Popular Executive Committee of Valencia

The Popular Executive Committee of Valencia was a revolutionary autonomous entity created on 22 July 1936, to confront the Spanish coup of July 1936 which started the Spanish Civil War. It was made up of the political forces of the Popular Front and the trade union forces of the National Confederation of Labor (Spanish: Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, CNT) and General Union of Workers (Unión General de Trabajadores, UGT). Based in Valencia, it covered most of Valencia province and part of Castellón and Alicante.

History

Background

A few weeks before the attempted coup, on 11 July, a group of Falangists stormed the station of Unión Radio Valencia, announcing through their microphones an imminent "national syndicalist revolution". The person designated by Emilio Mola to lead the uprising in Valencia was Manuel González Carrasco, who arrived there from Madrid a day before the date indicated for the uprising. But when the moment came, González Carrasco, who had to change his address to avoid being detained by the police, had doubts and backed down. He proclaimed his loyalty to the government and pledged not to form the contingent of fighters he had promised to the military.

In the early hours of the morning, an important labor mobilization was taking place in the city (the CNT and UGT had called for a General Strike as of 19 July) accompanied by the deployment of the Assault Guard, and the officers loyal to the republican government. The officers of the Spanish Military Union were confronted by the pro-republican officers of the UMRA, in a decisive action. Martínez Monje ordered the execution of the nationalist troops while awaiting news from Madrid or Barcelona.