Spanish Civil War

Long Term Causes

• Politic Issues

• Socio-Political Tensions

• Regionalism

• economic Problem

Political Issues

• from 1871 Spain was constitutional monarchy

  • king was the head of stated

  • real power was in the wealthy olichgarcg

• elections were usually rigged and corrupt

Political Issus: the Army

• the army also held power and would intervene in politics

  • army was unpopular w/ the Spanish people because it required heavy taxation and was too big for post-colonial Spain

• the upperclass and middle-class supported army because they had high-ranking positions

• lost credibility because they lost the Spanish-American War and struggled to keep Morocco in control

Socio-Political Tensions

• the church had alot of power and had political and social influence

• promoted social political and economic conservatism

• supported by wealth elite and aristocracy —> funded the church

• urban areas protested against the church

Regionalism

• A centralist state opposed the demands of autonomy in the Basque and Catalonia regions

• catalans and basques had separate languages + cultures and independent churches and by the 20th century they had industrialized

• Spain had key textile, iron and coal industries in Catalonia and shipbuild in the Basque country

• political protest and strikes were met w/ brutal state suppression

Economic Problems

• was primarily an agriculture economy —> inefficient + most agricultural work was seasonal which meant most people had to travel to find work

• South Spain:

  • had the latifundia system in regions like Andalusia, vast estates were owned by a few leaving peasants landless

  • the elite landlords were called the grandees

  • small holdings: in areas like Galicia, subsitence farming dominate w/ little investment or surplus in modern techniques

The Northern Economy

• was industrialized but needed reforms (some areas were industrialized)

• low standard of living and wages for workers from the North in the factories

• This environment in urban areas —> trade unions and strikes

• but these strikes were ineffective as seasonal migration brought new workers

• working class looked to violent upheavel to bring change world war 1

• but there shortages and inflation —> decline of working class standards of living

Great Depression and Its Impact

• uneployment soared to over 30% in some exacerbated poverty and social unrest

• agricultural prices: plummeted, leaving famrer unable to pay debt

Government Response

• Azaña reforms: the second Republic attempted land reforms and labor protections but these were inadequate + poorly implemented

• backlash: landowners and the catholic

Political Diviisions

• liberal movement in Spain, mainly supported by the educated middle class

• it had not achieved much in opposing conservatives but was a large force

• in the late 19th century the Partido Socialist Obrero Espanol (PSOE) had developed in urban areas in the late the 19th century but and limite impact

• Federacion Anarquista Iberica

Federacion Anarquista Iberica

was an extreme anarchist faction that carried out bombingd and assassinations

Primo De Rivera

was a Spanish dictator and military officer who ruled as prime minister of Spain from 1923 to 1930 during the last years of the Bourbon Restoration.

Primo De Rivera Successes

• ended the conflict in Morocco with the assistance of the French in 1925

• set up a system of arbitration to end the conflict between industries workers and employers that gained him some support from the socialists

• gave limited government subsidies to improve housing and health care of working classes

• oversaw a sustained period of economic growth due to large scale investments infrastructure projects like roads, dams and irrigation

• facilitated a period of political stability

Primo De Rivera Failures

• social justice reform of fiscal systems was defeated by banking sector De Rivera had wanted to tax capital as well as wages

• great depression badly hurt Latin American + damaged trade w/ Spain’s key partners.

• Government borrowed heavily to finances infrastructure projects

• De Rivera overvalued the Peseta before being forced at accept a significant

Second Republic

• After Primo De Rivera resignation the mornarchy’s reputation was undermined because they supported him

• The monarchy then appointed General Berenguer who promised general elections and then post-poned it for a year —> enflamed republic opposition

• King went to voluntary exile making a peaceful revolution

Manuel Azana

• served as Prime Minister of the second Spanish Republic Reform:

Economic Reform

• arbrition committees were set up in the countryside to resolve disputes between landowners + laborers

Agrarian Reforms 1932

• gave power to the state to confiscate and redistribute

land form redistribute land form

• latinfundia and the church to landless laborers

• regional autonomy

• autonomy was given to Catalonia in 1932 and its given wide ranging powers over education, language, and cultural policies.

Azana issues

• economic issues

• political issues

• Military Issues

• Social Issues

Azana economic issues

• great depression meant government had insufficient funds to finance reforms

• land reforms only benefitted 7000 families, as a government could not afford compensation to landowners

• violence increased in the countryside. The anarchists viewed the land reforms as far too limited and failure. In cases viejas the assault guard killed

• the removal of church run schools meant the government had to try to fund the building of new schools and the training and payment of teachers

• military reform did not save money as retired military

• officers got full pay

Azana Political Issues

• catalan autonomuy undermined by unity of the dtate + opposed by conservatives

• right wing parts of millitary opposed regional autonomy

• CEDA

Azana CEDA Political Issues

led by Gil Robles was an Authoritarian right wing party set up in Feb 1933

• had a manifesto that prompted and protected the church, opposed the republic and promoted property owners and conservatives peasantry

• The Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas, known as CEDA, aimed to restore conservative values and diminish leftist influences in Spain.

socialists were disillusioned by limited (in their opinion) reforms

Azana Military Issues

• enflamed military because of compulsory retirement which tended to be more political and highly nationalistic

• a military coup led by general sanjoro failed in August 1932

Azana Social Issues

• strong opposition church

• failed to manage the expectations of working class —> better health care

Foreign Intervention

• the CEDA Party had assistance from the nationalist party in Germany Nazi

• the Nazi army helped General Franco to airlift 24,000 troops of army in Africa to Spain

• Franco use the policy of terror to move his forces towards Madrid

Republic Advantages

• had most of the gold reserves of Spain

• controlled major cities + key industries areas

• had most of the air force and navy

November (1937)

• nationalist strengthened by support from the German

• Condor legion: However military aid support

• nationalist consolidate position in Andalasia w/ Italian support

Role of Foreign Intervention

• there was more assistance for the Nationalist then Republicans

  • Soviets gave republicans 1000 aircraft, 750 tanks + some advisors

  • international brigades (organized by Soviet comittern) gave 35,000 foreign volunteers to Spain

• 1938 Soviets w/drew their support final blow republicans

Effects of Foreign Intervention

• lengthened the war + intesified it

• Spanish issues that caused the war was overtaken and submerge by larger ideological battle

Foreign Intervention Practices

• propaganda was used

• bombing raids → showed what was to come in WWII

Military Practices

• The war of attrition and stalemates on land was similar to WWI

• Control of the sea was important

• dominance of air power was crucial

• Blitskrieg tactics shown to evolve

Strength of Nationalist

• Military strength

• political unity

• economic advantages

Military Strength

• Falangists + carlist militias was drawn into regularl army

• Army of Africa included the best troops in the country and it could cover for other forces

• there was unified command and recognition of Francos leadership

• tactics + strategies were effective

Political Unity Strength

• there was a unified command under Franco merged the Fange + Caslist party → Falange Esponola Tradicionalista

• assisted by church support

• Franco used terror to gain political control

• Franco Nationalist propaganda message was not undermined by foreign support

Economic Advantages

• the business community backed the nationalists → buy credit to buy war supples

• Sep 1936: nationalists were in control of the main food-production areas

• nationalist were able to secure international credit including 7 million from US

Republican Weakness

• military weakness

• Political Disunity

• Economic Disadvantage

• womens role

Military Weakness

• lacked military leadership + no unified commands

• anarchists militias + the Basques refused to be led by a central command

• Basques would permit their forces to defend areas outside their own territory

• experienced army officers were not trusted by the Republic

• key battles were not within range of the Repiblican airforce

Political Disunity

• caballero became head of a coalition gov is Sep 1936 but his authority was undermined from the start

• communists + socialists believed that revolution would be post poned until after the war

  • syndalists: revolutionary policies would win the war

• Catalonia + Basque + Austuria ==> independent

• war within a war in Barcelona in May 1937

• Negrin took over as president of the Republic + purged the POUM + anarchist leaders

Women’s Role

• played a large role in the Republican side

• politically + economically active + engaged in Military fronts

• Franco: wanted women with roles of homeworks + mothers

  • women caught by nationalist were treated brutality

Effects of Soviet Union + International Communism

• communism had been defeated in Spain, and this undermined its international credibility

• former supporters disillusionized

Effects Nazi Germany + Facist Italy

• Hitler was able to gain value for the military lessons from the war. The importance of air power was highlighted in the intital transport of Franco’s forces to the mainland, as proved effective in covering for ground troops in blitzkrieg

• Germans were able to test new technology in war

• bombing of civilians to make terror + kill morale proved effective

• war brought Nazi Germnay + facist + Italy closer

• Pact of Steel signed in 1939

• hitlers position strengthened in Europe + distraction from Hitlers expansion into Europe

Britain + France

• the Spanish civil war strengthened domestic support for appeasement

• spread of communism in Spain was seen as great threat

• showed their weakness of appeasement

US

• neutral

• economic sanction against franco in 1946

• Qusrntin the Agressor speech