2023-07-09 23:42:09
On January 28, 1939, when the President of the Council of Ministers Juan Negrín addressed the Spaniards by radio, the Republic could do little to turn the war around and win Franco. Everything had been sentenced with the resounding defeat in the Battle of the Ebro. On the 26th, in addition, General Yagüe entered Barcelona without firing a single shot and the Republicans left the city into exile, while Italian aviation bombed the roads leading to the border of France.
At this point, no one could entertain the slightest hope that the Civil War could be reversed. Nobody, except Negrín, who seemed unaware of the desperate situation in which the Republic found itself, with the streets of Barcelona empty and hundreds of thousands of Spaniards heading towards the towns closest to the border, which was closed at the time. by decision of the French Government.
In this desperate situation, Negrín gave a speech on the radio in which he informed the Spanish of the latest setbacks and assured that, despite this, all was not lost: «Spanish, the inevitable has happened, we have lost Barcelona. The enemy seeks that this loss means the collapse of our fronts, the collapse of our rear, to quickly achieve our final crushing, but it will not achieve it. It is in our hands to avoid it and we will avoid it. The present moments are the hardest and most serious of our struggle. With integrity and serenity, we will solve them, but it is necessary that everyone, absolutely everyone, keep their coolness and spirit, and that they double their efforts and place themselves at the orders of the Government with discipline and self-sacrifice.
That opinion, however, was not shared by a very broad sector of the Republican camp. In particular, by the President of the Republic, Manuel Azaña, the Republican Left and Republican Union parties and an important sector of the PSOE and the Catalan and Basque nationalists. All of them were convinced that Negrín was no longer qualified to direct the designs of the country during that agony.
“The Discouraged”
Proof of this is what he said next in his speech: «The hesitant, the discouraged and the downhearted are the best collaborators with the enemy. They are used by rebel agents and invaders to sow confusion, engender panic and produce chaos that would be the ruin of all. That each Spanish citizen feels responsible for guaranteeing order, an instrument of the will of the people to raise enthusiasm for the fight. The Government needs everyone’s help and demands it.
The news was picked up by the republican edition of ABC, whose newsroom was in Madrid, in a comprehensive article entitled: ‘Doctor Negrín explains the current moment to the country’. However, the President of the Council of Ministers did not explain anything, he did not report on how the war was going, but rather he transmitted a totally partial vision to encourage his people to continue in the fight, hoping that the Second World War would break out and the allies came to Spain to their aid. The wait was in vain, because neither Great Britain nor France came to their aid and the dead did not stop increasing.
Negrín continued his desperate address «I have never deceived you, and the loyalty of my conduct gives me the right to claim your trust. If you do not want to succumb like a flock of lambs and perish in exhaustion and misery, you will have to listen to my words and obey the mandates of the Government. You have to, otherwise you dig your own graves. Taking advantage of the difficulties of information and the scarce means for the relations of the Government with the people, the enemy spreads hoaxes and hoaxes, which the fear of many increases to justify their own cowardice.
Negotiate with Franco
At that time, the president of the Council only had the support of the communists and another part of the socialists. He was left alone, but he resisted while behind him the conspiracy of General Segismundo Casado was brewing to throw him out of power and begin to negotiate with Franco a dignified surrender in which no more people would die. They had asked him so on several occasions before, but Negrín was not willing to hand over his government to the fascists. He would have to take it from him, as he warned him:
«I appeal to the good sense and sanity of my fellow citizens, so that all fatal recklessness is avoided and the wave of demoralization set in motion by agents provocateurs is stopped. Cut off all indiscipline and force those who have lost it to recover their serenity. I am confident that my appeal will be heeded. If this does not happen, the interest of all and the supreme reasons of public health will force the Government to rigorously apply the most severe measures, without contemplation or weakness. The general coexistence and existence of our homeland goes into it. Have faith in my affirmations and trust that the momentary predicament will be saved. I guarantee it to you, if you give me the proper support».
Two days later, Negrín insisted on the same idea during his speech at the last session of the Republican Cortes held, secretly, in the underground stables of the Castillo de San Fernando de Figueras. While the president addressed the rest of the surviving deputies, outside the Francoist bombs could be heard falling on the surrounding towns. Several important correspondents were present, such as Herbert L. Matthews of ‘The New York Times’; Keith Scott-Watson, of the ‘Daily Herald’, and Henry Buckley, of the ‘Times’. Some chronicles say that the latter whispered into the ear of his Russian colleague Ilya Ehrenburg, sent by the newspaper ‘Izvestia’, the following premonition: “This place is like a tomb.” To which he replied: “My friend, this is not only the tomb of the Spanish Republic, but also of European democracy.”
Everyone saw him except Juan Negrín, who continued to give false hope to those who listened to him. When he dissolved the Cortes, the deputies knew that this would be the last time they would meet. They only thought about saving their lives. Since the French border was less than twenty kilometers away, several cars with their headlights on turned up to take them away.
#place #grave