Effects of the Spanish Civil War

impact on Spain → human cost

• 500,000 people died

impact on spain → political

• schism in society persisted

• approx. 50,000 executed under Franco’s post-war repression

• February 1939: law of political responsibilities → 250,000 spaniards ended up as exiles

• FET was only permitted political party → Franco was head of gov., head of state, and commander in chief

• generals comprised up to half of his ministers in early cabinets

• catalan and Basque independence scrapped

long term political impacts on Spain

• 1977: first free elections

• 1978: new constitution as constitutional monarchy w/ democratically elected parliament

• significant regional autonomy

impacts on spain → social impacts

• committed to maintaining rights of landowning class and interests of financial and industrial elites

• nationalists presented as holy crusaders and the church had been supportive

impacts on spain → economic

• Spain continued war debt payments to italy into 1960s

• industrial output fell 35% and agricultural output fell 21% from 1935 → 1939

• inflation was high

• 1939: 10 year plan towards autarky

• 1956: outbreak of strikes and student protests

• 1959: stabilisation plan

• 1960s: significant rise in living standards and a more balanced economic growth occurred

impact on Spain → diplomatic impacts

• march 1939: signed anti-comintern pact

• permitted axis power to refuel at Spanish air and naval bases

• 20,000 ‘volunteers’ took part in hitler’s invasion of USSR June 1941

• after WW2 only on good terms with Portugal and Argentina

• 1955: admitted to the UN

• 1956: granted Morocco independence

international impacts

• germany and italy were closer

• italy was economically ruined

• October 1936: rome-berlin axis

• provided German forces with combat experiences and the change to experiment with weapons