The Aragón Nationalist Offensive of 1938

August 24-September 27, 1937

March 9-July 19, 1938. Capitalizing on the weak state of the Republican Aragón armies after Teruel, the Nationalists and Italians launched a motarized offensive backed heavilly by German and Italian air and well supported by Italian artillery. The depleted Republican forces were utterly routed and the Nationalists were able to march to the sea, cutting the Republican territory in two, crushing anything in their path. Widening the breach, Italians and Spanish Navarrese troops attempting to take Valencia ran up into well prepared, albeit untried, divisions unaffected by the Aragón collapse. In this defensive battle, the Nationalists lost 20,000 men and were halted short of Valencia, partly because of the Republican defense and partly because of the new Republican offensive across the Ebro. Other than for the defense of the territory before Valencia, this campaign marked a clear Republican disaster and, unless France intervened, heralded the beginning of the end for the Republic. [Santa Cruz].