Cuerpo de Seguridad y Asalto
The Cuerpo de Seguridad y Asalto (English: Security and Assault Corps) was the heavy reserve force of the blue-uniformed urban police force of Spain under the Spanish Second Republic. The Assault Guards were special paramilitary units created by the Spanish Republic in 1931 to deal with urban and political violence. Most of the recruits in the Assault Guards were ex-military personnel, many of which were veterans. They would later on be reformed and utilized in the Spanish Civil War as army infantry divisions.
| Security and Assault Corps Cuerpo de Seguridad y Asalto | |
|---|---|
| Common name | Guardia de Asalto |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 30 January, 1932 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Dissolved | 1939 |
| Superseding agency | Policía Armada |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| National agency | Spain |
| Operations jurisdiction | Spain |
| Primary governing body | Spanish Republican Armed Forces |
| Secondary governing body | Ministry of Governance |
| Operational structure | |
| Overseen by | Directorate-General of Security |
| Parent agency | Cuerpo de Seguridad y Asalto |
At the onset of the Spanish Civil War there were 18,000 Assault Guards. About 12,600 stayed loyal to the Republican government, while another 5,400 joined the rebel faction. Many of its units fought against the Franco supporting armies and their allies. Their siding with the former Spanish Republic's government brought about the disbandment of the corps at the end of the Civil War. The members of the Guardia de Asalto who had survived the war and the ensuing Francoist purges were made part of the Policía Armada, the corps that replaced it.