Les forces feixistes arriben davant Madrid i començen el bombardeig més criminal que registra l'historia, operant damunt els cossos innocents de dones i criatures indefenses.

Las fuerzas fascistas llegan frente a Madrid y empiezan el bombardeo mas criminal que registra la historia, operando sobre los cuerpos inocentes de mujeres y niños indefensos.

Les forces fascistes arrivent devant Madrid et commencement le bombardement le plus criminel que l'histoire ait jamais connu, en ayant soin de faire le plus grand nombre possible d'innocentes victimes parmi les femmes et les enfants sans défense.

The fascist forces arrive at the gates of Madrid to begin the most criminal bombardment known to history, since its victims are women and children, innocent and helpless beings.

La fasistaj[sic] trupoj alvenas antau[sic] Madrido kaj ili komencas la peej kriman en la historio bombardadon, agente super la senkulpaj korpoj de sendefendaj virinoj kaj infanoj.

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The assault on Madrid began in November of 1936, delayed by Franco's insistence that the Nationalist army divert to Toledo so as to lift the famous siege of the Alcazar. Though the Republican government chose to relocate from Madrid to Valencia, a large number of madrileños remained in the city. The Nationalists laid siege to the city for the remainder of the war.

This image includes reference not only to the ruin of the physical attributes of the city but to the enormous civilian toll as well. The implicit association of enemy aircraft (note the swastikas on the wing roundels) with the attack was meant to serve as a strong indictment of the Non-Intervention Committee, whose activity prohibited the sale of munitions to the republican side while turning a blind eye to the involvement of the German and Italian militaries.