Madrid became one of the key symbols of Republican resistance to
General Franco during the Spanish Civil War following the
Nationalists' failure to take the city in the winter of 1936-7.
Yet despite the defiant cries of 'No pasaran', they did
eventually pass on 28 March 1939. This book examines the
consequences in Madrid of Franco's unconditional victory in the
Spanish Civil War. Using recently available archival material,
this study shows how the punishment of the vanquished was based
on a cruel irony - Republicans, not the military rebels of July
1936, were held responsible for the fratricidal conflict.
Military tribunals handed out sentences for the crime of
'military rebellion'; mere passivity towards the Nationalists
before 1939 was not only made a civil offence under the Law of
Political Responsibilities but could cause dismissal from work;
and freemasons and Communists, specifically blamed for the Civil
War, were criminalized by decree in March 1940. However,
contrary to much that has been written on t