Back سوماتين Arabic Sometent Catalan Sometent German Somatén Spanish Sometent Basque Somatén French Sometent Japanese
The Sometent (in Catalan; in Spanish: somatén) was a militia institution from Catalonia. In its beginnings it was an armed corps of civilian protection, separated from the army, for self-defense and defense of the local territory.[1] It thus contrasted with the other Spanish militia, the miquelets, irregular troops that could also be sent to fight outside their territory.[1]
The dictatorship of Primo de Rivera (1923–1930) extended the somatén to all of Spain, making it one of the pillars of the regime. It was dissolved in 1931 by the Second Spanish Republic, except for the Catalan rural Sometent, and reestablished under Franco's dictatorship. The definitive abolition took place in 1978 after the reestablishment of democracy. The name sometent literally means making noise.[2]
- ^ a b Herrero Giménez, J. J. (2024). The Peninsular War: The Spanish Perspective. Online edition. Pen and Sword. Google Books. Accessed 29 March 2025.
- ^ Diccionari.cat: entry sometent (in Catalan)