Franco, with the support of his German allies, introduces a terrifying new weapon of modern warfare: terror bombing. The unsuspecting Basque town of Guernica becomes the first grim stage for this tactic, its destruction a brutal message to both enemies and civilians alike. For the first time, the deliberate targeting of a civilian population by aerial bombardment shocks the world and forever changes the nature of war.

As the conflict grows more mechanized and ruthless, the skies over Spain darken with the shadow of planes—tools of destruction aimed at breaking not just armies but the spirit of entire communities.

Meanwhile, in Madrid, resistance remains unyielding. The city weathers relentless attacks—first from Franco’s ground forces, and later from his bombers, as terror bombing arrives at its doorstep. Yet, even under the rain of fire and steel, Madrid endures, its defiance a symbol of the Republic’s will to survive against impossible odds.

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