Battle of Teruel

Battle context

The Battle of Teruel, fought between December 1937 and February 1938, was among the bloodiest engagements of the Spanish Civil War. The city changed hands multiple times: Republican forces initially captured Teruel before the Nationalists ultimately retook it. Together the two sides sustained approximately 110,000 casualties over two months of fighting, with Republican losses reaching around 60,000 and Nationalist losses around 57,000. The battle was fought during what was described as the worst Spanish winter in twenty years, a condition that compounded attrition on both sides. The heavy artillery and aerial bombardment the city endured underscored the destructive character of positional urban fighting in the conflict. The outcome — Nationalist recovery of Teruel — left the Republic having expended substantial forces for a temporary gain, accelerating the erosion of Republican military capacity in the later stages of the war.