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| 1937, Feb. 8 |
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| The rebels captured Malaga with Italian aid but failed to cut the road from Madrid to Valencia. | 1 |
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| March 18 |
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| Loyalist forces defeated Italian troops at Brihuega, capturing large stores. The Insurgents, frustrated in the effort to cut off Madrid, turned to the north and concentrated on Bilbao. | 2 |
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| April 26 |
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| The Basque village of Guernica was bombed, a battle made internationally famous by the most celebrated Spanish artist of the century, Pablo Picasso (1881–1973). | 3 |
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| May 17 |
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| A new government, under Juan Negrin, replaced that of Largo Caballero. Negrin represented the Socialists but took in members of other Left parties (except the Anarcho-Syndicalists). The new cabinet took the view that the war must be won before the social revolution could be carried further. All defense ministries were unified under Indalecio Prieto. | 4 |
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| June 18 |
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| Bilbao fell to the Insurgents after weeks of heavy fighting and countless air bombardments. Basque resistance soon collapsed, and the rebels pushed on to Santander. | 5 |
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| June 23 |
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| Germany and Italy quit the neutrality patrol off the Spanish coast in protest against the unwillingness of the other powers to secure satisfaction for the attack on the Deutschland. At the same time they refused to accept patrol by Britain and France. Acute international tension, the French being held back from opening the frontier to supplies for the Loyalists only by pressure from Britain. Meanwhile “piracy” became rife in the western Mediterranean, with mysterious submarines attacking British ships and even warships. Thereupon the British government convoked the Nyon conference, and, with French support, organized a new and drastic antipiracy patrol. | 6 |
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| Oct. 21 |
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| Franco's troops finally captured Gijon, breaking the resistance in the Asturias and completing the conquest of the northwest. | 7 |
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| Oct. 28 |
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| The Spanish government moved from Valencia to Barcelona, having taken over control of the Catalan government (Aug. 12). | 8 |
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| Nov. 28 |
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| Franco announced a naval blockade of the entire Spanish coast, using the island of Majorca as a base. | 9 |
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| Dec. 5 |
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| Beginning of a great Loyalist counteroffensive around Teruel, which was taken on Dec. 19. This move served to divert the Insurgents from operations to the northeastward. But the government forces, much less adequately supplied and equipped than their opponents, were unable to sustain the offensive. | 10 |
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