The Battle of the Ebro was the longest and largest battle of the Spanish Civil War, taking place from July to November 1938 in Catalonia and Aragon. Nationalist Spain's victory over Republican Spain split the Republican-held territories in two and destroyed the Republican army, allowing for the Nationalists to make a final push on Madrid, which fell in early 1939.
History[]
In summer 1938, facing almost certain defeat, the Loyalists launched a major offensive across the Ebro River, hoping that, if they demonstrated their ability to fight, the western democracies might yet come to their aid. Under General Juan Modesto, troops crossed the river by boat on the night of 23-24 July, the rest of the force crossing on pontoon bridges the following day. By 1 August they had advanced 25 miles, but the Nationalists held a strong position at Gandesa. Both sides suffered heavy casualties in frontal assaults on entrenched positions. Nationalist artillery and airstrikes by German Ju-87 Stuka dive-bombers wore down the Popular Army, the remnants of which were driven back to their start point by mid-November. A Nationalist victory in the war was now a formality, completed by 1 April 1939.