The Soldiers of Salamis

A random act of mercy led to the survival of a man who would become central to Franco's government. Who was the unknown soldier and why did he spare the life of this notorious fascist?

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In the final moments of the Spanish Civil War, as the remnants of the Republican army retreat north to exile, fifty prominent Nationalist prisoners are taken out to be shot. Among them is Rafael Sanchez Mazas - writer, fascist and founder of the Spanish Falange. As the machine-guns begin to fire, Sanchez Mazas, seizes his chance and escapes into the forest. When his hiding place is discovered by a militiaman, he faces death for the second time that day. But the unknown soldier simply looks him in the eye, turns and walks away. Sanchez Mazas becomes a national hero and ultimately a minster in Franco's first government. The soldier disappears into history. As Cercas sifts the evidence to establish what really happened, he realises that the true hero of his story may not be Sanchez Mazas at all, but the soldier who chose not to shoot him. Who was he? Why did he spare him? Might he still be alive?