Uprising Crushed in Madrid and Barcelona
Poets involved
What happened
On July 19, 1936, the military uprising was crushed in Spain's two largest cities, Madrid and Barcelona, as Republican loyalists and armed workers successfully defended the government against the rebel generals. In Madrid, loyalist troops and militiamen prevented the army from seizing the capital, while in Barcelona, anarchist and socialist workers stormed the military barracks and forced the rebels to surrender. However, the rebellion succeeded in the south and west, splitting Spain into two warring zones and ensuring a prolonged civil war.
Literary impact
The defense of Madrid and Barcelona became heroic subjects for Republican poets, who celebrated the popular resistance in verse. Antonio Machado, who witnessed the defense of Madrid, wrote poems praising the courage of the common people. The barricade fighting in Barcelona also inspired the poetry of George Orwell, who chronicled the revolution in Homage to Catalonia, a work that would influence later poets with its blend of political analysis and personal testimony.
Source: Wikipedia
