Military ranks of the Second Spanish Republic

The Military ranks of the Second Spanish Republic were the military insignia used by the Spanish Republican Armed Forces. Introduced following the abolition of the monarchy, the ranks were used until the Fall of the Republic.

Army

Red star

In the Civil War, and following the reorganization of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces, the five pointed red star became an insignia of Spanish Republican Army uniforms.

The new insignia mainly replaced the former eight-pointed and six-pointed silver stars that had been part of the Republican Army officers' uniforms between 1931 and 1936.[1]

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Spanish Republican Army (1931–1936) v t e
					General inspector		General de división		General de brigada		Coronel		Teniente coronel		Comandante		Capitán		Teniente			Alférez
People's Army of the Republic (1936–1939)[2] v t e
							General				Coronel		Teniente coronel		Comandante		Capitán		Teniente			Alférez
Political commissars (1936–1939) v t e
											Comisario general		Subcomisario and Secretario general		Comisario inspector		Comisario de brigada		Comisario de batallón			Comisario de compañía
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers

Unit commander insignia

The republican forces of the Spanish Civil War used three-pointed stars were placed below the rank insignia of officers assigned to the command of units above the size of regiment. One star was used for a brigade, two for a division, three for a corps and four for the commander of an army.

Examples

Spanish Republican Army (1936–1939)
	General commander of a brigade	Coronel commander of an army	Teniente Coronel commander of a division	Comandante commander of a corps

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Spanish Republican Army (1931–1936) v t e
	Subteniente (1931-1934)			Subayudante (1931-1934)			Brigada		Sargento primero		Sargento																Cabo		Soldado de primera						Soldado
People's Army of the Republic (1936–1939) v t e
							Brigada				Sargento																Cabo								Soldado
Political commissars (1936–1939) v t e
							Delegado político de compañía
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted

Navy

The Spanish Republican Navy introduced a few changes in the flags, ensigns and pennants, as well as in the Navy officer rank insignia.[3] The executive curl (La coca) was replaced by a golden five-pointed star and the royal crown of the brass buttons and of the officers' peaked caps and gorgets (golas) became a mural crown. The officer ranks of the Spanish Republican Navy were as follows below.

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Spanish Republican Navy (1931–1936) v t e
							Vicealmirante		Contraalmirante		Capitán de navío		Capitán de fragata		Capitán de corbeta		Teniente de navío		Alférez de navío			Alférez de fragata
Spanish Republican Navy (1936–1939) v t e
							Capitán de navío acting as Vicealmirante		Capitán de navío acting as Contraalmirante		Capitán de navío		Capitán de fragata		Capitán de corbeta		Teniente de navío		Alférez de navío			Alférez de fragata

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Spanish Republican Navy (1931–1939) v t e
	Subteniente						Subayudante (1931-1935)	Brigada	Sargento														Cabo						Marinero de primera						Marinero

Rank flags and pennants

The rank flags and pennants of the Spanish Republican Navy followed the same pattern that had been established for the Spanish Navy in 1914.[4] The only changes were the stripes of equal width and the replacing of the red color of the lower stripe with the morado of the Republican Tricolor.

• 
  Rank flag of the Minister of the Navy (Ministro de Marina)
• 
  Viceadmiral rank flag
• 
  Viceadmiral rank flag (subordinate)
• 
  Rear Admiral rank flag
• 
  Rear Admiral rank flag (subordinate)
• 
  Gallardetón. Captain at Sea Pennant (in command of a naval squadron).
• 
  Gallardetón. Captain at Sea Pennant (in command of a naval division).
• 
  Gallardete. Commissioning pennant
• 
  Grímpola. Senior Officer Pennant
• 
  Distintivo de Madrid pennant awarded in 1938 to the vessels that took part in the Battle of Cape Palos

Air force

Spanish Republican Air Force ranks were as follows.

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Spanish Republican Air Force (1936–1939) v t e
							General				Coronel		Teniente coronel		Comandante		Capitán		Teniente			Alférez

Preceding agencies

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Aeronáutica Militar (1931–1936) v t e
							Jefe superior				Jefe de base		Jefe de escuadra		Jefe de grupo		Jefe de escuadrilla		Oficial aviador			-
Aeronáutica Naval (1931–1936) v t e
											Capitán de navío		Capitán de fragata		Capitán de corbeta		Teniente de navío		Alférez de navío			Alférez de fragata

References

1. "Quinto regimiento uniforms". Archived from the original on 2015-12-05. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
2. Turnbull, Patrick (1977). The Spanish Civil War 1936-39. Men-at-Arms. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0850452822.
3. Armada Española - Segunda República (1931 - 1939)
4. Archive of the Colors - Kingdom of Spain, Naval ensigns, flags & pennants 1914-1931