While at War

Nationalist troops occupy Salamanca, signaling the coup's reach. The city’s Socialist mayor is arrested as the new power order takes hold. The occupation sets the stage for the political and intellectual clashes that follow.

Unamuno convenes with his colleagues, Atilano Coco and Salvador Vila Hernández, to discuss the coup. The conversation is brief but signals his willingness to publicly support the Nationalists. He then leaves to participate in an interview advocating the coup.

The interview is interrupted by the mayor’s wife begging Unamuno to intervene in her husband’s imprisonment. He offers monetary aid instead, a gesture she rejects. The exchange underscores the limits of intellectual authority in the political crisis.

In Spanish Morocco, a German delegation pressures Franco to form a single Nationalist leader after Sanjurjo's death. Franco insists that the Burgos junta still holds power, resisting the push for a central figure. The debate intensifies questions of national leadership within the movement.

The Second Spanish Republic's government removes Unamuno from his post as rector of the University of Salamanca due to his pro-coup stance. His authority is stripped, making him a focal point of the regime's crackdown on dissent. The university becomes a hotbed of political struggle.

Unamuno meets Coco and Salvador again, but the conversation devolves into a heated argument. Coco leaves the meeting in frustration, signaling growing rifts within nationalist-aligned circles. The clash foreshadows the personal costs of the political crisis.

Unamuno goes to Coco's residence to speak with him, only to find Coco absent. The absence underscores the precarious safety of supporters and the fragmentation of the intellectual network. He must navigate the crisis with limited allies nearby.

Millán-Astray urges Franco to relieve the Siege of the Alcázar in Toledo, arguing it would shorten the war. Franco rebuffs the idea, favoring a more methodical approach that would not derail operations. The exchange reveals strategic differences at the top level.

The Burgos junta reinstates Unamuno as rector and tasks him with drafting a manifesto in support of the coup. He initially resists, clinging to his conscience and autonomy. The political pressure mounts as leadership questions loom.

During the leadership vote, Millán-Astray pushes colleagues to back Franco. Meanwhile, university administrators debate the manifesto. Eventually, Unamuno agrees and signs the manifesto, while Franco is voted in as commander-in-chief.

Coco's wife presents Unamuno with a letter testifying to his husband's innocence. The gesture adds a personal dimension to the political turmoil and weighs on Unamuno’s conscience. He carries the testimony as the crisis deepens.

Franco visits a cathedral and is inspired by an image of El Cid to relieve the siege of the Alcázar, fueling renewed fervor for his cause. The moment becomes a symbolic boost to his leadership narrative. It solidifies his resolve and strengthens his public image.

Unamuno debates with Salvador in the countryside about the war's meaning and direction. During their walk back, Falangists arrest Salvador, leaving Unamuno to return in the rain. He then slips into a delirious state for several days as he absorbs the personal cost of the conflict.

At a Nationalist university event, Unamuno initially refuses to speak. He then reads Coco’s wife’s letter and delivers a critique of the nationalist project. The crowd turns hostile, and he is forced to leave the stage, marking a dramatic public rejection of his stance.