Original Items: Only One Group Available. This is an excellent Spanish Civil War-era youth uniform grouping associated with the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS, commonly abbreviated FET y de las JONS. The group includes a white summer uniform tunic, black cap with red trim and tassel, purple commemorative sash dated 1936–1939, and the original Yustas of Madrid storage box.

FET y de las JONS was established in April 1937 when General Francisco Franco merged the Falange Española de las JONS with the Traditionalist Communion. During the Spanish Civil War, the organization became the principal political movement of the Nationalist government, while its youth organizations participated in party activities, political instruction, public ceremonies, and parades.

The white summer tunic is fitted with FET y de las JONS buttons and retains insignia on both breast pockets. One badge displays the organization’s distinctive yoke-and-arrows emblem. The other incorporates the same device beneath an eagle and coat of arms, creating a particularly impressive appearance.

Both badges appear to be attached with snap fasteners, although we have not attempted to remove them. No maker’s labels or additional markings were found inside the tunic.

Also included is the original black cap with red trim. The colored accents show considerable wear and fading from age, but the cap retains its original red tassel at the front. The interior sweatband is dry and deteriorated, with areas of age-related rot. The cap is quite small and measures approximately size 6 5/8.

Completing the grouping is a purple sash fitted with two large tassels and secured by a brass clasp engraved: 1936–1939

The dates commemorate the years of the Spanish Civil War. The precise significance of the sash has not been determined. It may have identified the wearer as a veteran or participant in the conflict, or it may have been intended for ceremonial or commemorative use.

The cap and sash are housed in a small period storage box bearing the maker’s label of:

YUSTAS
MADRID

The box shows substantial age and storage wear, and the lid is damaged, but it remains an important and highly desirable part of the complete grouping.

Condition is very good overall. The white tunic remains attractive and substantially complete, with expected age, light staining, and handling wear. The cap shows heavier deterioration, particularly to the red trim and interior sweatband. The sash remains visually impressive, while the original storage box exhibits damage and wear consistent with age.

This is an uncommon and highly displayable Spanish Civil War-era youth uniform grouping retaining its tunic, cap, commemorative sash, and original Madrid storage box. The completeness of the set gives it excellent visual appeal and makes it a strong addition to a collection of Spanish Civil War uniforms, Falangist material, European political organizations, or 20th-century youth movements.

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to Shoulder: 10"
Shoulder to Sleeve: 24.5"
Shoulder to Shoulder: 18"
Chest width: 18"
Waist width: 19"
Hip width: 21"
Front length: 35"

The Spanish Civil War was a civil war in Spain fought from 1936 to 1939. Republicans loyal to the left-leaning Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic, in alliance with anarchists, of the communist and syndicalist variety, fought against an insurrection by the Nationalists, an alliance of Falangists, monarchists, conservatives and traditionalists, led by a military group among whom General Francisco Franco soon achieved a preponderant role. Due to the international political climate at the time, the war had many facets and was variously viewed as class struggle, a religious struggle, a struggle between dictatorship and republican democracy, between revolution and counterrevolution, and between fascism and communism. According to Claude Bowers, U.S. ambassador to Spain during the war, it was the "dress rehearsal" for World War II. The Nationalists won the war, which ended in early 1939, and ruled Spain until Franco's death in November 1975.

The war began after a pronunciamiento (a declaration of military opposition, of revolt) against the Republican government by a group of generals of the Spanish Republican Armed Forces, with General Emilio Mola as the primary planner and leader and having General José Sanjurjo as a figurehead. The government at the time was a coalition of Republicans, supported in the Cortes by communist and socialist parties, under the leadership of centre-left President Manuel Azaña. The Nationalist group was supported by a number of conservative groups, including CEDA, monarchists, including both the opposing Alfonsists and the religious conservative Carlists, and the Falange Española de las JONS, a fascist political party.[14] After the deaths of Sanjurjo, Emilio Mola and Manuel Goded Llopis, Franco emerged as the remaining leader of the Nationalist side.

The coup was supported by military units in Morocco, Pamplona, Burgos, Zaragoza, Valladolid, Cádiz, Córdoba, and Seville. However, rebelling units in some important cities—such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, and Málaga—did not gain control, and those cities remained under the control of the government. This left Spain militarily and politically divided. The Nationalists and the Republican government fought for control of the country. The Nationalist forces received munitions, soldiers, and air support from Fascist Italy and Germany, while the Republican side received support from the Soviet Union and Mexico. Other countries, such as the United Kingdom, the French Third Republic, and the United States, continued to recognize the Republican government, but followed an official policy of non-intervention. Despite this policy, tens of thousands of citizens from non-interventionist countries directly participated in the conflict. They fought mostly in the pro-Republican International Brigades, which also included several thousand exiles from pro-Nationalist regimes.

The Nationalists advanced from their strongholds in the south and west, capturing most of Spain's northern coastline in 1937. They also besieged Madrid and the area to its south and west for much of the war. After much of Catalonia was captured in 1938 and 1939, and Madrid cut off from Barcelona, the Republican military position became hopeless. Following the fall without resistance of Barcelona in January 1939, the Francoist regime was recognized by France and the United Kingdom in February 1939. On March 5, 1939, Colonel Segismundo Casado led a military coup against the Republican government. Following internal conflict between Republican factions in Madrid in the same month, Franco entered the capital and declared victory on 1 April 1939. Hundreds of thousands of Spaniards fled to refugee camps in southern France. Those associated with the losing Republicans who stayed were persecuted by the victorious Nationalists. Franco established a dictatorship in which all right-wing parties were fused into the structure of the Franco regime.

The war became notable for the passion and political division it inspired and for the many atrocities that occurred, on both sides. Organized purges occurred in territory captured by Franco's forces so they could consolidate their future regime. Mass executions on a lesser scale also took place in areas controlled by the Republicans, with the participation of local authorities varying from location to location.