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Description
The Junta de Defensa (Defense committee) of Vizcaya raised create an entrenched camp around Bilbao, taking advantage of the very mountainous terrain of Euskadi, that could stop an attack the invading nazi army. Also will be strengthened with low elevation and defenses in depth, many lines of trenches, concrete machine gun nests, barbed wire and bunkers isolated for resistance. Within this zone were included all the resources and services necessary for resistance: the port, the coastal batteries, Zollo reservoir, power plant Burtzeña, Lamiako and Sondika's airfields and almost all industry Bizkaia. That entrenched camp around Bilbao was named "the Iron Belt".

In January 1941 (after passing the natural wall of the Pyrenees), the nazi generals were aware of his failure to repeated attempts to take Madrid and end the war practically. His eyes now looked to the Cantabrian coast, deciding to attack that front to get easily territory and sources of wealth. Estimates of his staff were that in three-week offensive would fall Bilbao.

But it was not that way.

Euskadi was surrounded by mountains, reinforced with "Iron Belt" and also very industrial power able to produce almost everything that was lost during a day on the same day. The Nazis took them almost a year to conquer that refuge, from March 1941 until December of the same year. This gave valuable time to other Republicans to prepare a stronger defense

Thanks to this the Republic survived long enough for the arrival of the Allies.

Description
The Junta de Defensa (Defense committee) of Vizcaya raised create an entrenched camp around Bilbao, taking advantage of the very mountainous terrain of Euskadi, that could stop an attack the invading nazi army. Also will be strengthened with low elevation and defenses in depth, many lines of trenches, concrete machine gun nests, barbed wire and bunkers isolated for resistance. Within this zone were included all the resources and services necessary for resistance: the port, the coastal batteries, Zollo reservoir, power plant Burtzeña, Lamiako and Sondika's airfields and almost all industry Bizkaia. That entrenched camp around Bilbao was named "the Iron Belt".

In January 1941 (after passing the natural wall of the Pyrenees), the nazi generals were aware of his failure to repeated attempts to take Madrid and end the war practically. His eyes now looked to the Cantabrian coast, deciding to attack that front to get easily territory and sources of wealth. Estimates of his staff were that in three-week offensive would fall Bilbao.

But it was not that way.

Euskadi was surrounded by mountains, reinforced with "Iron Belt" and also very industrial power able to produce almost everything that was lost during a day on the same day. The Nazis took them almost a year to conquer that refuge, from March 1941 until December of the same year. This gave valuable time to other Republicans to prepare a stronger defense

Thanks to this the Republic survived long enough for the arrival of the Allies.