The
final offensive of the Spanish Civil War took place between 26 March and 1 April 1939, towards the end of the
Spanish Civil War. On 5 March 1939, the
Republican Army led by Colonel
Segismundo Casado and the politician
Julián Besteiro rose against the Socialist prime minister
Juan Negrín and formed a
military junta, the
National Defence Council (
Consejo Nacional de Defensa or
CND) in order to negotiate a peace deal. Negrín fled to France but the Communist troops around Madrid rose against the junta, starting a civil war within the civil war. Casado defeated them and started peace negotiations with the Nationalists.
Francisco Franco, however, was prepared to accept only an unconditional surrender. On 26 March the Nationalists started a general offensive and by 31 March they controlled all Spanish territory. Hundreds of thousands of Republicans were arrested and interned in
concentration camps.