ist coup d'etat. This was the initial idea, but the resistance and the division of the people between lefts and rights in many places develop the situation to a bloody civil war that last three years.
But the fact is that was no Civil War in Cantabria. The fascist were defeated the first day. It was a simple and open invasion from outside by the fascist forces.
The first event of the bloody fight that was going to come, was the coward murder of Luciano Malumbres. This man was a very respectful journalist with clear ideals and a political activist. Also director of the Cantabrist left-wing and revolutionary newspaper “La Region” Himself was a clear cantabrist and socialist. With time he developed himself politically from socialism to communist ideals, but keeping the love ant interest for his Country.
The editorial line was since many years ago (since Monarchy times) that the Republican fight was not only to achieve a Spanish Republic. Was, or need to be, a fight to achieve a Confederal Republic of States, in which Cantabria had its own Republic-State. Of course a real democratic and socialistic one.
In June of 36 he was in a bar of Santander was playing cards with some friends when a fascist terrorist brought from Madrid that was in a table near him waiting for the moment… shoot him cowardly killing Malumbres. The fascist tried to escape but the people of the bar caught him and was killed. Another man related with this coward murder was killed in the city the next day.
The people was shocked. Luciano Malumbres was loved and respect by the mayority of the working class that see in him a honest leader, a true defender of their interest and of the interest of Cantabria.
The day of the funeral the mass demonstration of pain and respect for the coward action was impressive. Thousands and thousand of persons pack the central streets of Santander. Even the right-wing leaders were impress by such a demonstration and popular respond. The elder people that were really young kids and the time remember it as an impressive day, saying after that he was a really loved and respected person. The People listen to him and they kill him because that.
Not much later it was created the “Project of Cantabrian- Castilian Statute” that didn’t have the chance to be put in practice because the war. In this project was pictured a near independent state for Cantabria, with the possibility for the cantabrian territories under other countries or provinces to go back to the original motherland. This is the more progressive statute project that we have since then. Much more progressive in all aspects that the actual one.
The Invasion of Cantabria
In the north the situation was complicated. The connection was the central and south part of the State was broken because the coup d’etat was a success and fascist were dominant and powerful in Castilla. But also Galicia the coup d’etat was a success . In Asturias parts of the west and the most important city, Oviedo, fall in their hands. In the other side in Euskadi, where the catholic were very influent half of the territory follow the fascists. The nationalists, catholic themselves, in the other half had not a very clear position in the first moments but at the end they decide to be loyal to the Republic.
Only Cantabria remains from the first day, 18 of July the day of the coup d’etat, loyal to the Republic of the Popular Front. The People, the revolutionaries organizations move fast and they were decided to fight and defeat the fascist. They found true allies in some soldiers and some members of the State forces. The fascist were defeat the same day in all the Country and even no big fight happened.
High officers off the Police, some high officers of the Army and the high politicians and members of the Spanish Administration keep the support for the Republic. They had little chance.
The People, the working class support the left and were deeply antifascist. Even some people tough Cantabrian People were conservative and that they were going to support the fascist. They have a deep and quick sad view of the 