Atlas of Battles

battle, major, interwar and Second World War

Barcelona May Days

Barcelona May Days was a battle fought on 3 May 1937 at Barcelona, in what is now Spain; it lasted 5 days. It was part of the Spanish Civil War, which ran from 1936 to 1939. The recorded result: Government victory; Recovery of government control in Barcelona and Catalonia.

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A demonstration held by POUM and FAI in honor of formation of the "Revolutionary Front". The photographer is not credited.
A demonstration held by POUM and FAI in honor of formation of the "Revolutionary Front". The photographer is not credited.. The Spanish Revolution, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought3 May 1937lasted 5 days
WhereBarcelona, Spain41.402N, 2.171E
OutcomeGovernment victory; Recovery of government control in Barcelona and Catalonia
BelligerentsSpanish Republic; Guardia de Asalto; Generalitat of Catalonia; Communist Party of Spain; Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia; Supported by: Soviet UnionagainstCNT-FAI; FIJL; Friends of Durruti Group; POUM
Part ofSpanish Civil War1936 to 1939

Where it sits in the Spanish Civil War

Siege of Almadén, 1934Siege of the Alcázar, 1936Battle of Lopera, 1936Siege of the Montaña Barracks, 1936Battle of Vigo, 1936Siege of Gijón, 1936Siege of Oviedo, 1936Siege of Tocina barracks, 1936Siege of the Loyola barracks, 1936Battle of Guadarrama, 1936Convoy de la Victoria, 1936Battle of Sigüenza, 1936Battle of Almendralejo, 1936Battle of Mérida, 1936Battle of Badajoz, 1936Battle of Majorca, 1936Saseta defence work, 1936Battle of Irún, 1936Battle of Monte Pelado, 1936Battle of the Sierra Guadalupe, 1936Battle of Talavera de la Reina, 1936Battle of Cerro Muriano, 1936Siege of Santuario de Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza, 1936Battle of Eibar, 1936Battle of Cape Espartel, 1936Battle of Seseña, 1936Siege of Madrid, 1936Battle of Ciudad Universitaria, 1936First Battle of the Corunna Road, 1936Second Battle of the Corunna Road, 1936Battle of Guadalajara, 1937Battle of Jarama, 1937Battle of El Escamplero, 1937Battle of Málaga, 1937Battle of Cape Machichaco, 1937Battle of Pozoblanco, 1937Battle of Saibigain, 1937Battle of Intxortas, 1937Battle of Bermeo, 1937Barcelona May Days, 1937Battle of Sollube, 1937Battle of Bilbao, 1937Battle of Albarracín, 1937Battle of Brunete, 1937Battle of Belchite, 1937Battle of Quinto, 1937Battle of El Mazucu, 1937Battle of Cape Cherchell, 1937Battle of Santander, 1937Battle of Fuentes de Ebro, 1937Battle of Teruel, 1937Battle of Caspe, 1938Battle of Alfambra, 1938Aragon Offensive, 1938Battle of Gandesa, 1938Battle of the Segre, 1938Merida pocket, 1938Battle of the Ebro, 1938Siege of Gandesa, 1938Sinking of the SS Cantabria, 1938Catalonia Offensive, 1938Battle of Bielsa pocket, 193919341939Barcelona May Days, 1937
62 placed engagements of the Spanish Civil War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date3 May 1937
to 8 May 1937
PlaceBarcelona, Spain
41.402N, 2.171E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
StrengthVariable
Casualties and losses500–1,000 dead; 1,500 wounded
Barcelona May DaysBarcelona May DaysLanding at BarcelonaSiege of BarcelonaBattle of BarcelonaBattle of BarcelonaSiege of BarcelonaSiege of BarcelonaAndorraTarragonaMataró100 km41.402N, 2.171E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Barcelona May Days
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 25 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Barcelona May Days today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2024-05-11. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024.

The recorded site stands at about 40 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from -1 to 519 m, 520 m of relief, steep country and today it is 83% built-up, 11% tree cover, 3% water.

built-up: 83%tree cover: 11%water: 3%built-up 83%tree cover 11%water 3%
west to east, 10.0 km0 to 170 mnorth to south, 10.0 km0 to 145 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 31 times between AD 510 and 1937.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1937

Barcelona May Days is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 1,070 in present-day Spain.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1885246, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article May Days, revision 1380954731, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.