as) were fighting again 33.000 fascists, well armed, with warship firing from the coast with planes bombing all the day. During the resistance was created a new Cantabrian Brigade (called Highlander at that time) and also were battalions named like the “Blood of October”… all decided to fight to the end.
The last resistance and fights were around two peaks of the Cantabrian cordillera: El Mazucu y Peñas Blancas. The fight was hard. The environment and the conditions were very difficult for all.
In the official history said that all North Front (Asturias, Cantabria, Euskadi) collapsed and the antifascist troops were defeated the 20 of October, when Gijon - the second Asturian city- was captured.
But the fight in Peñas Blancas last to the 22 of October. Till that day the resistance continue with Red flag in the top of the peak. After this day all Cantabria was military in hands of the fascist, and the long and dark night of the fascist dictator ship started.
The first years of occupation were really dramatic. With no doubt the Cantabrian People, specially the working class and poor peasants suffer a brutal genocide.
Thousands of Cantabrians were killed, many dozens of entire families disappear, even kids and elder people were put in front of firing squad. Is record in the Santander graveyard that as young as 9 and as old as 83 were murdered by them. We don’t know of the un-record killings. But its know that even heavy pregnant women were killed without mercy. That was the bloody price that Cantabria and its People had to pay in the defeat
Dozens of Concentration Camps were settled all across the territory and the prisons were full. The justice of the invaders was merciless. Hundreds of more Cantabrian (from communist to democrats or even apolitical) were to be killed in front of firing squads and other hundreds in the hand of uncontrolled fascist, or by the torture and the conditions in the prisons and concentration camps. And all this happened not for month but for years.
The fascist used POW as slave workers, specially in the most dangerous jobs. The properties of hundreds of Cantabrians end in fascist hands. The looting of animals, houses, money and property was massive and of course all went to the invaders hands and to local fascists, that they were willing to revenge the shame of being defeat the first day without big fights by the People. Many fascists get rich and healthy and they still are.
Many of the Cantabrian soldiers and former members of the militia were still free, armed and with the will to resist. And many other people that accept the defeat and went back home, were horrified by what they saw and what they experienced and joined them.
The Cantabrian Resistance started the same day that the invader took down the Red Flag of the last peak. In many valley the sensation of being occupied only happened when the fascist forces came looking for the freedom fighters. They had Cantabria militarily in their hands but they were far from having it under control. Only many weeks after official defeat of the Cantabrian Army the Fascist soldiers were withdrew from the direct repression and occupation of villages and cities. But they helped after that when big operations took place.
In Cantabrian regions like Tresmiera, Polaciones Campoo and Liebana the resistance was powerful since the beginning and it was no doubt of the popular support they have. Even with all the bloody repression that was going on. For the working class they were heroes and freedom fighters against the hatred fascist oppression.
Many Guerrilla Brigades were created with the past of the years. One of that Brigades was named “Luciano Malumbres” (as the Regiment of the Cantabrian Army) to honour the Cantabrist and Socialist Leader.
The activity of the Brigades were many. Often related to their power in the moment and capability to carry out operations, but the State forces were always scared of them. Sometimes they avoid confrontation because they State forces were much more in number and wasn’t sure the possibility of escape but the State forces avoid