Late at night, in the urban area of Lapal, where the remaining government of the Spanish Republic is located, a well-equipped detachment was quietly marching on the road approaching the provisional government building.
This small combat unit of 150 people is equipped exclusively with Spanish FR-8 bolt-action rifles. Although it is not powerful in terms of firepower, it is also an important force of the Republican Army on La Palma Island.
However, just such a security company that was transferred to La Palma Island with Francisco was at the same time overwhelmed by the security work of La Palma, the temporary capital of the Spanish Republic.
What is ridiculous is that this guard force, which was supposed to protect the provisional government, was now tasked with overthrowing the surviving government, launching a coup, and then surrendering to Franco's National Army.
"Captain Fulci, what is going on? Why do you have the troops gather and march into the city so late?" A captain of the People's Guard assigned by the government to maintain law and order in the city, along with more than 30 people
The Civil Guard militia stopped the advancing Fulci Combat Team and asked.
"We are under the order of General Francisco to immediately impose martial law in the urban area of La Palma." Captain Fulci, who knew each other with the captain of the People's Guard, signaled to his men not to be impulsive. He took two steps forward and ordered to the squad leader: "Hurry up and let the captain know."
Kai, with your level you don’t need to take care of this matter.”
The People's Guard on La Palma was temporarily recruited from among the island's 72,000 indigenous people. They have neither received military training nor been issued firearms. At a time when frontline troops are short of weapons,
The more than 800 members of the People's Guard that were finally formed on the island only received "weapons" such as sticks issued by the provisional government.
Among them, the 130 members of the People's Guard assigned to the city of La Palma have no combat effectiveness at all. The government of the Republic who established this kind of troops may be trying to provide psychological comfort and hope to use them to maintain law and order.
After all, the current People's Guard is completely different from the quasi-army a year ago. If we rely on this group of troops to go to the front line, no one even believes that they can last 10 minutes.
Taking the current situation as an example, as long as Fulci gives the order, his commandos only need one round of strafing to disintegrate all the People's Guards in the entire city of La Palma.
However, Francisco had an order in advance, asking the security company to try to avoid unnecessary casualties. In addition, the squad leader was relatively familiar with Fulci, so he patiently gave "one more advice."
Unfortunately, the captain of the People's Guard obviously did not appreciate it and said stubbornly: "I'm sorry, we are not under the command of General Francisco. If you want to enter the city, you have to let me get the history first.
Mayor Star's instructions." After saying this, the team leader immediately turned around and left: "Please wait a moment, I will call Mayor Star now to confirm."
"No need!" Fulci suddenly grabbed the squad leader's arm and held on, saying, "After tonight, the Mr. Star you are talking about may no longer be the mayor of La Palma."
"What are you doing!" The team leader was stunned for a moment, and then said in surprise: "What are you going to do? Mobilizing the army without authorization is a serious crime of treason!"
"Treason?" Fulci laughed disdainfully: "General Franco has issued an order to ignore all the surrendered Republican soldiers on La Palma Island and promised us to join the new government formed by the National Army. The Republic is over.
Do you expect more blood to be shed for it?”
The squad leader, who had firm faith in the Republic, was extremely angry after hearing these words. For such a blatant betrayer, he wanted to shoot him in the head.
However, the team leader still failed to blow Fulci's head because he had neither a gun nor bullets in his hand, only a long wooden stick with rough workmanship. On the opposite side were 150 FR-8 bolt-action rifles.
Under gunpoint threats, more than 10 members of the People's Guard, including the squad leader, collectively chose to give up resistance.
"Congratulations," Fulci looked at this old acquaintance with a smile and said, "You made the right choice."
Half an hour later, the peaceful appearance of several quiet and ordinary apartments in the city of La Palma was broken by the noise of ping-pong-pong-pong. One after another, teams of assault teams launching a coup visited the apartments where the interim government officials were staying.
"Dong dong dong..." There was a rapid and nervous knock on the door.
"Who comes to me at such a late hour and doesn't have any common sense?" Star, the mayor of the new capital of the Republic, who had already gone to bed, said angrily.
"Bang bang bang!" The soldiers outside the door obviously had no patience to wait any longer. Under the leadership of the leader, they fired several shots at the door lock.
Then, the leading soldier raised his rifle butt and smashed open Star's door with all his strength.
It wasn't until more than 10 soldiers, neatly dressed in the brown uniforms of the Spanish Republican Army, burst into the door carrying FR-8 bolt-action rifles that Star finally woke up from his stupor.
Under the black muzzle of the gun, the mayor of the capital of the Republic raised his noble hands without hesitation.
To put it nicely, he chose a peaceful solution. To put it more bluntly, it means that this senior official had no psychological preparation to sacrifice for the ideal of republic.
Throughout the night, Fulci's commandos captured more than 20 key officials of the Spanish Republic's provisional government. None of them offered strong resistance, and all those captured easily chose to surrender and survive.
............
"Is this your choice?" After receiving the news of the coup, Dex, commander of the Republican Army's coastal defense division, which was more than 40 kilometers away from La Palma, immediately rushed back to the capital by car to meet with Francisco, the organizer of the coup.
"Yes, this is my choice. Rather than fighting until the end and then failing, I choose to resolve this last battle peacefully." Francisco, who was sitting at the temporary coup headquarters on the west side of the city, answered very calmly.
Dex's question.
"Why?" Dex, who was allowed to enter the opponent's headquarters, still tried to get an answer, insisting: "As a military leader of the Republican Army, you have always been my role model and goal. Why would you choose this
Such a dishonorable way to end? Why leave behind your blame and dignity as a soldier!?"
Francisco, who was sitting in his seat, turned around, waved his hand with his back to Dex, and said in a deep voice: "My reasons have been told to you a long time ago. Spain can no longer withstand the war. As a
While I am a general of the Republican Army, I am also a Spaniard. Since I am a general who belongs to Spain, I have the responsibility to take responsibility for the future of this country."
As if he was talking about something unrelated, Francisco was silent for a while and then said lightly: "Those government officials we once protected also chose "peace" when they were arrested. There is no such thing as fear.
One person resists. Is it worth risking the lives of soldiers for such a government?"
"It's worth it!" Dex said stubbornly.
"Pud, tut, tut..." Two soldiers armed with Germany's newly developed MP37 submachine guns shot and killed the lieutenant general who firmly supported the Republic.
Before Lieutenant General Dirks, the German Gestapo had already visited Francisco, the famous army commander of the Republican Army.
One day ago, Francisco had received a guarantee from the Germans that the German government would protect the lives and safety of the surrendered Republican Army troops and help these Republican Army soldiers escape the liquidation that Franco had begun by sending them to German labor camps to work.
massacre.
In order to reduce bloodshed and for the sake of peace, Francisco agreed to the Germans' request and launched this coup for peace...