Story Highlights
- Historical event
- 28 March 1939
- Republican commander Colonel Prada surrendered to Franco's nationalists, who occupied Madrid almost without a fight.
On this day Francisco Franco’s forces seized the Spanish capital of Madrid. It was the Spanish Civil War, which had already lasted for almost three years and finally came to an end.
It was only a matter of days when Franco’s nationalists would conquer the remaining pockets where the Republicans were still holding out.
Finally, even Madrid surrendered almost without a fight. The Republican commander – Colonel Prada – surrendered to the nationalists, who then took the city.
The Republican government fled abroad in early March that same year. The Republicans were, after the fall of Madrid, left with only Alicante, Valencia, Almeria, Murcia, Jaen, and Cartagena among the major cities.
On April 1 Francisco Franco could finally declare the end of the war and the complete victory of the nationalists.
