The conventional wisdom is that the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) was somewhat of a prequel or “dress rehearsal” to the Second World War and there is something to that argument. It highlighted the bloodthirsty and dehumanizing nature of what was essentially an ideological struggle, showcased the destructive nature of aerial bombardment and provided a platform of action for the ambitions of Hitler, Stalin and Mussolini. On another level the war indicated the dangers, of how a relatively sophisticated nation state, can slide into years of terror, when the political center crumbles leaving the populace at the mercy of both the extremes of left and right.
To understand the war’s origins we need to go back to the year 1931 that saw the abolition of monarchy in the country, the end of the reign of Alfonso XIII and the birth of the Spanish Second Republic. Initially there was much optimism in Spain as the newly elected government promised much welcomed reforms that contrasted sharply with Miguel Primo de Rivera’s reactionary period as dictator from 1923–1930.
Alfonso XIII - source: Dictator’s Wiki
The new government that dominated politics in Spain in 1931 consisted largely of a coalition of Republicans, Liberals, Communists, Anarchists and Socialists. It adopted a political agenda predicated on economic, cultural and political reform that took a sharp turn towards anti-clericalism and collectivism ushering in an era that looked to cut into the social fabric of Spain’s traditional core. Land distribution policy was particular troublesome and divisive.
The ruling coalition couched its ideas in an amalgamation of modernization and socialist reforms. Union voices made their presence felt through the actions of the UGT and the CNT-IFA who appeared to be gravitating towards a type of Syndicalism that pressured the Government from the Left.
The right wing opposition consisted of three main groups - Monarchists (broken down into the Alfonsists and Carlists), the Roman Catholic Church and after 1933 the Falangists (Spanish Fascists). The latter was led by José Antonio Primo de Rivera, the son of the former dictator who modelled the Falangists along the lines of Mussolini’s Italian Fascist Party.
While the left enjoyed strong union support, the Right had substantial backing in the Army and Spanish Industrialists who were concerned about the growth of Socialism and Communism within the Republican government. Within the Spanish Cortes (Parliament) right wing interests were largely represented by the CEDA alliance.
As the 1930s evolved the Republican government was forced to put down several insurrections driven by Army elements on the right. At the same time Syndicalists were attacking it from the Left. Concessions to the left were predictably met with more demands and the government coalitions tended to be unstable. CEDA, which represented Middle Class and Conservative Catholic interests was largely excluded from power by a series of alliances even when a center-right coalition dominated the Cortes.
Instability was the byword for the Republic and the chasm between the political poles had escalated rapidly. Isolating Military figures such as Emilio Mola and Francisco Franco (who was sent to the Canary Islands) could only stave off for so long the growing discontent. Oddly enough the enfranchisement of women did result in a surge in support for the centre-right parties that was reflected in the 1933 election.
By early 1936 the drum roll towards more violence was beating with greater intensity. Niceto Alcalá-Zamora, the country’s President was cycling through Prime Ministers. In May 1936 he was replaced by former Prime Minister Manuel Azaña Díaz. Political infighting was endemic. Meanwhile influential general Francisco Franco had left the Canary Islands and arrived at Spanish Morocco. From the North Mola was actively planning for action against the Republican government.
On the 12th of June the Falangists killed police lieutenant José Castillo. The left responded by executing Monarchist José Calvo Sotelo. War began on the 17th of July 1936. Franco’s rebels had Spanish Morocco. He was by now leader of the Nationalists (and soon to be Caudillo) having united all opponents of the Republican government under this broader banner. Nationalist troops would soon seize key towns and cities in the South and Far North.
However the rest of the country was dominated by Republican forces of various stripes. Worker groups had seized control of Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia, parts of Levante and Aragon. They began establishing collectives placing the economy under full worker control. July-September 1936 was known as the Summer of Anarchy.
With German help Franco’s Army of Africa was air lifted to the Spanish mainland nullifying the Naval blockade that had so far served the interests of the Republic.
Spain at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War source: Omniatlas
For three years the war dragged on. The Nationalists controlled most of the countryside while the Republicans dominated the cities with the sole exception of Sevilla. Nazi Germany and Italy backed the Nationalists while the Soviet Union stood behind the Republican forces. France and Britain condemned the Nationalists but largely avoided directly assisting Republican forces, Nevertheless International brigades of outside volunteers rushed to join the Republican side. Included in this band was George Orwell who wrote about his experiences in his book Homage to Catalonia (1938).
The CNT Defense Committee fighting the Nationalists in Barcelona source: Socialist Worker
Fighting was brutal with war crimes committed by both sides. Purges were frequent as was the use of torture and mass killings. The bombing of the town of Guernica (1937) by the German Luftwaffe in support of the Nationalists was a particular tragic event and highlighted the destructive nature of air attacks which would become all too apparent in World War Two.
The Bombing of Guernica as immortalized by Picasso source: The Independent
Madrid held out for two and a half years in the face of a bloody siege by the Nationalists. However after Franco had consolidated Nationalist control over Basque territory in the North he swept southeast to the coast splitting Republican controlled territory into two halves. Momentum was with the Nationalists. The Internationalist Brigade has been disbanded some time earlier and the Soviets appeared to be losing their enthusiasm for the struggle. Soon Republican strangleholds would fall.
Francisco Franco source: biography.com
By the 1st of April 1939 the War was over. Franco’s better trained troops aided by the Fascist powers were victorious in a series of sweeping advances. Franco was now in control of all of Spain. His chief rivals on the Right, José Sanjurjo and Emilio Mola had both died in plane crashes. Sabotage was suspected for both fatalities but this was never proven.
As dictator Franco would govern Spain until his death on the 20th of November 1975 with Spain facing international isolation during his tenure in power. King Juan Carlos I was restored to the Spanish throne with Spain becoming a Constitutional Monarchy. Although the Germans and Italians had given him critical support during the Civil War Franco made the wise choice of Maintaining Spain neutrality during World War Two thus avoiding the destruction of his country that would likely have ensued. He did however express sympathy for the Axis Powers.
From an Allied perspective his neutrality was critical as it allowed the Allies to have an ease of entry into the Mediterranean through the straights of Gibraltar with Franco choosing to ignore Hitler’s please to seize the British controlled rock fortress.
Sources:
The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Paperback – June 1, 2006 by Anthony Beevor.
The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution, and Revenge by Paul Preston (2006)
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