The Killer Priests of the Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was one of the most brutal wars of the 20th century. The horrors of WWII have relegated the Spanish Civil War toward the back of the history books, but the war between the Republican government of Spain and the Nationalist rebels brought about its own unbelievable atrocities. While both the Republic and the Nationalists were often merciless, this article discusses an unusual oxymoron of an anomaly in Nationalist Spain--the emergence of bloodthirsty priests. This article first explains the reasons as to why these warrior priests existed in the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish Republic had persecuted Catholic Spaniards before, and during, the war. The bulk of this article, however, displays three bloodthirsty priests--Father Martínez Laorden, Father Vicente and Benito Santesteban. Read about the events that caused these "holy men" to fall into bloodlust. Primary sources from either the priests, themselves, or the soldiers they accompanied during the war, will also be displayed in the piece.

 Read more about these bloodthirsty priests here at historybuff.com.