Spanish Civil War

When did Spain become unified and why?

Late 15th-century reign of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon.

What are the regions of Spain?

Sectionalized; there is sectarian violence

When did the SCW start brewing? Why?

50 years before (at least). Landowners (limited to a few), the army, and the church held significant power in the country.

anarcho-syndicalism

It sees labour unions as something which will cause revolutionary change. This change will give freedom and equality to the workers.

popular in poor and less industrialized areas such as Andalusia.

What did Ana-syn advocate for? Good?

DISH B

- decentralization

- increased worker control of factories

- shorter work weeks

- higher wages

- better working conditions

vague and disorganized

Socialism in Soain

By 1930, there were dozens of socialist splinter groups

Why did support for the monarchy drop, and when?

By 1931 bc economic depression.

The election in 1931 saw the rise of what? What did that lead to?

Rise of center-left parties.

Laws passed for:

Separation of church and state

Tenants protected from eviction

Divorces and civil marriages became possible

Problems with left laws?

The far right was mad; the far left thought they weren't enough

When did the Guardia Civil attempt a coup, and why?

1932; no one was happy. Unsuccessful.

Who supported the Republic in 1932?

Middle-class liberals.

What happened in the election of 1933?

Swing back to the right; reversed all reforms of the previous administration. Revolts were all crushed.

Frente popular

The political strategy of left-wing parties designed to prevent vote splitting and avoid right-wing victories. Inspired by France.

Problems wth Frente Popular

No agreement for post-election; groups held too many differences in ideology. Only agreed on what they DID NOT want.

Election of 1936

Back to the left; Manuel Azana

CEDA

Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas

What did the leader of CEDA do?

Created moral panic about a communist takeover; no Marxist actually held a cabinet seat.

What did Azana do to hopefully prevent a coup?

Transferred top generals to rural posts to isolate them from right-wing supporters.

Who organized a military overthrow in 1936? (would be the nationalists)

Generals Mola and Franco with miltary units. With the help of the Falange and Carlist parties.

Why did people believe a takeover was necessary?

Strikes and economic hardship. (even military personnel were convinced)

Which right-wing monarchist politician was assassinated? Provided what?

Calvo Sotelo; July 1936. Provided the pretext for a military insurrection.

Why was the coup of 1936 bad?

Not well executed; Spaniards living in Morocco rose before Franco had even arrived to take charge of it.

International aid at the very beginning

The British Royal Navy helped relay rebel messages. German planes transported Moroccan regulars to the mainland.

What did the republican government think of the coup? How did it affect them?

Did not take it seriously; failed to crush the uprising when possible.

Who did the Republicans refuse to arm, and who did they rely on instead? Why was this bad?

They declined to provide arms to the CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo), a group that could have effectively defended the state. They relied on the Guardia Civil; some sections of the Guardia sided with the military, therefore joined the Nationalists (Franco's group).

Splintered response in areas of Spain

Areas like Oviedo: rising was allowed to foment, rebel armies would round up and execute politicians; so they fell to support Franco.

Areas like Barcelona: a republican stronghold because of the Guardia Civil's fight with locals to defeat the nationalists.

What was the price of winning Madrid?

Empowering and arming a variety of political parties. The division and disagreement between parties would impair the fighting effectiveness of Republicans.

Which places fell to Franco?

Andalusian coast, including Seville

Which places remained with the government?

The east and Madrid.

What kind of fighting was done?

Guerilla fighting, resulting in heavy losses.

Where did the government retain control, even if weak?

Where it would accept the help of non-governmental organizations, or in places where the army was unorganized.

What led to the Republican undoing?

Lack of centralized fortitude

What was the main difference between the Nationalists and the Republicans at the start?

Same numbers, but the Nationalists had better skills and weapons since they had been military trained.

What were some militias associated with working-class organizations?

Partido Obrero do Unificanción Marxista (POUM, CNT, and FAI.

What was good and what was bad about the Republicans?

They were idealistic and enthusiastic but also unskilled fighters. Ideological differences, some worker groups to fight to eliminate each other (many died this way).

Example of a contradictory/confused goal

Asturias and Catalonia were prioritizing regional independence over national cohesion.

What did the anarchists and communists believe about the civil war?

part of humanity's overall social evolution

Which prime minister resigned in 1937?

Largo Caballero

Why did the USSR help the republicans and how?

To counter the threat of Nazi Germany and to gain allies against fascism. They provided arsenal, tanks, and aircraft.

Downside of the USSR help

Played a part in splintering the defense

Conscription

A military draft (done by nationalists) over a million men

Other groups that supported Franco

Catholic church, capitalists, and landowners

Who supplied the Nationalists with weapons?

Germany and Italy

Response of the USA and Britain?

officially adopted policies of non-intervention. Unofficially hoped for nationalists to win (scared of communism spreading)

How did non-intervention policies harm the republicans?

The government stopped official aid and made it illegal for volunteers to travel to Spain to help them.

Did the prohibition stop everyone?

Around 30,000 still went and helped. Mostly workers and intellectuals.

Brigades

Represented countries globally; usually organized by communist organizations and the Comintern (confirming the idea of it being a battle against communism for Nationalist sympathisers).

Downsides and goodsides of brigades

Not numerically significant; many losses. Morale booster.

Where was the Comintern recruitment center operated? What was done?

In Paris, volunteers were smuggled to Spain to attend a rudimentary training facility.

Why did Hitler help Franco?

German foreign policy could benefit from Spain's instability because it lay on the other side of France. Access to Spanish natural resources.

Condor Legion

Units of Germany's air force that fought with the Nationalists (an arm of the Luftwaffe). The widespread bombing of civilian targets (Guernica).

Italian support

Mussolini has been training and financing Spanish monarchists before the war. 70,000 men with aircraft and tanks were part of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie.

Secret Mussolini and Franco agreement

1936. Aid to the nationalist army in exchange for Spanish support in the cessation of a war with France.

How did each group pay for materials

Nationalists were allowed to purchase on credit. Republicans had to pay with Spain's gold reserves

The non-intervention committee—who suggested it?

French Prime Minister Leon Blum. Major powers come together and agree not to intervene in the conflict, and bar the sale of arms

US and aid

Could not sell arms to the republicans because of the Neutrality Acts. However, still sold oil from American oil companies on long-term credit to nationalists.

Civilian violence

Citizens on both sides used this time as an opportunity to settle old scores with political or personal enemies. (pattern of violent retribution whenever one side conquered net territory)

Poet murdered in Granada

Federico Garcia Lorca, fame did not protect.

Basque

isolated from other Republican regions. Also had different ideologies, ignored orders from Madrid; abandoned by Republicans in the end.

Battle of Jarama

An attempt to dislodge the Republican lines along the river Jarama, just east of Madrid. Unsuccessful.

Battle of Guadalajara

The Republican Army defeated Italian and Nationalist forces attempting to encircle Madrid.

Ebro (river) Front

longest and largest battle of the Spanish Civil War; stalemate. 60,000+ deaths on each side.

Guernica attack

Civilans targeted, attacked, and gunned down on a market day. designed to create terror to prevent resistance.

How did nationalists avoid international reproach

a propaganda story of the Basques destroying their own city.

Who lost and when?

Republicans, 1939, leaving just Madrid and Valencia, which continued to resist.

Was the Franco regime recognized?

Yes, by France and Britain, even with a missing capital.

When did all Republicans surrender?

April 1939

republican loss reasons

LIP

-lack of effective central command and control

-political infighting

-insufficient arms and materials

Clarion call for what?

To confront the threat of expansionary fascism

Long-term impacts

BFGN

- Britain's position at Gibraltar was threatened by a German and Italian alliance

- France now had fascist states on two major borders

- Germany had secured preferential mining rights in Spain

-Nationalist victory strategically weakened the Western democracies in the region.