Bombing of Guernica

The 26 April 1937 air raid that devastated the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. German and Italian forces supporting Francisco Franco carried it out.

Legion Condor: A German military formation sent to support Franco's Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War. Its aircraft carried out much of the attack under German command.
Spanish Civil War: The 1936–1939 conflict between Spain's Republican government and Nationalist forces led by Francisco Franco. The raid took place within this struggle for control of Spain.
Pablo Picasso: A Spanish artist whose painting Guernica depicted the suffering caused by war. He transformed the raid into an internationally recognized antiwar image.
Guernica (painting): Pablo Picasso's 1937 monumental painting depicting the anguish and violence of war. The painting made the bombing's name a lasting symbol of civilian suffering.
Aviazione Legionaria: The Italian air force unit that fought in Spain in support of Franco. Italian aircraft joined the German-led assault on Guernica.
Francisco Franco: A Spanish general who led the Nationalist forces and ruled Spain from 1939 to 1975. German and Italian intervention supported his Nationalist campaign.
George Steer: A British journalist who reported on the destruction of Guernica for The Times and The New York Times. His eyewitness dispatches helped establish that the town had been bombed.
Air warfare: The use of aircraft to conduct military operations against forces, infrastructure, or populations. Guernica became a reference point in arguments about the effects of aerial attacks.
Strategic bombing: The use of air power to attack an enemy's economic, military, or civilian resources beyond the battlefield. Guernica became an early emblem of air attacks affecting civilians and infrastructure.
Basque Country: A region spanning northern Spain and southwestern France, home to the Basque people and language. Guernica's location placed it within the contested Basque region.

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