 The defeat of the rebels marked the beginning of the Spanish Revolution and also the beginning of a harsh repression in Catalonia against those elements of being "fascist" or opposed to the revolution.On July 17–18, a part of the Spanish army, led by a group of officers (among them the generals José Sanjurjo, Francisco Franco, Emilio Mola, Manuel Goded Llopis and Gonzalo Queipo de Llano), tried to overthrow the Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish coup of July 1936.One of the main goals of the coup was to take control of the main cities of the country, among them Barcelona.