the colonel mumbled that he had done no such thing, Kieppo declared him relieved of his command and asked for volunteers to replace him. A young captain raised his hand. Kieupe then told the other officers, you are my prisoners. Like the first group, they accepted their status without protests. At this point, about 25 Carlist, 15 Falungas, and a few civil guardsmen appeared to support. the rebel general. Later in the day, Kiepah went over the commander of the artillery in Seville.

He brought his guns into Plaza San Fernando and opened fire on the building housing the civil government, which promptly surrendered. Hearing garbled but alarming reports of these events, the workers of the city began building barricades. But that evening, Kiepah went on the radio. He proved the master of radio propaganda, convincing his listeners that he was fully in charge and would deal mercilessly with anyone who resisted him, and this soon became the fact. Gonzalo Chiapo deiano has much to answer for over the next six months as military governor for the nationalist in the south. He was no crusader, hardly a Catholic. In 1931, he had approved the burning of churches and convents. But if other local leaders of the rising had displayed

half his bold panache, hundreds of thousands of Spanish lives might have been saved. With the with the rising successful in Morocco and Sevilla, it would be feasible to bring the veteran soldiers in Morocco into action in Spain, provided they could cross the Straits of Gibraltar without interference. Both sides recognized the vital importance of control of the Straits. As soon as Franco's proclamation was broadcast, Navy Minister Jose Gidal ordered three destroyers based on Cartagena to block the Straits and bombard the port of Malia,

in Morocco from which troops could embark. The officers of the destroyers announced that they supported the rising. Gidal radioed orders dismissing all officers who refused to obey government orders. A young radio officer named Benjamin Balboa seized control of the main naval radio transmitter on the south coast and used it to rebroadcast these orders repeatedly throughout the day. The crews of the destroyer Sanchez, I'm not going to pronounce that name, and Almirante Valdez consequently mutinyed against their officers. But on the third destroyer, Churaka, Churuku, that sounds like something from Taco Bell,

Churuka, the radio was out of order. So the crew heard nothing, and their officers were able to sail the ship across the straits and pick up the first load of soldiers from the Moroccan army. They were landed at Cadiz at dawn and helped Carlos General Vare, but Varela secure the port city for the rising. But in the two principal cities of Spain, Madrid and Barcelona, no officer had yet moved. Pressed by his staff, General Franco Yano de la Encomienda in Barcelona told them that if forced to choose, he preferred communism to fascism. Across the French border in the Pyrenean village of Saint-Jean de Luce that day, Falcande gave Joaquin,

and Dolores Balez Tena, members of the first Carlos family in Nevada, Prince Javier's instructions for the Riquete to join the rising. They crossed the border and return to Pumplona, Dolores carrying the written orders in her sandals.

In the streets of Pompulona, she heard the young men wearing red berets singing. The holidays are joyful, and the girls are pretty, and I must go, for I am called by Alfonso Carlos Bourbon. That evening word went out that every soldier that at Kete of Nevada, Navarra, who could reach the main square of Pomplona the next morning, should be there with arms in their hands ready for war. All during the night they streamed in from hill and valley with exultation on their faces, the crusading hour had struck. That same evening at the National Shrine at the Mountain of the Angels at the exact center of Spain,

graced by a great statue of the Sacred Heart, some 30 members of the companies of St. Joseph and the Sacred Heart were engaged in nocturnal adoration of Christ in the tabernacle, praying for the salvation of their country and its faith. Knowing that the shrine and the statue would be in grave danger if war broke out, they decided to post a permanent guard of five men on the mountain. It was a quiet night at the Mountain of Angels, but hell was in Madrid. At 3 o'clock in the morning of Sunday, the 19th,

the shattered Casares Kiroga resigned his prime minister. Despite his disintegration, he had resisted to the end demands from the militant, socialist, and anarchists to distribute arms to the people. Like every well-informed man in Spain, he knew what that would mean. But moms were already breaking into the arsenals, churches, monasteries, convents, and secular buildings, thought to be especially symbolic of the class enemy were being set of fire. I still can't get over that how good. good the enemy's propaganda is that most people believe that the Spanish Civil War was

a bunch of fascists who just overthrew Democrats. James Klug describes the nightmare scene, quoting, Before the dawn of that Black Sunday, the 19th of July, leaping flames and rolling clouds of smoke alternately revealed and obscured the commandeering of vehicles, diluting of shops and restaurants, and scenes of even more violent and tragic vengeance on all who resisted and many who simply stood appalled at all this outrage and disorder. All that night the armed rioters massacred their opponents, including many priests and monks in the glare of the burning buildings. The crash of falling masonry, the incessant reports of firearms,

the thunderous passage of armored cars and other heavy vehicles tearing through the packed streets, the shrieks of the victims and the ferocious cheering of their executioners turned the capital of Spain into an inferno. long afterward in his memoir is a huge, bold-necked communist combat commander who called himself El Campesino the peasant, one of the few

of his kinds to survive the Spanish Civil War said he still could not imagine how one day could have held so much bloodshed in battle as July 19, 1936. At 4 o'clock in the morning of that day, troops under Major Jose Lopez Amor

marched out from the pedralbas barracks toward the center of Barcelona. A generous ration of brandy had been served to them on empty stomachs. Some were told their mission was to crush an anarchist revolt. Others that they were only going to march around the city in honor of the people's Olympiad, arranged by critics of the regular Olympic Games that were then being held conducted under Hitler's eye in Berlin. They reached a Plaza de Catalonia in the center of the city and took possession of the telephone building there, but got no further. Other columns, which were intended to join them, did not even reach the center of town. General Manuel Godd, who had asked to lead the rising in Barcelona and been approved in that assignment by Mola,

had not yet arrived from the Beleric Islands where he was stationed. The rising was beginning without a leader. Barcelona had long been the principal center of Spanish radicalism. It had militant left, organizations of every stripe from Lago Caballero Socialists through Trotskyite communists and Stalinist communists to moderate anarchists who believe they could cooperate temporarily with some government to radical anarchists who believe they could cooperate with none. These groups mostly hated each other, but they hated conservative and Catholic Spain more. All turned out in the streets to fight. Increasing numbers of soldiers and the Civil Guard joined them.

General Goded arrived in the late morning to find the situation out of control. the Plaza, Catalonia, covered with dead men and dead horses, fires blazing, and bullets sweeping the streets. As evening came, his headquarters were stormed and he was captured. He made a radio broadcast which the government rebroadcast all over Spain, calling on his officers and men to lay down arms. Fate has been against me, he said. General Goode had not learned that Crusaders did not believe in fate. He was shot on August 12th. at the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Barcelona that day

armed men of the left entered the building dug up the body of a woman from its grave under the church and placed it in the entrance in full public view by dawn azania had noticed he doesn't say anarchist did this he doesn't say socialist did this you bring this up and communists will say no that was the anarchist who cares

you all deserve to die That's it. By dawn, Azanya had asked his old associate Diego Martinez Barrio, head of the Republican Union Party, to form a government to succeed Cassaris and Kirogas. It had no support from those now actually dominating the country. Largo Caballero declared he would prevent such a government from taking power by force of arms if need be. In an absurd, desperate attempt to compromise Martinez-Badio telephoned General Mullin, in Pamplona to offer him a post in his new government. The house where Molo was living overlooked the Plaza de Castillo, the center square of Pamplona.

It was 6 o'clock in the morning, and the crusade was forming up outside his window. 6,000 Riquettes filled the square, with more arriving every minute, singing Carlos songs and Catholic hymns, going to confession, receiving Holy Communion. Dolores Balas Tena remembers shouts of joy, happy faces to people sweeping off in the land. Lurys, tractors, farm carts, bringing red berets from every side street into the square. Most of the people in their Sunday best, a man in shirt, sleeves leap from a lorry crying, here we come, confessed and communed for whatever God demands. So General Mola told Martinez-Badio, Prime Minister of Spain, for just one day, quote,

What you propose is now impossible. Pomplona is filled a full of carless. From my balcony, I I see only red berets. Everyone is ready for the battle. If I tell these men now that I have made an arrangement with you, the first head to roll would be mine. Mola had the people's army he needed. Compromised, not of, comprised, not of unwilling conscripts,

but of crusaders. Nothing like this had been seen in Europe since the rising of the Vendie in France against the French Revolution. Many of the Akhetes, like the Catholic and Royal Army of the Vendis, wore sacred heart badges on their shoulders, and over their hearts. In the square that morning, mothers hung crucifix. In the square of that morning,

mothers hung crucifixes around the next of their sons. Some villages in Navarra were virtually depopulated of men. Artahona sent 775 of its 800 men to the crusade. Records show as many as eight members of the same family enlisted, sometimes three generations fought together. A famous story from the war tells that Riquete, who was asked, who should be told if he were killed in action. A famous story from the war tells him that Riquete, who was asked, who should be told if he were killed in action. Jose Maria de Hernandorenna of the terseo of Montefura at age 65. He's my father.

And if he should be killed, too, then tell Jose Maria de Hernandoena of the terseo of Montefiura, Montezhouara, age 15, he's my son. To quote the reminuses of one young Grekeete who enlisted in Navarra that day, Juan Ura Lusoretta, to whose adventures during the rest of the epicle year, we will periodically return. Quoting, I never knew so thrilling a sight, I never knew so thrilling a joy as seized us. We did not know if we would soon be martyrs or victors.

We knew surely that this was, by this, we would act above all for God, and that the hour had arrived to show with deeds what we had sworn in the face of the ruin of our country and the many profanations the revolution had inflicted continuously upon the church. We remember that it had been said from the pulpit on the day of the February elections. They will not profane these churches without our having defended them to the death. Now at this moment, the time has come to prove that. With what exultation did we leap upon the highways? We keep joking with one another in the warmth of the gladness that invaded us.

I'll stop right there and pick it up in the next episode. There are ads in this. If you want to get the episodes early an ad free, go to freemamieonthewall.com forward slash support. Five ways to do it on my way. website there, subscribe star, gumroad, substack, Patreon. And yeah, that's it. We will be back for part four and pick this up, this very long chapter. Thank you. See you then.