Ninety years ago, on July 17, 1936, in Melilla, General Juan Seguí Almuzara ordered the military garrisons in the city to rebel, marking the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. The rebellion was initiated after General Emilio Mola sent an encrypted telegram to other generals, including José Sanjurjo, Francisco Franco, and Juan Seguí. Historians describe the initial moments of the coup as violent, with shots fired immediately. By the next day, most military garrisons in the Spanish protectorate in the Rif (northern part of present-day Morocco) fell under rebel control. However, the rebels failed to gain control in much of Spain due to resistance from Republican authorities and military commanders who refused to join the uprising. Catalonia resisted successfully, with Barcelona being the only Republican city to repel the rebellion through force. The conflict escalated into a three-year war that resulted in over a million deaths and hundreds of thousands of refugees. Historians emphasize that the coup was meticulously planned by monarchist, military, and fascist factions, rather than being spontaneous.
Bias read (Center): The article provides a balanced historical account of the Spanish Civil War's origins, citing multiple historians and detailing both the rebel actions and the resistance from Republican forces. It does not favor one side over the other and presents the event as a well-planned coup rather than a mere
