Cipriano
Mera
was
born in Spain in 1879. An anarchist,
he became a construction worker in Madrid.
A member of the National Confederation of Trabajo
(CNT), in December 1933 he joined with fellow anarchist, Buenaventura
Durruti, to establish the Revolutionary Committee
of Saragossa. This resulted in Mera being arrested and imprisoned
in Burgos.
In June 1936 Mera led a
strike of construction workers, electricians, and elevator operators
in Saragossa. On
the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War a
few months later, he was given command of the 14th Division.
Mera participated in all
the major battles on the central front and played a prominent role
in the Republican
Army victory
at Guadalajara in March 1937.
By 1939 Mera was convinced
that the Republicans would be defeated. When Juan
Negrin
refused to negotiate a peace agreement with General Francisco
Franco, Mera joined with Segismundo
Casado,
commander of the Republican Army
of the Centre,
and Julián Besteiro of the Socialist
Party,
to establish an anti-Negrin National Defence Junta.
On 6th March
José
Miaja in Madrid
joined the rebellion
by ordering the arrests of Communists
in the city. Negrin, about to leave for France,
ordered Luis Barceló, commander
of the First Corps of the Army of the Centre, to try and regain control
of the capital. His troops entered Madrid and there was fierce fighting
for several days in the city until Mera's troops managed to defeat
the First Corps.
Segismundo
Casado
now tried to negotiate a peace settlement with General Francisco
Franco.
However, he refused demanding an unconditional surrender. Members
of the Republican Army still left alive,
were no longer willing to fight and the Nationalist
Army entered Madrid
virtually unopposed
on 27th March.
Mera fled to Algeria
where he was arrested and jailed for seven years. On his release he
moved to France where he worked as a bricklayer
until his death in Paris in 1975.
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