DESLEALES EN LA GUARDIA CIVIL : ESPIONAJE, QUINTA COLUMNA Y CONTRAESPIONAJE EN EL CUERPO DURANTE LA GUERRA CIVIL ESPAÑOLA

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Abstract

The Civil Guard was considered, in the 1930s, as a conservative institution with questionable loyalty to the Republican cause by worker parties, the left in general, and the masses that supported them. This was an unfair set of circumstances, as the Civil Guard had always been politically neutral and dedicated solely to serving the State. Although it was a military body, its scope of action had always been focused on maintaining public order and ensuring security in the streets and squares of towns and cities. From July 1936 onwards, however, the Civil Guard was divided into those loyal and those disloyal to the Republic. The reasons for joining one side or the other were varied and not always well-established, so they could change as the war progressed. However, there were many Civil Guards in the Republican zone who supported the rebellious side. Among these disloyal guards appeared spies at the front and agents of the fifth column in the rearguard. Among the Civil Guards who were loyal to the Republic, some took on counterintelligence duties to pursue the disloyal ones. This article examines the reality of espionage and the fifth column within the Civil Guard and the effectiveness of its pursuit by other Civil Guards engaged in counterintelligence activities. In conclusion, we assess the impact of the success of either side -both Civil Guards- in achieving their objectives, some of betrayal and others as the pursuers of these last ones, on the outcome of the war.