Maroto Column

Maroto Column
Columna Maroto
Active	1936
Country	Spanish Republic
Allegiance	CNT
Branch	Confederal militias
Type	Militia
Role	Home defense
Size	1,000
Garrison/HQ	Guadix
Commanders
Notable commanders	Francisco Maroto del Ojo

The Maroto column was a militia column that operated at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War.

History[]

The column was founded in Alicante, in the summer of 1936, by the Granadin anarchist leader Francisco Maroto del Ojo.^[1] At first it was made up of 270 anarchist militiamen.^[2] After being formed, on August 6 the column left Alicante and headed for the Granada front; they managed to reach the town of Guadix, where they established their headquarters.^[3] In this area they managed to recruit more volunteers, until the column reached a thousand troops.

Their military actions, however, were null. The Maroto column took part in the attack against the nationalist position at Güéjar Sierra, but it was never in a position to retake the city of Granada.^[4] At the end of 1936, the attempts to militarize this militia met with the opposition of their commander, Maroto del Ojo.^[5]

After its militarization the unit disappeared and its troops integrated into the 89th and 147th mixed brigades, on the Andalusian front.^[3]

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Gil Bracero, Rafael (1998). Revolutionaries without revolution. Marxists and anarcho-syndicalists at war: Granada-Baza, 1936-1939. University of Granada.
• Mainar, Eladi (1998). From milicians to soldats. The Valencian columns in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). University of Valencia. ISBN 84-370-3349-7.}
• Ramírez Navarro, Antonio (2018). Although pain and death await us. History of the libertarian movement in Almería. Editorial Universitaria de Almería.
• Ramos, Vicente (1972). The Civil War (1936-1939) in the province of Alicante. Alicante Library.