▁Bil ba o ▁and ▁Val encia , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁authority ▁and ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁agreement ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁brief ▁negoti ations , ▁were ▁only ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁factors ▁that ▁made ▁the ▁conflict ▁dr ift ▁towards ▁open ▁war . ▁José ▁G iral ' s ▁government ▁tried ▁to ▁put ▁together ▁a ▁Vol unte er ▁Army ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁units ▁that ▁had ▁remained ▁loyal , ▁but ▁the ▁ur gency ▁of ▁the ▁moment ▁played ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁popular ▁milit ias ▁that ▁were ▁armed ▁by ▁parties ▁and ▁trade ▁un ions . ▁ ▁The ▁main ▁naval ▁bases ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Republican ▁Navy ▁were ▁Fer rol ▁( N or thern ▁Coast ), ▁C ád iz ▁( S ou thern ▁Coast ) ▁and ▁Cart ag ena ▁( E astern ▁Coast ). ▁The ▁take over ▁of ▁the ▁Navy ▁by ▁coup ▁leaders ▁failed ▁mainly ▁because ▁the ▁messages ▁calling ▁for ▁a ▁re bell ion ▁against ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Republic ▁were ▁not ▁sent ▁in ▁code , ▁as ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁norm , ▁from ▁Ciudad ▁Line al ▁to ▁the ▁senior ▁officers ▁command ing ▁the ▁ships . ▁A ▁young ▁Navy ▁radi ote legraph er , ▁Ben j am ín ▁Bal boa , ▁later ▁took ▁credit ▁for ▁the ▁news ▁leak . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁most ▁cre ws ▁in ▁naval ▁ships ▁were ▁alert ed ▁and ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁command , ▁over wh el ming ▁their ▁officers . ▁Thus , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁ships ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Navy ▁remained ▁loyal ▁to ▁the ▁republic , ▁but ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁experienced ▁top ▁officers ▁had