History IB SL: The Spanish Civil War

Who are Carlists?

• Conservative nationalists

• Supported an absolute monarchy

• Fought in several Carlist Wars

• Primarily fought in Basque and Catalonia

Who were the Landowners and Latifundia?

• Latifundia: Large estates owned by wealthy landowners

• Kept labourers without land in poverty

• As a result, economy was underdeveloped

What was Catholic Churches’ role?

• Held power and prestige in society

• Strong ties with the wealthy and the army

• Controlled education, opposed ideals appealing to commoners

Landowners and Latifundia

• Latifundia: Large estates owned by wealthy landowners

• Kept labourers without land in poverty

• As a result, economy was underdeveloped

Monarchy aka the Restoration

• After Carlist victory, monarchy came back to power

• Lots of military interventions during this time, stability had to be established

• Rife with electoral fraud; liberals and conservatives rotated every election

• Army had lots of power

  • Top ranks were filled with wealthy men

  • Bitter because they had lost their once-great empire

What is Anarchism?

• Believed in lawlessness

• Frequent strikes

• Clashed with the police often

Socialism and Trade Unions

• Established a political party (PSOE)

• Established a trade union (UGT)

• Represented the workers’ desires, went against the church’s ideals

Separasits Regions

• Two major regions, defied the rule of the monarchy:

1. Catalonia

   • Northeastern Spain

   • Had the industry, economy to support itself

   • Had a different language as well (Catalan)

   • Major places: Barcelona

2. Basque

   • Northern Spain

   • Same as Catalonia

   • Major places: San Sebastian, Bilbao

Rif War

• Colonial conflict in Morocco: Spain vs the Berber peoples (inhabited the mountains)

• Started when Berbers attacked Spanish miners, Spanish army intervened

  • Called for conscription to bolster their forces, public dissent (Tragic Week)

• Long-lasting conflict, strong resistance from the native peoples

• Key event: Battle of Annual

  • Spanish troops had just settled Annual

  • 3,000 Rif warriors attack an encampment of 5,000 Spaniards

  • Riffians brutally kill them, continues to attack nearby Spanish encampments

  • 13,000/23,000 Spaniards dead, compared to 800/3,000 Riffians

  • Major influence back home in Spain

Tragic Week: The Strike at Barcelona

• Workers went on strike after refusing to abide by conscription

  • Enacted by Madrid to field more troops to fight the Rif War

• In Catalonia, UGT members and anarchists walked out on their jobs

• Resulted in;

  • Martial law and violence

  • Repression

  • Banning trade unions and closing down newspapers

Anarcho-syndicalism

Influenced by capitalist ideas, a political doctrine that advocates replacing central government with decentralized, worker-controlled committees loosely based on a trade union model → achieved ts greatest mainstream success in the Conferderacion Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) in Spain. It emphasizes direct action and workers' self-management.

Trade Unions

• Created the CNT, a trade union to rival that of the UGT following Tragic Week

• Beginning of the divisions in Spain’s left-wing populace

Spain during the First World One

• Remained neutral, but had an economic boom (supplied both sides of the war)

• Once armistice was signed, economy collapsed, hitting Catalonia especially hard

• Pre-war parliamentary system fell to ruin

  • Also because of strikes, failure in Morocco

• Communism even took root (PCPE  was formed)

  • In response to this and more, the army rose to solve the issue

What is the Spanish Foreign Legion

• Fatherland was all that mattered, supporting the Nationalist forces led by General Franco.

• Busy fighting in Morocco, younger officers began to make their worth known

• When demanding promotion, senior officers and govt. declined, they ousted the Liberal govt. and a conservative one was put into power

  • They became known as the “juntas”

• Later helped the new govt. in crushing worker revolts

Who was Francisco Franco?

• One such man who made his name was General Francisco Franco

• He had achieved much during the Rif War

  • Received praise from Miguel de Rivera

  • Became second-in-command of the Spanish Foreign Legion

• Spent his life fighting, picked up the army’s ideologies with it

  • Brutally terrorize the native Moroccan population

  • For God, King and Country

The Spanish Army

• Spent much of its time either putting down rebellion or fighting in Morocco

• Millan Astray was known for his indoctrination speech when recruits joined the Foreign Legion

  • TL;DR: You have nothing left now but the Legion, embrace death, no cowardice

• Notorious for their brutality, only got worse once Franco took control in 1923

Miguel Primo de Rivera

was a general and statesman who, as dictator of Spain from September 1923 to January 1930, founded an authoritarian and nationalistic regime that attempted to unify the nation around the motto “Country, Religion, Monarchy.”

Coup d’Etat 1923

• Led by Primo de Rivera, supported by King Alfonso XIII, the church and the army

  • King hated the idea of a constitutional monarchy

  • Church wanted to control education

  • Army vowed to disobey constitution and parliament

• Rivera declares a state of emergency, lasts two years

• Results in order brought about in Spain and its colony, Morocco

What is Corporatism?

the theory and practice of organizing society into “corporations” subordinate to the state.

Corporatism: Modernizing the Economy

• Business monopolies supported, allowing for businesses to flourish

• Finance minister Jose Calvo Sotelo helps in the modernizing effort

• People in power that supported the right prospered, like Franco

Republican Opposition

• Not all were content with this shift in power

  • Anarchists and communists were repressed

  • Students launch protests in a demand for democracy

• One group was the Republicans, led by Alejandro Lerroux and Manuel Azana

  • These two formed the Alianza Republican

  • Failed overthrow of king in 1929

• They meet in San Sebastian (Basque country) to plot another overthrow

  • Great Depression instead ends up being the downfall of Primo de Rivera

Great Depression

• Much like the rest of the world, Spain’s economy came crashing down

• This led to economic and political instability, allowing for the unseating of Primo de Rivera

• Strikes, revolt and more ensued as a result of weakened leadership

What is the Popular Front?

A political strategy of electoral cooperation between left-wing parties designed to prevent vote splitting and thus defeat right-wing parties → Popular in response to the fascist and other right-wing parties during the 1930’s

The Election of 1931

• King Alfonso XIII was exiled from his throne, allowing for democratic elections to take place

• People were ecstatic that democracy was finally a reality in their nation

• Ended in an overwhelming Republican victory

What is the Second Republic?

The system of government that governed Spain from the abdication of Alfonso XII in 1931 until the end of the Spanish Civil War

Who were the Republicans?

Elements of the military that remained loyal and supported the government of the Second Spanish Republic against the Nationalist faction of the military and led by Prime Minister Azana

Abdicating the throne

• King Alfonso XIII was advised that the only way his nation would hold itself together was with his abdication

• He ended up agreeing, and was sent into exile

• This effectively ended the monarchy in place, paving the way for the formation of the Second Republic

What were the social reforms?

• Peasants wanted land ownership

• Industrial workers wanted to protect their right to strike

• Education was also something that was taken into the hands of the government

• Agrarian reform and regional autonomy (Catalonia and Basque) were also top priorities

Niceto Alcalá-Zamora

• President of the Second Republic, a moderate Republican

• Despite this, some radical elements were in his cabinet (Azana, Caballero, Prieto)

• Zamora handed prime minister to Azana, feeling that he would do a better job of unifying the radical elements present within the leftist side of politics in Spain

Manuel Azaña

• Prime Minister of the Second Republic, radically leftist and anti-clerical

• Pushed for strong social reforms, weakened the army

• Disliked by many on the right, like Sotelo

Separation of the Church and State

• With a socialist government in power and an anti-clerical Azana at its head, it had much to fear

• They were threatened by a separation of the church and state, meaning that much power would be lost

  • Namely, control over education

• Anti-church riots became the norm, while the police sat by idly and did nothing

Opposing the Republic

• With reforms pushing the right to the brink, many new organizations were formed

• Church-supporting CEDA stood up to oppose the anti-clerical ideals of the left

• Monarchist Sotelo rose to prominence among the right, gaining much popularity and heading the Accion Espanola

  • A radical monarchist Carlist movement appears as well, independent of Sotelo

• Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera heads the fascist Falange political party

Long-term cause of the War: Regional divisions

• Spain comprised of the central state, the Basque country and Catalonia

• The Basque and Catalans had their own language and culture and wanted decentralization and independence from Spain

• By the 20th century, they were economically independent and had their own industrialised economies and churches

• Both these countries wanted autonomy from Spain and they had the support of the republicans

Long-term cause of the War: Economic and social divisions

• The cities in the north (Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao) were highly modernized and industrialised, and also significantly richer than the cities in the south

• This created a new urban proletariat and industrial elite in the nortn

• In the south, the contrast was large. Many peasants worked on large estates called latifundias, that were owned by the rich land­owning class.

Long-term cause of the War: Economic and social divisions; Agriculture

○ Spain’s economy was agriculturally­based; the south of Spain was mainly agricultural. Some peasants in the north owned small plots of land that were economically unviable.

○ Despite some industrialisation in the north, the economy of Spain was mainly agricultural. Yet this agricultural sector did not provide enough work and food for peasants all year round, and lead to the growing discontent amongst peasants.

Long-term cause of the War: Economic and social divisions; Working class

Workers faced low wages, long hours, unregulated working conditions, poor 64 housing, little welfare support → growth of trade unions, but the trade unions often competed with each other (e.g. UGT vs CNT) and did not have any real power because employers could always find more labour from the countryside.

No legal means to improve situation→ workers turned to violent uprising to effect change. (violent conflict between employers and employees, esp. when there were economic problems in Spain)

Long-term cause of the War: Political divisions

• As a result of these regional/economic/social divisions, the nation of Spain was deeply divided.

• The rich landowners/industrial elite, Army, Church and the Monarchists lent their support to the Conservatives and Fascists

• The proletariat/peasants, republicans, reformers and the minorities (Basque/Catalan) lent their support to the socialists and anarchists.

Liberals

did not really achieve anything in opposing the Conservatives, but they did support the revolution that ousted the King in 1931.

Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE)

grew in urban areas, but had minimal impact

UGT (trade union)

more visible in organizing strikes and protests in urban areas

Socialists

played a significant role in the 1931 revolution, but became divided over the reforms that should take place → divided into two → the more moderate socialists (led by Indalecio Prieto) and the radicals (led by Largo Cabarello)

Anarchists

major political group— supported by peasants due to their demand for the redistribution of land. Argued for revolutionary methods, boycotted all democratic processes. (Trade union: CNT— active in organizing strikes and protests.)

Extreme Anarchists

Spanish Anarchist Federation (FAI)— perpetrated bombings and assassinations.

Long-term cause of the War: Role of the Church

The Catholic Church was rich and powerful. It bore a heavy influence over the daily lives of everyone in Spain and was deeply conservative.

Its main support base was the rich landowners and as such, it was seen as both an enemy of change and as a figure of oppression due to its support base

Thus, it was greatly resented by all the peasantry

Long-term cause of the War: Role of the Army

• The Army was grossly over­officered, roughly one officer to every hundred men. Also, it was unpopular due to the losses of overseas territories (Cuba and the Philippines), and its brutality. The officer corp was dominated by the upper classes and hence it was very conservative and opposed change.

• Supported by upper and middle classes (who formed most of the officer corps). Generally conservative. ‘Africanistas’ who had served in Morocco were the most traditional and nationalistic.

• This Army that had nothing much to do hence adopted the role of protector of security, law and tradition. As a result of this, political tension was generated by the Army’s frequent interference in home affairs and politics. (especially because the army blamed civilian politicians for the loss of the empire, believed that they had no moral right to govern the country.

• The army believed that it was the protector of the nation (wanted to defend Spain’s historic greatness⇒ against change.) ((and had the right to intervene in politics if a crisis occurred→ intervened several times before. BUT they did not act to save the King in 1931, leading to the King’s exile. They also intervened during the Second Republic and in 1936⇒ war.))

Long-term cause of the War: Government’s weekness

• Constitutional Monarchy: the King (Alfonso XIII) was the head of state, appointed a prime minister who should have commanded a majority in the parliament (Cortes), which 66 was elected by the male population.

• Real power lay in the hands of the oligarchs, political power shifted between them.

• Two main political parties (Conservatives and Liberals), but there was no real difference between them. Elections were rigged/decided by corruption, there was no main democratic party

• ⇒ superficial stability but very socially unstable because nothing ever changed→ people either became apathetic or opposed to the current government

Short-term cause of the War: Political polarisation

In 1930, Primo de Rivera resigned after having failed to solve Spain’s economic problems. Municipal elections held showed a popular support for leftist political parties (republicans, liberals, socialists), hence with no one willing to support the reign of the monarchy left, King Alfonso went into voluntary exile. → His departure marked the start of the Second Spanish Republic in April 1931

The left republic (April 1931 ­ November 1933)

• Centre left party won election, new president was Manuel Azana.

• New government declared a new constitution, with the intention of making spain a “democratic republic of workers of all classes”

• Azana was highly anti­church and anti­army

• Undermined the power of the church and separated church and state by removing its control over education in Spain

• Undermined the power of the Army by closing the Saragossa military academy and offering officers early retirement on full pay:

This was a big mistake as it effectively radicalised the army and meant that all those left in the army were nationalist and conservative to the core

Also, it was extremely expensive as 50% of the officers took up the government’s offer of retiring on full pay

Short-term cause of the War: Great Depression

Spain was hit hard by the Great Depression and its agricultural prices, wine and olive exports were plummeting.

○ Increasing number of peasants unemployed due to collapsing agricultural industry

○ Industrial production decreased too, with iron falling by a third and steel by almost a half

○ Minister of Labour, Largo Caballero, tried to stop this decline by offering a land distribution programme with compensation for landowners, but the government did not have the money necessary to do this and this benefitted less than 7000 families.

Short-term cause of the War: Civil unrest

• Civil unrest continued and the government still put them down with great brutality

○ Introduction of the Assault Guard in an attempt to produce a left­leaning military force to check the balance of the right­wing army

○ However, most of the army still remained loyal to the state and uprisings were suppressed

Short-term cause of the War: Catalonia given its parliament

Catalonia given its own parliament, which upset the right as they saw this as a move towards independence for the regions and the breakup of Spain

Short-term cause of the War: The reaction to the new leftist government’s reforms

● Each of the new leftist government’s reforms was seen as an attack on right­wing groups

○ Right­wing formed a new political party in order to defend the interests of the conservative church and landowners.

○ This party came to be known as the CEDA (Spanish confederation of the autonomous right) and was led by Gil Robles

○ Important to note that CEDA under Gil Robles was modelled after Hitler’s Nazi party in Germany

Short-term cause of the War: the 1931­-1933 left­wing government’s failure

• Fall of the 1931­1933 left­wing government was largely seen as a failure to introduce effective land reforms, but historian Paul Preston argues that it was because the right­wing was never going to give the left wing government a chance to succeed.

• They did not do enough to placate the left and peasants, but did enough to anger the right 68

• Azana resigned in 1933 after he lost working class and socialist support

Short-term cause of the War: The Right Republic (November 1933 ­ February 1936)

● In the November 1933 elections, the Republic swung to the right

● Despite CEDA being the largest party in the republic, the President initially resisted giving Gil Robles power, however CEDA withdrew support, forcing the government’s hand.

○ Gil Robles was made War minister and 2 other CEDA members were given cabinet posts

● The 2 years that the new Right­wing government came into power were known as the black years

○ This was because it seemed that the new right­wing government was only keen on undoing all the reforms that the left­wing government had introduced previously

○ Church control of education was restored and the Azana’s key economic reform ­ the land programme ­ was halted.

○ Catalonia tried to declare its independence after CEDA joined the government, but its autonomy was suspended after the Asturian miners’ uprising in 1934

○ This uprising was crushed using the army, notably, the Moroccan troops or Moors (Filthy Franco)

● Widespread use of violence made for a loss of support for the right­wing government, notably the Basques, who now lent their support to the left­wing

● Largo Caballero called for a halt to Robles and his right­wing actions, likening CEDA to the Spanish Nazi party, and that Spain should seek a more Soviet styled left­wing solution for Spain’s problems

● Gil Robles responded by demanding a shift to a more authoritarian approach to controlling the communists in Spain.

○ This led to the left and centre left groups (Caballero and Prieto) being able to find a common ground to enable them to take on the right­wing

● Right Republic disintegrated as the political and economic situation deteriorated and was dissolved in February 1936

Immediate cause of the War

Military rising July 1936:

● Victory of the left in the 1936 elections threw the right­wing CEDA into turmoil

○ The murder of José Sotelo (popular CEDA leader) hastened preparations for a military coup 1936 led by junior officers + senior Africanista officers (Franco and Mola included)

○ 17 July: Revolt began with troops in Morocco and spread to military units throughout Spain, but was met with armed resistance from left­wing unions, particularly in rural south, Barcelona, and Madrid.

■ As a result, army was only able to take control of parts of Spain, bringing the country into a civil war.

Britain and France as an intervention force and the impact

Intervention:

● France initially supported the Republic because they didn’t want the Nationalists to win (fear of encirclement by Fascists+strengthening of Germany and Italy’s relations.) but they didn’t fully commit due to domestic concerns­­ political polarization, lack of public support for the war meant that there might be a revolt if they fully committed to Spain.

● Signed the non­intervention pact (Non­intervention committee NIC)

● Tried to get involved by not getting involved

● Scared of a European war and was an early forerunner of appeasement

● Domestic concerns → France’s political problems, lack of public support for war

● Weakens the left in Spain as they are unable to purchase arms

● Didn’t do anything about the right/nationalists purchasing arms

Impact of France’s and Britain’s intervention

1. Britain:

○ Non­Intervention Committee (1936)

■ Three key members (those under dictatorships – Germany, Italy, USSR) ignored it completely and provided foreign forces anyway

○ Limited Republicans, tended to favourNationalists

■ Nationaists allowed to use Gibraltar as their base, compared to their complete prevention of aid going to the Republic

■ Trade agreement with Nationalists (1936) allowing British companies to trade with rebel forces

○ Self­interest of avoiding war – sacrificed Spain to the policy of appeasement to maintain relations with Italy, Portugal, and Germany (which Chamberlain still had faith in)

2. France:

○ Inconsistent support ending up with it decided to pursue non­intervention together with Britain, dealing a fatal blow to the Republic

■ Support of a large country on the border would have been beneficial

■ Resulted in reliance on Soviet Union: gold reserves, also associated the Republic with ‘Soviet communism’

○ Did not stop citizens from joining International Brigades (mainly French); main centre for coordinating Soviet aid

Intervention of the Soviet Union

Intervention:

● Involved because of ideology and fear of fascism (Collective security ­ joined LON in 1934)

○ Saw a potential communist ally in western europe ­ Spain

● Only country that supported the left and they were the only country that the leftist republicans could purchase arms from

● needed economic resources → obtained Spanish gold reserves by making the Republicans pay for German aid ­­ profits ­ to industrialize

● Didn’t provide the same level of troops and arms as the fascists did for the nationalists

● From 1938, commitment began to reduce → gave up on collective security and trying to make allies with Britain

Imact of Soviet Union’s intervention

○ Welcomed the NIC, but, following Italy and Germany’s example, didn’t really care about it and withdrew in October 1936

○ Dragged the war out with good purpose

■ Weaken, drain resources of Germany

■ If this developed into a general war, it would be waged far from the borders of the Soviet Union

Intervention of Germany:

● Hitler got involved as he saw Franco as a potential fascist ally → wanted to expand the reach of fascism in europe

● Wanted to test out their new military tactics

● Airlifted Franco and the moors to the mainland from morocco

● Wanted access to the iron, copper and zinc ore as an indemnity for Germany’s intervention in the war

Impact of Germany’s intervention

○ German air support helped Franco set­up a beachhead in the south, where the food was grown → crucial to Franco gaining an advantage in the war (economic and strategic benefits)

■ Raw materials e.g. iron ore

■ Deployment to Spain would give Germany the potential to hamper Anglo­French maritime communications

■ Goering wanted to test out his Luftwaffe in live conditions; Hitler wanted to stop the spread of communism

○ Pivotal support important to the outcome of the war, playing crucial military roles at critical times

■ Luftwaffe also helped bomb Guernica when it was held by the Republicans → Nationalists taking Catalonia

○ Deterred other governments from getting involved due to their presence

Intervention of Italy

● Got involved because of ideological reasons

● Also wanted to isolate France, dominate the mediterranean and have access to the Spanish iron ore ● Improve Mussolini’s popularity at home ­ win another glorious war

● Sent 75,000 men and resources but put a huge financial strain on its economy

Impact of Italy’s intervention

○ Strategic advantages

■ Involvement would reinforce his pro­fascist stance

■ Enhance influence as key Mediterranean power, demonstrate Italy’s might

■ Fascist victory → undermine France (and therefore left­wing French influence) ○ Air and naval support helped the Nationalists to secure victory ○ Relationship between Italy and Germany was cemented in Spain

International Brigades

Made up of women and men all around the world volunteering to fight in the Spanish Civil War after the western democracies adopted non-interventionist policies which also stopped financial aid to the Republicans and made it illegal to travel to Spain but did not stop people from volunteering → the brigades were organized by national communist organizations and coordinated by the comintern

The brigades were never numerically sgnificant and suffered heavy losses due to the lack of military experience. Their presence was an important moral booster at crucial times such as during the siege of Madrid and they did buy time for the Republican Army in several key battles.

Portugal as an intervening power:

○ Fundamental to supplying the rebels along the Spanish–Portuguese border, provided a base for communications

○ Long­term Anglo­Portuguese relationships deterred Britain from countering its support → benefit for Franco’s troops

Reason for nationalist victory: Political disunity

○ The Second Republic suffered from serious divisions undermining its war effort and military capacity; ‘civil war within a civil war’

■ E.g. Three­sided conflict between liberals, authoritarian socialists / communists, anarchists

■ Republicans were disunified, trade unions vs republican government → soldiers attached to anarchist/communist groups, government didn’t trust them

○ Large ideological range

○ Divided over primary objective of war → irreconcilable ideological conflict

■ Socialists / communists backed the maintenance of the Popular Front and investment in defeat of Franco

■ Anarchists, ultra­left communists wanted to progress with the ‘revolution’ believing that compromising on this would weaken the war effort

■ e.g. Violent expression of disagreement in Barcelona ‘Mgeay Days’ (1937)

Reason fo rnationalist victory: Poor military organisation

○ Had loyal generals, but lacked middle­ranking officers → provision of inexperienced NCOs at an important level, formed haphazardly

■ Even then the loyal generals, who had potentially valuable experience, were distrusted by the Republic

○ Less cohesive, relied on militias and elected officers

■ Strategies discussed at length, reducing speed and efficiency

■ Encouraged insubordination

○ Anarchist militias and Basques refused to be led by a central command structure 75

■ The Basques would also not provide troops to defend anywhere outside their own territory

○ Poor organisation was exacerbated by geographical locations

■ Different territories operated separately

■ Battlefields were not in range of their air force

Reason for nationalist victory: Poor foreign aid, non-commital

The cheating wife, Russia: closest ally, but Stalin was unwilling to commit Russia too fully in case fear of a German invasion

■ Involvement in Spain meant to stiffen the West against fascism

■ After appeasement, he realised this wouldn’t work and lost interest

○ France was reluctant to assist a fellow republic

■ Blum and Daladier kept out of the conflict for fear of alienating important groups in France, e.g. Catholics

○ US kept out to avoid complicating relations with right­wing, pro­Franco regimes in Latin America (important trading partners)

○ Britain was the biggest obstacle

■ Baldwin and Chamberlain hoped to come to terms with Germany, and revive Anglo­Italian relationships

■ Considered communism a bigger threat than fascism (Stalin > Franco)

● Didn’t support Franco either, Nationalist policies were repugnant

■ Strong case against risking a general European war in support of the Republic, which was increasingly leaning left

■ Placed heavy pressure on France to ban all arms sales to the Republic and also influenced the formation of the Non­Intervention Committee (1936)

Reason for nationalist victory: Dwindling finances

○ Initially owned the world’s fourth largest gold reserve, controlled main cities and industrial areas

■ Eventual government orders to banks to maintain neutrality → difficulties in paying through normal international banking channels for arms shipments

○ Workers’ committees and countryside collective farms were assumed to be able to meet the financial needs of the Republic

■ They were wrong

■ Impact of the war and badly­run government → production in Catalan (key area) fell by two­thirds (1936­1939), causing food and raw material shortages

■ High inflation (300%) was also a problem; low wage increase (15%) ○ Impact of Non­Intervention Committee

■ Starved Republic of all credit

○ Conditions of Soviet Union provision of finances

■ Requested that all Spanish gold reserves are transferred to Moscow

● Wanna guess where this goes (hint: it never goes back)

■ Provided 1,000 aircrafts, 500 tanks; 500­5000 advisors arrived with Stalin’s instructions to ‘keep out of artillery range’

Nationalist Strength: Political cohesion

○ Largely due to Franco’s leadership – overcame internal disputes to balance the different Nationalists groups

■ Carlists: Left question of monarchy open, catered to their demand for legislation favouring Catholic Church

■ Falangists: Allowed to direct propaganda to influence the characteristics of a mass movement that Franco was prepared to allow; close relationships with Italy and Germany also pleased them

■ Army (no ideology) relied on Franco to maintain its position and influence ○ Franco ensured adequate representation of various Interests

■ First National Council (1937) combined Falangists, Carlists, generals, and others that were prevented from becoming too dominant or radical

nationalists strength: Superior military structure and organisation

○ Systematic method, military academies produced 30,000 trained officers

○ Centralised control of all militias (1936 – from the start!)

■ Imposed rigorous military discipline

■ Developed efficient military administration ○ Battle strategy – unimaginative, but solid

■ Would not launch an offensive unless certain that he could see it through to the end; slow, but good results

Nationalists strength: Foreign assistance

○ Vital to Franco’s successes

■ Transportation of Franco’s troops from Morocco to southern Spain leading to success in Andalusia campaign (1936)

■ Sudden increase in Italian equipment boosted Nationalist morale after a series of Republican victories

■ Another massive flow of armaments (1939) allowed Franco to crush Catalonia

○ Troops sent:

■ Italy: 50,000 ground troops, 950 tanks, 763 aircrafts, 91 warships

■ Germany: 16,000 military advisers, Condor Legion (latest aircrafts)

■ Portugal: 20,000 troops and permitted passing through border

Nationalists strength: Financially okay

○ Business community backed the Nationalists, meaning they were able to purchase arms

○ Series of financial agreements with Italy and Germany solved the problem of Spanish gold reserves being under Republican control 78

■ Italian aid provided was worth $263 million; German arms worth $215 million and in total, Franco might have received $570 million worth of aid from abroad

○ Controlled main food­production areas by 1936; main industrial areas by 1937

○ International trade and credit

■ The USA gave $700 million in credit

■ Significant amount of business done with multinational companies in Western democracies – lots of rubber and oil, from the US e.g. Texas Oil Company, Shell

Nature of the Spanish Civil War

● For Spain: ‘Total’ war + civil war:

○ Use of propaganda to dehumanize the enemy (despite being from the same country); atrocities committed against their own people

○ Targeted civilians in bombing raids e.g. Guernica

●Moving into modern warfare; new technology:

○ Importance of naval and air power

■ Condor Legion lengthened the war, and neither side managed to consistently gain control of the air

■ Control of the sea was significant in maintaining supply routes

■ Land warfare saw attritions and stalemates high casualties,

○ However, land battles did reflect the changing nature of warfare

■ The tactics of Blitzkrieg were evolving, with the application of tanks, artillery and air bombardment to prepare an advance

The Nationalist Uprising

• The killing of Jose Calvo Sotelo leads to Franco and other right-wing individuals firmly siding with Mola

• Within days, Morocco is seized by the Army of Africa

• July 19, 1936: Mola announces proclamation of revolt, begins the Spanish Civil War

Morocco and the Army of Africa

• While Morocco belonged to Spain, this was only true in name

• It took a very short amount of time for them to gain control of Morocco

• It was then used as a platform from which the southern invasion could be launched

  • Hitler and Mussolini’s planes transported troops across the Strait of Gibraltar

Badajoz

• After brutal fighting, the Nationalists defeat the Republican forces here and take over the town

• General Juan Yague was immortalized infamously in history as the “butcher of Badajoz” by committing executions in the bull ring

• It was also important because it allowed for the joining of Mola’s inland and Franco’s Moroccan forces

  • After securing the Portuguese border as a supply area, they moved to take Irun to cut off the French and Bilbao to gain a major industrial base

Toledo

• General Jose Moscardo put up a valiant fight but eventually was held under siege at the Alcazar fortress

• Franco detours from his road to Madrid to help out a fellow fascist

• This gives the opportunity for propaganda promoting the right as people who looked out for their own

  • There was also another element to it, as Toledo was known for being religious

Militias: Arming the General Populace

• Jose Giral, while only serving for a short amount of time, was famous for his decision to arm the organizations that would resist fascist ones like the Falange through combat

• This contributed to the “Red Terror”; formerly incarcerated leftist political prisoners running around with weapons doing as they pleased

  • Desecrating churches

  • Murdering anyone who could provide support for the Nationalists

• It gave the Giral government a bad rep, and further contributed to the disorder in the left

Wartime Atrocities

• Armed militias (the more radical bands) would go around committing murder and desecration

• Churches were forced to go underground

• This only fueled anger from the right, further unifying them and falling in line behind Franco

  • Possibly could have contributed to an increase in Falange membership

PCE vs POUM: Andres Nin Perez, George Orwell and the May Days Riots

• The PCE (communist) soon emerged to be the most dominant force in the left

• Nin was the founder of POUM, a radical organization of anarchists (Orwell was also considered one of them)

• This extreme party clashed with the socialists in the May Days, a series of violent riots in Catalonia that further highlighted the divisions of the left

FET: The Falange in Politics

Led by Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, they gained a reasonable number of seats in the Cortes

The White and Red Terrors

• White Terror: repression of the left by the Nationalists

  • “Column of death” from Seville to Madrid

  • Blue Legion and Carlists were busy doing much of the same

  • Early 1937 saw a massacre in Malaga, church said nothing to protest it

• Red Terror: left-wing political prisoners running free with weapons

  • Desecrating churches

  • Murdering right-wing officials

Naval Battles

• Navy officers were loyal to Franco, but the sailors mutinied and killed them

• A now Republican navy would do their best to support the Republic, taking control of Gibraltar and setting up a feeble blockade, would win the battle at Cape Palos

• Only ends up being a minor hindrance, blockade is broken, thus rendering the navy ineffective

The Struggle for Madrid

• Franco tried multiple times to take Madrid, but failed to do so because of the strong Republican presence

  • Soviet tanks, International Brigades and anarchists also contributed greatly

• Instead, giving up on conquest, Franco laid siege to the city for two and a half years\

• This also meant that aerial bombing from the Luftwaffe, very concentrated and devastating

• Despite this, Madrid held, making it a central point for Republican forces to gather themselves, served as a morale booster

Foreign Legions: Condor and CTV

• German and Italian forces, overseen by their respective leaders

• Condor Legion

  • More on the equipment side

  • Luftwaffe was a huge help

  • Proto-Blitzkrieg, skilled troops, arms were also effective

• CTV

  • Supplied manpower, some equipment

  • Many were Blackshirts, fascists dedicated to their ideology

  • Not too much of a help, performed quite poorly at Guadalajara

Irun

• A coastal city bordering France and Spain

• This was where French supplies made their way to the Republicans

• Franco’s forces quickly seized the place, cutting the left off from any potential aid

Bilbao

• Key area in the Basque region, known for its industrial might

• It was a separatist region, meaning that it was filled with left-leaning people

• Franco also established a solid grip of this region, granting him industrial power he could use to further fuel the Nationalist war effort

Guernica

• Small town behind the front lines, used by the left as a communications center

• It was mercilessly bombed by the Luftwaffe and Aviazione Legionaria

  • They even went as far as strafing fleeing civilians just to bomb them

• This proved to be Franco’s stepping stone to Bilbao, but also proved a source for Republican propaganda

Guadalajara

• Northeast of Madrid, had transport routes coming in and a clear path to Madrid

• Here, 4 divisions of the CTV (Italian Foreign Legion) fought, with minor Nationalist support, against a lone Republican division

• The Republicans manage to upset the battle and defeat the Italians

• This was important because;

  • Incompetency of Italy

  • Propaganda (“Italy is terrible, useless allies, failures”)

  • Loss of the chance to have a direct line to hit Madrid

Jarama

• Attempt by Nationalists to defeat the Republicans, a strategic position to hold

• Had it all; tanks, air, land (truly a battle that encompassed everything about the war)

• Woody Guthrie’s song “Jarama Valley” was popular among Republican forces

Blue Shirts

• Name of the paramilitary wing of the Falange

• Fought in the Civil War, not on the scale of the Nationalist Army of Africa

• However, they later contributed on World War Two’s Eastern Front

The Ebro Offensive

• Last battle of the war, and the longest

• Republicans mount a final, desperate offensive to reunite their two split areas of control

• Nationalists fight back, a bloody stalemate settles in

• Right is more powerful however, as they have the firepower that the left has exhausted

• Marks the end of the Republic’s hopes of winning

Effect of the Spanish Civil War: Socially

○ Human cost / casualties:

■ 100,000 Republicans killed; about 70,000 Nationalists.

■ Killing continued after war in the ‘White Terror’ (Franco’s Giant Cumming Project in 1939) with a further 40,000–200,000 casualties ○ Concentration camps and prisons

■ Republicans and their sympathizers ○ Seizing of Republican children for ‘re­education’

■ Placed with Nationalist / Catholic families or sent to orphanages to be indoctrinated against the views and actions of their own parents ○ Long lasting divisions and hatred in Spanish society

Effect of the Spanish Civil War: Economic cost

○ Financial losses, economic problems

■ 10­15% of wealth destroyed

■ Per capita income 28% lower than in 1935

■ High inflation due to fighting of the war, and printing of money to finance it

○ Industrial destruction

■ 70% of Madrid’s factory machinery needed to be replaced

■ Communications systems, including tram network, needed to be rebuilt

■ Everyone is dead, there are no skilled workers + general labour shortage

■ Merchant shipping destroyed ○ Agricultural sector okay though, but remained inefficient, ineffective

■ Franco reversed Republican land reform → periodic unemployment for labourers, landowners refused modernization

○ Britain demanded repayment of debt, Germany wanted money for aid provided 80

■ Debt would remain until after WWI → opportunity for foreign (mostly US, Britain, France) influence

○ No modernization took place for 36 years

Effect of the Spanish Civil War: Political

○ Franco dictator

■ Exodus of Spaniards to neighbouring countries, included intellectuals (teachers, lawyers, researchers, doctors and famous writers, poets, artists and musicians)

■ Those that remained had to conform to Franco’s authoritarian, Catholic and conservative views ○ Law of Political Responsibility (1939)

■ Made Republican supporters liable to punishment

■ Allowed seizure of Republican land → vast amounts of land to the state

○ Restoration of the power of the privileged class, control working class

■ Wage cuts

■ Outlaw industrial political activism

■ Employment for Republicans who had escaped imprisonment was impossible

■ Use of Civil Guard to preserve inequalities of social and working system in rural areas ○ Restart of the ‘era of the national church’

■ ‘The Catholic Church enjoyed a degree of state support that was much greater than at any time since the 18th century. Government and church combined to preach order, hierarchy and discipline.’ – Lannon

■ Church took up cause of workers; linked with their movements

○ End of Basques and Catalans for autonomy

■ Use of Catalan, Basque and Galician languages was forbidden and all power was centralized in Madrid

○ Suppression and removal of all political opposition → period of political stability

■ More unified than ever until WWII

■ Then Franco got kind of shakey

■ And then died

○ Europe shunned Spain until his death (after which democracy was restored)

● For the world

● Soviet Union and communism

○ Defeat in Spain undermined international credibility

■ Cynical contribution to Republican → divisions in left­wing + disillusioned former supporters of the Soviet Union

■ Lost intellectual sympathy in the West

○ Accentuated Soviet and German tensions; pushed Soviet foreign policy away from an alliance with Western powers

■ Stalin lost respect for Britain and France as allies against Hitler (appeasement, and non­intervention, ultimate turning point was Munich Agreement)

■ Began to look towards a Nazi German alliance

● Hitler and Nazi Germany

○ Highlighted importance of air and land power

■ Effectiveness of applying air cover for ground troops in Blitzkrieg using the Italian defeat at Guadalajara as a point of reference

■ Testing of Luftwaffe, bullet­resistance fuel tanks and discovered valuable things, e.g. need for radio contact in armoured vehicles

■ Bombing seemed like a better idea (effective, to some extent) ○ Brought them closer to Mussolini’s Fascist Italy

■ Prevented a reconciliation between members of Stresa Front ○ British and French non­intervention + appeasement strengthened Hitler’s position

■ Also made Nazi Germany seem capable enough to defend the world from the biggest threat ever, in all eternity, the most evil, the most terrifying, the literal worst, the baddest, terrible­est, communism!!!

● Britain and France

○ Spanish Civil War made them want less war

○ Polarized political nature of foreign intervention heightened threat of escalation into a general war and drove up support for appeasement

■ Continued pursuit of policy of appeasement and non­intervention actually encouraged Hitler to be more aggressive

○ Communism is still the biggest threat

■ Apparently were unable to see the Condor Legion

● The USA

■ Offered no tangible assistance

○ Strengthening of isolationist sentiment and shunned Spain

■ Excluded from the post­war recovery package for Europe, the Marshall Aid