Siege of Santuario de Santa Beatriz de la Veracruz

Siege of Santuario de Santa Beatriz de la Veracruz
Part of the Estharian Civil War
Date 11 October 1932 – 26 June 1933 Location Santa Beatriz de la Veracruz Sanctuary, Valencia Province, Esthar, Esthar and Balamb Result Nationalist victory
Belligerents
Nationalists Guardia Civil Reformed Falange Balambian State United Kingdom Ilarian Legion Secadian Legion Pergamese volunteers	Republicans Estharian Republican Army Estharian Republican Air Force
Commanders and leaders
Ignacio Román Santángel Valentín Muñoz Abel Montenegro Francisco Jose Mínguez Alfonso Yáñez Valentín Gutiérrez Matthaios Raptidis Yukio Kushineda Jr.	Juan Antonio Monedero Oriol Escrivá Joaquin Contador

The Siege of Santuario de Santa Beatriz de la Veracruz, also known by the Republicans as the Santuario de Santa Beatriz Campaign, was an eight month-long siege laid by the Republicans on the Nationalist forces at the eponymous sanctuary. The siege itself was unique being that there was one occurrence of an encirclement and a set of engagements in areas at and around the religious compound. It ended in a decisive victory for the Nationalists, which preserved their grip on the Valencia Province and enabled subsequent counteroffensives that caused the Republicans to retreat westward.

After the Republicans pushed Nationalist forces in southeast and eastern Esthar in their La Mancha Offensive, Ilarian brigadier Ignacio Román Santángel led the Nationalist contingent that was split from the main force to the Santuario. After setting his main headquarters within the compound, several engagements initiated by the Republicans approaching from the north and south ensued, with the rest of the Nationalists still approaching from the west being caught up at Zaratava. From mid-November to early February, the Nationalistas kept the areas and hamlets around the Santuario under their grasp until they were besieged at the compound from mid-February to late May. Santángel then managed to organize breakthrough strategies which inflicted heavy casualties on Oriol Escrivá's Republican force in the south, and pushed Joaquin Contador's force in the north upward, which was critical for the Nationalistas to prolong the siege. Another series of engagements observed forces under Republican general Juan Antonio Monedero in the west being pushed back onto the villages of Mativa, Givarre and Torrebria, and the Republicans once again gaining the upper hand with ground reinforcements and air support and threatening the Nationalists with another encirclement. On June 23, a small relief force from Balamb under Yukio Kushineda Jr. brought in much needed supplies for the exhausted Nationalists, and contributed to the defense of the Santuario at Albacete Road. Three days later, a larger Balambian relief force arrived to relieve the Santuario, and the Republicans were forced to retreat.

Legacy

The siege became a symbolic victory, and numerous paintings were commissioned to commemorate the military confrontation.