was running high, especially in the countryside. Presence of large rural properties and great number of landless rural workers, largely organised in the socialist agrarian unions FNTT, proved fertile soil for conflict. The land reform failed to defuse tension, which erupted in the spring of 1936, first in Bonete and then in Yeste. In both cases peasants occupied parts of large landholdings, and in both interventions of Guardia Civil led to violent clashes and fatalities; the Yeste incident produced 17 deaths and caused a minor governmental crisis. The civil governor of the province was sacked and replaced with an Izquierda Republicana politician, Manuel Pomares Monleón. It seems that he was unaware of the military plot and focused rather on Falange, with a plan to stage preventive detentions of key party militants. As the province was mostly rural the urban workers’ organization were not a major force and unlike in many other provincial capitals, after the death of Calvo Sotelo there were no militia patrols on the streets. The backbone of military conspiracy in the province was formed by members of Guardia Civil. Some sources claim that its head was teniente coronel Fernando Chápuli Ausó, though others maintain that the “alma de alzamiento” was the provincial commander of the Benemerita, Angel Molina Galano. Another person heavily involved in the plot was the former Guardia Civil commander in the province, Alfonso Cirujeda Gayoso. It is not entirely clear whether the military governor of the province, Enrique Martínez Moreno, was among the plotters or whether he merely tolerated it. The most active civilian was Fulgencio Lozano Navarro, the provincial Falange jefe. Already in May their network was mature enough to confirm to the Valencia conspiracy command that the province was prepared to rise. The plan was a typical one: it envisioned taking control of key buildings in Albacete and major provincial cities, detaining civil governor and left-wing alcaldes and declaring the state of war. The plotters intended also to deploy small detachments along the key railway line, which connected Madrid and the Levantine coast. The coup Albacete was seized by rebel conspirators on July 19; there was no opposition encountered, civil authorities were deposed and replaced by new appointees. On July 20. the rebels took control of other major provincial cities, Villarrobledo and Hellín, while Almansa remained in stalemate due to indecision of the local insurgent commander. The climax of rebel power fell