This cover looks like a somewhat typical civil war period Republican cover franked with five 50c Matrona blue #753 and a 25c #749G postmarked from Madrid on March 22, 1939 to Sete France.
Though it has interesting franking with the attractive Matronas it is the postmark date and the city of origin that really caught my eye. It is that March 22, 1939 was less than a week from the fall of Madrid to Francoist forces on March 28th, 1939. Yes, less than a week.
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The Republicans attempted to negotiate a surrender of Madrid but Franco insisted on an unconditional surrender. On March the 26th, Nationalist were ordered to advance in to Madrid and on the 27th Republican front collapsed, on the 28th Madrid fell to the Nationalists and then on April 1st, 1939 Franco declared the end of the war. The backstop indicates it arrived in Sete on March 31st, 1939. It is conceivable that the letter was delivered to the receiver on April 1st.
What happened to the sender after the fall? Was the receiver a refugee? Still looking for a cover post marked on the first day and the last day of the war.
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