# Canonical recap data for Guernica Bombing (1937)
# Source: https://recap.at/1937/guernica-bombing
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: guernica-bombing
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1937/guernica-bombing"
title: Guernica Bombing
subtitle: Nazi and Fascist warplanes obliterated the Basque town on Franco's behalf, pioneering aerial terror tactics that horrified the world.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1937-04-27
datePrecision: day
year: 1937
decade: 1930
country:
name: Spain
slug: spain
summaryShort: On 26 April 1937, the Basque town of Guernica was aerially bombed during the Spanish Civil War. It was carried out at the behest of Francisco Franco's rebel Nationalist faction by its allies, the Nazi German Luftwaffe's Condor Legion and the Fascist Italian Aviazione Legionaria, under the code name Operation Rügen. The
summaryLong: On 26 April 1937, the Basque town of Guernica was aerially bombed during the Spanish Civil War. It was carried out at the behest of Francisco Franco's rebel Nationalist faction by its allies, the Nazi German Luftwaffe's Condor Legion and the Fascist Italian Aviazione Legionaria, under the code name Operation Rügen. The town was being used as a communications centre by Republican forces just behind the front line, and the raid was intended to destroy bridges and roads. The operation opened the way to Franco's capture of Bilbao and his victory in northern Spain.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-H25224%2C_Guernica%2C_Ruinen.jpg/1280px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-H25224%2C_Guernica%2C_Ruinen.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Bombing of Guernica"
importance: 79
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts: []
timeline: []
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Guernica"
  title: Guernica bombing
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
categories:
- war
metaDescription: On 26 April 1937, the Basque town of Guernica was aerially bombed during the Spanish Civil War. It was carried out at the behest of Francisco Franco's rebel Nat
wikidataQid: Q170351
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260630091247/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Guernica"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-30
  label: Guernica bombing
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Guernica"
