As you approach the ghost town of Belchite in the Spanish province of Aragon the soil turns a deep red, almost like a sign that the place you are approaching is soaked in the blood of battle. Belchite is perhaps the most powerful reminder in Spain of the devastation that war (in this case the civil war of 1936 – 39) can bring to human populations. It remains today as it was at its surrender on 1 September 1937.
August 24 1937 saw the beginning of the Battle of Belchite. The Spanish Civil War cost the lives of over 300 thousand people and today the town can be seen as a quiet tribute to people – any people – who lost their lives in the conflict. However, the town was left initially as it is for much darker political motives.
The battle was part of the Republican Army’s (communists, socialists and liberals, put very simply) major offensive in Aragon. Belchite was along the line which led to their final target of the provincial capital of Zaragoza and the result was a bloodbath which lasted two weeks. The battle left the town a smoking ruin of death, destroyed buildings and corpses, some six thousand of them.
The Nationalist (right wing, fascist – put simply) resistance in Belchite was fierce. Under constant bombardment from artillery, plus Russian-trained fighter pilots, the nationalist defenders, numbering some seven thousand, held the town until 7 September when it was taken by the Republicans.
There were Americans involved in this battle. The Lincoln-Washington Battalion (on the Republican side – volunteers, not sent by the US government) and were ordered to take the church. Twenty two Americans joined in the first assault – and only two survived. A diversionary attack later allowed the American battalion to enter the town but they suffered even heavier casualties.
However, due to the delays in taking the town, the Nationalist army were able to bring in reinforcements to Aragon and the full scale offensive on Zaragoza was doomed to failure. When the war ended in 1939 the leader of the country was led by General Franco, who adopted a policy of zero tolerance towards opposition parties and trade unions.
Franco ordered Republican prisoners to return to Belchite and to rebuild it – his argument being that as they had destroyed it then it was their responsibility to restore it. However, the dictator had a perverse idea, a trick up his sleeve – that the town should be left destroyed and a new one built next to it. He intended it to be a reminder of the damage wrought by the forces of communism on Spain.
So, the new town was built next door and old Belchite left to its own devices and still today gives a strong (albeit sanitised) impression of how the town looked at the end of the battle. Franco’s decree has been diligently observed. Although there is some shoring up of some buildings the town has been left to the forces of entropy and the overall atmosphere is one of deliberate neglect, which it could be argued is absolutely as it should be.
Many of the remains are very striking, in particular the churches and the old clock tower. Many sculptures which adorned the exterior of the houses are still more or less intact. There are little restrictions on the wandering tourist – you can go where you like. However, tourists should be aware that there is a risk from falling masonry.
There seems to be some disinclination on the part of Spanish authorities to properly preserve the site, due possibly to the fact that the civil war which so divided the country and its people (not to mention its aftermath under the steel fist of Franco) still retains that capacity. Perhaps the words of Albert Camus are an appropriate way to end this visit to Belchite.
It was in Spain that men learned that one can be right and still be beaten, that force can vanquish spirit, that there are times when courage is not its own reward. It is this, without doubt, which explains why so many men throughout the world regard the Spanish drama as a personal tragedy.
Preface to L’Espagne Libre, 1945
11 comments:
No es cierto que el pueblo quedara así despues de la Guerra Civil, lo que sucede es que a unos cuantos les interesa que la historia de este pueblo sea esta.
Mi padre nació en ese mismo pueblo, ahora abandonado y en ruinas, però no devastado por la Guerra civil, en el año 1945, es decir 6 años despues que terminara la guerra
Vaya, ya salió el listillo de turno;seguro que ni hubo batalla en Belchite.
Dejando aparte las ideas politicas de cada cual, es cierto que una de las batallas mas sangrientas de la guerra civil fue en belchite, asi como es cierto que en el pueblo viejo, es decir el de las fotos estuvo gente viviendo varios años, hasta que se construyo el belchite nuevo justo al lado de el, al cesar lo que es del cesar, por cierto al redactor del articulo, puntualizarle que se equivoca, belchite no pertenece a la provincia de aragon, pertenece a la provincia de zaragoza, una de las tres junto a huesca y teruel que componen la region, o comunidad autonoma de aragon.
Un saludo desde zaragoza.
My uncle died in the battle of Belchite. He was nineteen and he didn’t choose to be in tat battle, no even in that war. Bat because he was from Galicia, he had to go, and fight on Franco is side. So that makes him one of those right wing, fascist ¿I ask?
There were many more young men like my uncle, so in there name I would like to ask you something: Please, If you like to rite about our history, learn it first.
yo naci en belchite en 1945 vivi alli asta 6 años despues,unos años mas tarde estuve de nuebo en belchite, puedo asegurar que no era el pueblo que se ve en las fotografias aqui publicadas
To the first person
I am happy that children were born here after the Civil War - but we need to see these children. Was you father born in the old town or the new town. There is evidence, yes, of people living there after 1937 - but after General Franco built his concentration camp on the perimeter - does it mean it was a community or people living in rubble?
To anonymous 1
If it was not a batlle what was it? Dynamite in the 80s? :-)
To Anonymous 2
My aplogies - I thought that Zaragoza was inside Aragon.
To Pacos
I appreciate that many young men and women were forced to fight in this war. Many were forced to fight and did not understand the politics - that is war. However, although this does not make him a fascist, personally - it still means that he was fighting on the side of the fascists. I say this sympathetically. He was, like many, innocent of the politics.
To anonymous 3
The proof is here. Show me pictures of Belchite in 1945, please. I will show the pictures here. If the town was destroyed after the civil war, then we need to know the truth.
The eye of the outsider reveals something different, sometimes. I tried to be careful not to criticise the different sides in the civil war because I know many are still very sensitive about it. I wished to show the place as it is today and to give some historical context.
I will try and answer in Spanish below. Forgive me - I have 5 languages, but not Spanish!
A la primera persona
Soy feliz que los niños nacieron aquí después de que la guerra civil - pero necesitamos ver a estos niños. Estaba usted padre nacido en la ciudad vieja o la nueva ciudad. ¿Hay evidencia, sí, de la gente que vive allí después de 1937 - pero después de General Franco construido su campo de concentración en el perímetro - él lo significa era una comunidad o una gente que vive en escombros?
A 1 anónimo
¿Si no era un batlle cuál era él? ¿Dinamita en los años 80? :-)
A 2 anónimos
¡Lo siento! - I pensó que Zaragoza era Aragon interior.
A Pacos
Aprecio que forzaron a muchos hombres jovenes y mujeres a luchar en esta guerra. Muchos fueron forzados a luchar y no entendían la política - que es la guerra. Sin embargo, aunque esto no le haga a un fascista, personalmente - todavía significa que él luchaba en el lado de los fascistas. Digo esto sympathetically. Él era, como muchos, innocent de la política.
A 3 anónimos
La prueba está aquí. Demuéstreme los fotografías de Belchite en 1945, por favor. Demostraré los cuadros aquí. Si la ciudad fue destruida después de la guerra civil, después necesitamos saber la verdad.
El ojo del forastero revela algo diferente, a veces. Intenté tener cuidado de no criticar los diversos lados en la guerra civil porque sé que muchos siguen siendo muy sensibles sobre ella. Deseaba demostrar el lugar como está hoy y dar un cierto contexto histórico.
I tried. I am sorry! My Spanish is bad!
Wir müssen uns knapp verpaßt haben ... ein schöner Himmel über den Ruinen!
(Tenemos que acaban de perder ... un hermoso cielo por encima de las ruinas!)
http://ddr-luftwaffe.blogspot.com/2010/08/spaniens-himmel-belchite.html
Soy "1 anónimo",creo: mi comentario era irónico;claro que hubo una batalla en Belchite, joder, cualquiera lo sabe;por aquí decimos "...en Belchite, que no quedó ni el cura".
Hi, thanks for posting a good photo essay on Belchite. I've visited the site several times. However, the narrative is a litle confused and confusing for readers who do not know the history of the war on the Aragón front. You write that the town surrendered on September 1st, 1937,but also write that the town held out until September 7th.
In fact there were two battles for Belchite - August-September,1937, during the Republican advance on Zaragoza, and March,1938 when the Nationalists re-took the town.
Also Belchite was not defended, as you write, by thousands of Nationalist troops, but by hundreds, between 300 and 600 men. The tragedy of the first battle was that there was really no pressing need to take it at all - the Republicans could have (and should have) bypassed it, contained it, and pressed on to cut the fascists' supply lines into Zaragoza.
The fact that Belchite was fought over twice makes the site all the more poignant. And yes, people continued to live in the rubbled ruins for several years after the war ended and before the new town was built.
It's a pity too you chose to end the photo essay with a shot of a Nationalist memorial. Regards.
Wow no tenia conocimiento.
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