The Spanish Foreign Legion during the Asturian Uprising of October 1934

Abstract

In October 1934 socialists in Spain attempted to seize control of the government in response to a perceived fascist threat by the present right-leaning government. The uprising failed everywhere except for Asturias, where socialists, anarchists, and communists joined in a united front led by radicalized coal miners. The uprising turned into a full-scale social revolution which threatened the nascent Second Republic. Fearful that conscripts were incapable of dealing with such a serious threat, the government turned to the battle-tested ‘Army of Africa’, composed of the Spanish Foreign Legion and the Moroccan Regulares. By employing the Army of Africa the government was able to quickly and ruthlessly crush the rebellious miners and restore order to Asturias. The use of the Army of Africa in 1934 would serve as a harbinger of what was to come for Spain in the summer of 1936.