The Defense Council (Catalan: Conselleria de Defensa) was a ministry created by the Generalitat de Catalunya on August 2, 1936,[1] and that existed during the first years of the Spanish Civil War to take charge of military matters in Catalonia, despite the fact that defense powers were exclusive to the government of the Republic.
[2] After the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the Generalitat de Catalunya began to assume powers that did not correspond to it according to the Republican Constitution and also according to its own Statute of Autonomy.
[5] Vicenç Guarner was appointed Undersecretary of the Ministry in August 1936, being in charge of organizing the columns that left towards the Front of Aragon, to establish military industries, officers' schools and fortifications.
For example, militias from Barcelona operating on the Aragon Front did so from the outset without any coordination with the Ministry of War in Madrid,[8] which also happened during the Mallorca landings.
However, despite his daring efforts, he was unable to carry out the long-awaited militarization and the anarchist militias continued to enjoy broad autonomy in both Catalonia and the Front of Aragon.