Wall Newspaper: Heroic Asturias
Discover the details of this wall newspaper commemorating the Revolution of 1934, and the defense of Asturias during the Spanish Civil War.
Cheers! Heroic defenders of Asturias (1937) by UnknownPablo Iglesias Foundation
This wall newspaper is made up of various writings, photographs, and newspaper clippings pasted onto brown paper. Drawings referring to its central theme were also added.
The legend of Asturian resistance is the main theme of this 1938 wall newspaper, reminding people of the Revolution of 1934 and the various historical figures involved in the Asturian workers' revolt. The republican defense against the Asturias Offensive helped keep the northern front active until October 1937.
The Revolution of 1934, which took place in October that year, was a workers' uprising in Asturias. It sought to establish a socialist regime after right-wing party members entered the government, bringing with them the risk of a fascist coup.
This mural is dedicated to the now legendary figures involved in defending Asturias, from the Revolution of 1934 to the Spanish Civil War. Who were they?
Diego Vázquez Carballo
Originally from Ceuta, on the north coast of Africa, he was the only soldier shot for supporting the Revolution of 1934 in Asturias. After the uprising failed, he was arrested and put on trial by the War Council (Consejo de Guerra), which sentenced him to death. He was shot on January 1, 1935.
Aída Lafuente Penaos
This young communist militant died on October 13, 1934 during the Revolution of 1934 in Asturias. She was 19 years old. She became a legendary figure during the civil war, and the poet Rafael Alberti wrote Libertaria Lafuente (Libertarian Lafuente) in her memory.
Ramón González Peña
A miner. He was one of the main leaders of the Revolution of 1934 in Asturias, for which he was sent to prison. He was the Minister of Justice from April 1938 until the end of the civil war. He went into exile in Mexico, where he died on July 27, 1952.
Javier Bueno Bueno
A journalist. He was the director of the socialist daily newspaper Avance en Oviedo in Asturias from 1931. He was sent to prison for participating in the Revolution of 1934, where he was tortured (as the photo in this mural shows). He was arrested at the end of the civil war and shot on September 27, 1939.
Antonio Llaneza Jove
A lawyer. He was a socialist in Mieres, Asturias, and was imprisoned for his participation in the Revolution of 1934. During the civil war, he became a war commissioner in the Eastern Army. He went into exile in Mexico, where he died on January 6, 1988.
The defenders of Asturias
Adolfo Prada Vaquero, commander of the Northern Army during the Asturias Offensive; Francisco Galán Rodríguez, commander of the 14th Army Corps in the Asturias campaign; and Luis Bárzana Bárzana, commander of the 57th Division, who succeeded in stopping the uprising in Gijón.
Leopoldo Alas Argüelles: a victim of repression.
A lawyer and university professor in civil law. He became president of the University of Oviedo in 1931, and was also undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice. He was arrested on July 29, 1936 and shot against the wall of the Oviedo cemetery on February 20, 1937.
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