Rosal Column

Rosal Column
Columna del Rosal
Active	27 July 1936 (1936-07-27)–February 1937
Country	Spain
Allegiance	Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
Branch	Confederal militias
Type	Militia column
Size	825 (August 1936) 2,300 (November 1936)
Garrison/HQ	Tarancón, Cuenca
Colours	Red   Black
Engagements	Spanish Civil War Aragon front [es] Siege of Madrid Teruel Offensive
Commanders
Commander	Francisco del Rosal [es]
Political officer	Cipriano Mera

The Rosal Column (Spanish: Columna del Rosal) was a column of the confederal militias that fought in the Spanish Civil War. The column was established by anarchists in Madrid, following the Spanish coup of July 1936, and was led by the trade unionist Cipriano Mera and lieutenant colonel Francisco del Rosal [es], the latter of whom gave the column its name. The column fought on the front in the province of Teruel, where it faced systemic issues with a lack of military discipline among militiamen. They failed to achieve their main goal of capturing the town of Albarracín, which remained under Nationalist control. At the beginning of the siege of Madrid, the Rosal Column attempted to prevent the government from fleeing the Spanish capital and detained many ministers at a security checkpoint in Tarancón. Mera then led part of the column to defend the city, fighting in the Battle of Ciudad Universitaria.

Upon their return to the Teruel front, continued failures to achieve their objectives prompted many of the column's militiamen to accept militarisation, although members of the Libertarian Youth were particularly resistant to it. In March 1937, the Rosal Column was transformed into the 42nd Division of the Popular Army, which was organised into the 59th, 60th and 61st Mixed Brigades. Cipriano Mera took command of the 14th Division and rose through the ranks to command the IV Army Corps.