Defending Spanish Republic

Joni Nuutinen

About this game

Defending Spanish Republic is a strategy board game taking place on the Spanish Civil War 1936, modelling the historical events from the point of view of the forces loyal to the Spanish Second Republic. From Joni Nuutinen: By a wargamer for the wargamers since 2011. Last update on late September 2026

Setup: The still loyal remnants of the armed forces of the Spanish Republic army find themselves in control of various disconnected areas inside Spain after a semi-failed coup by Nationalists. After the first small-scale militia struggles settle down, in the middle of August 1936, you are given full control of the Republican forces just as the rebels start to gather their forces for a serious attempt to take the city of Madrid.

While most countries choose a non-interventionist policy in the Spanish Civil War (Guerra Civil Española), you'll receive help in the form of sympathetic International Brigades, plus tanks and planes from the USSR,
while Germany, Italy and Portugal give support for the rebels, who also have battle-hardened Army of Africa on their side.

Can you maneuver the various forces cleverly enough, both in defense and attack, to turn the chaotic and dispersed setup to your full control of the Iberian Peninsula to guarantee the continuation of the Second Spanish Republic?

"You don’t know what you have done because you don’t know Franco as do I, given that he was under my command in the African Army… If you give him Spain, he is going to believe that it is his and he will not allow anyone to replace him in the war or after it."
-- Miguel Cabanellas Ferrer warning his fellow rebel generals at the start of the Spanish Civil War

What’s new

+ Experiment: Chess piece styled set of unit icons
+ Scenario: Removed few remote/overlapping dugouts