UPDATE: Today is September 27, and on this date in history, in 1936, the seige of the Alcazar was raised by the Nationalist Army in the Spanish Civil War.
Read my previous comment for more details.
PREVIOUS COMMENT: This is one of the great inspirational seiges of history. The Alcazar had been a Roman palace and then was converted to a fortified palace in the Sixteenth Century.
The Nationalists seized it during the start of the Spanish Civil war although the Red militia of "Republican" Spain held the rest of the city of Toledo.
José Moscardó Ituarte was the commander of the Nationalist forces inside the fortress. He commanded regular forces, volunteers and Civil Guardsmen. The defenders had also brought their families into the Alcazar; otherwise, they would have been murdered by the Reds.
The valiant garrison held out for seventy days from July 22 to September 27, 1936, until relieved by the Spanish Army of Africa.
Day after day, Moscardó sent out his daily radio report: "Sin novedad en el Alcázar" (Nothing new at the Alcázar.)
The resistance maddened the Reds and they poured enormous resources to take the stronghold. Assault after assault failed. They even blew up one of the towers that dropped into the river that flowed by but to no avail.
All Spain and indeed the world watched the seige.
The Reds then kidnapped Moscardó's son and stated they would shoot him if Moscardó did not surrender. Moscardó asked to speak to his son on the telephone.
The son told his father "Papa, surrender or they will shoot me."
Moscardó replied, "Son, commend your soul to God and die like a patriot, shouting 'Long live Christ King' and 'Long live Spain.'"
"That," answered his son, "I can do." The Reds later executed the son.
When finally relieved, Moscardó was called upon to give his report. "Sin novedad!" was his reply.
Now the modern leftos are trying to discount the story of father and son, but Hugh Thomas in his even-handed book, "The Spanish Civil War," gives us the version that I just told you. I am amazed how the Marxists attempt to subvert the truth!
