Central Region Army Group

{{Infobox military unit |unit_name=Central Region Army Group ''Grupo de Ejércitos de la Región Central (GERC)'' |image=Flag of the Second Spanish Republic (military).svg |caption=Military flag of the Popular Army |dates=16 April 1938 – 29 March 1939 |country=25px Spain |allegiance= |branch= Spanish Republican Army |type=Army group |role=Home Defence |size= |command_structure= |garrison= |ceremonial_chief= |colonel_of_the_regiment= |nickname= |patron= |motto= |colors= |march= |mascot= |battles=Spanish Civil War *Siege of Madrid *Battle of Guadalajara *Levante Offensive *Merida pocket *Battle of Valsequillo |notable_commanders=General Vicente Rojo Lluch General José Miaja Menant }} thumb|300px|Map of Spain in November 1938. In pink the two regions under Republican control. The '''Central Region Army Group''', {{langx|es|Grupo de Ejércitos de la Región Central}} ('''''GERC'''''), was a military formation of the Spanish Republican Army during the last phase of the Spanish Civil War. It gathered the most powerful section of the republican military and would endure until the 1939 surrender. The ''GERC'' was under the command of general José Miaja Menant, the Defence of Madrid hero.

== History ==

The Central Region Army Group was established on 16 April 1938 by means of an order of the general Staff of the Popular Republican Army. It sought to reorganize the Republican forces following the disastrous campaigns of the Aragon Offensive and the splitting of the Spanish Republican territory in two by the rebel faction. It was initially named "Group of Armies of the Central-Southern Zone" (''Agrupación de Ejércitos de la Zona Centro-Sur'') before being renamed as Central Region Army Group.<ref>Octavio Ruiz Manjón-Cabeza (1990); ''La Segunda República y la guerra'', pág. 588</ref> At the time of its establishment it was composed by four armies: *the Andalusian Army ''(Ejército de Andalucía)'', *the Extremaduran Army ''(Ejército de Extremadura)'', *the Central Army ''(Ejército del Centro)'' and *the Levantine Army ''(Ejército de Levante)'', In total 16 Army corps, 49 divisions and 138 mixed brigades.<ref>Octavio Ruiz Manjón-Cabeza (1990); ''La Segunda República y la guerra'', pág. 598</ref> It also included a Coastal Defence brigade and the two anti-aircraft artillery brigades of the ''Defensa Contra Aeronaves'' (DCA).<ref>J. V. de Leito Aparici (2000); ''Defensa antiaérea republicana, 1936-1939: artillería y refugios'', pág. 89</ref>

In June the same year, the Eastern Region Army Group ''Grupo de Ejércitos de la Región Oriental (GERO)'' would be established as well. In December 1938 the ''GERC'' was scheduled to take part in General Vicente Rojo Lluch's "Plan P", an ambitious project of an offensive campaign in Extremadura that would have taken place at the same time as a disembarkment within the enemy lines in Motril, along with diversionary attacks in other places of Andalusia and the Madrid Front. However, in the face of the opposition of General Miaja and other Republican commanders to the implementation of the whole plan, it was not carried out to its full extent and the only action taken was the Battle of Valsequillo which resulted in failure shortly before having been initiated.<ref>Hugh Thomas (1976); ''La Guerra Civil Española'', pp. 932-935</ref>

Following the fall of Catalonia in February, on 2 March 1939 President Juan Negrín arranged for a reorganization of the Republican Armed Forces in the Central Zone, decreeing the disbandment of the ''GERC'', as well as a reorganization of the command structure.<ref>Ángel Bahamonde Magro ''et al'' (2000); ''Así terminó la Guerra de España'', pág. 341</ref> However, Segismundo Casado's coup that took place a few days later would hinder the implementation of these eleventh-hour measures.

==Structure== {| class="wikitable" ! Army Corps !! Divisions<ref name=datos>Carlos Engel, p.253</ref> !! Sectors |- | colspan="4" style="background-color:#999;" align="center" | '''Central Army''' |-style="border-top:solid 3px #999;" |- | I Army Corps || 1st, 2nd & 69th || Guadarrama - Somosierra |- | II Army Corps || 4th, 7th & 65th || Las Rozas - Usera - Carabanchel |- | III Army Corps || 9th, 15th & 18th || Jarama-Aranjuez |- | IV Army Corps || 14th, 12th, 17th & 33rd || Guadalajara - Montes Universales |- | VI Army Corps || 5th, 10th & 8th || Tajo - Jarama |- | Fourteenth Guerrilla Army Corps<ref>Michael Alpert, p. 391</ref> || - || Rear guard |- | colspan="4" style="background-color:#999;" align="center" | '''Extremaduran Army''' |-style="border-top:solid 3px #999;" |- | VII Army Corps || 36th & 37th || Algodor - Zújar |- | VIII Army Corps || 38th, 63rd & 51st || Zújar - Guadalmellato |- | colspan="4" style="background-color:#999;" align="center" | '''Andalusian Army''' |-style="border-top:solid 3px #999;" |- | IX Army Corps || 20th, 21st & 54th || Córdoba - Jaén |- | XXIII Army Corps || 23rd & 71st || Granada - Almería |- | colspan="4" style="background-color:#999;" align="center" | '''Levantine Army''' |-style="border-top:solid 3px #999;" |- | XIII Army Corps || 28th & 65th || Montes Universales - Albarracín |- | XVI Army Corps || 39th & 48th || Levante |- | XVII Army Corps<ref name="Antony Beevor, p.486">Antony Beevor, p.486</ref> || 19th, 40th & 25th || Levante |- | XIX Army Corps || 64th & 66th || Levante |- | XX Army Corps || 49th & 53rd & C || Levante |- | XXI Army Corps || 68th, 52nd & 6th || Espadán |- | XXII Army Corps<ref name="Antony Beevor, p.486"/> || 47th, 70th & 41st || Levante |}

==See also== *Spanish Civil War, 1938–39 *Final offensive of the Spanish Civil War *Eastern Region Army Group ''Grupo de Ejércitos de la Región Oriental'' (GERO) == References == {{reflist}}

== Bibliography == * Alpert, Michael (1989); ''El Ejército Republicano en la Guerra Civil'', Siglo XXI de España, Madrid.{{ISBN|978-84-323-0682-2}} * Engel Masoliver, Carlos (1999); ''Historia de las Brigadas mixtas del Ejército popular de la República, 1936-1939'', Editorial Almena, Madrid, 1999 {{ISBN|84-96170-19-5}}. *{{cite book | authorlink = | author = Helen Graham | year = 2003 | title = The Spanish Republic at War 1936-1939 | publisher = Cambridge University Press | location = | isbn = 978-0521459327 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780521459327 }} * Salas Larrazábal, Ramón (2006); ''Historia del Ejército Popular de la República''. La Esfera de los Libros S.L. {{ISBN|84-9734-465-0}} * Thomas, Hugh (1976); ''Historia de la Guerra Civil Española''. Círculo de Lectores, Barcelona.{{ISBN|84-226-0874-X}}. {{Divisions of the Spanish Republic}} Category:Military units and formations of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction) Category:Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic Category:Army groups of Spain Category:Military units and formations established in 1938 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1939