Spanish Civil War: Causes & Context

• Civil war started with a military coup against the Republic
• Resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and exiles
• July 18, 1936 military insurrection stemmed from opposition from conservative Spanish sectors to political democracy and Second Republic’s social reforms
• Culmination of tensions in Europe from economic crisis of the 1930s, the Crash of ‘29, rise of Italian fascism and German Nazism
• Insurrects' victory, supported by European fascist regimes, led to a dictatorial regime lasting until Franco's death in 1975

Causes of the Civil War

• Structural problems included deficient industrialization, economic lag, unequal land distribution, and limited land reform
• Accentuated social inequalities, illiteracy, deficit of democratic political maturity with a lack of fit for Catalonia and the Basque Country within the State and traditional military interventionism

Unfavorable International Context

• The Great Depression (1929 & the 1930s) increased unemployment and conflict, a crisis of democracies, and the advance of fascism
• Radicalization of Political Life included right-wing groups not accepting the Republican reformist program

Groups

• Fascist group activity of JONS, Falange, and Carlists
• Church opposition to the Republic's secularization
• Military conspiracies such as UME, Sanjurjo, and Mola
• Monarchist and reactionary officers planned a coup post-Popular Front victory
• The Left sought to accelerate social and economic actions; revolutionary events occurred in June and July in the countryside and cities (construction strike in Madrid, land occupations in Andalusia & Extremadura)
• CNT adopted a revolutionary strategy versus PSOE where Largo Caballero and Prieto faced off

Disruption of Public Order

• Sanjurjo's failed coup d'état took place in August 1932
• The October 1934 Revolution resulted in land occupations, street clashes, and increasing attacks in 1936

Outbreak of the War

• Military conspiracies and perceptions of an imminent workers' revolution were factors
• Assassinations of Lieutenant Castillo and José Calvo Sotelo occurred

Military Coup

• A coup d'état was designed by an army sector post the Popular Front's triumph in the January 1936 elections
• General Sanjurjo, exiled in Lisbon, was the head of the conspiracy supported by monarchist and conservative sectors
• General Mola directed conspiracy during his time in Pamplona due to area's broad implantation of anti-republican traditionalism
• Colonel Yagüe stood out in Africa's army with Generals Queipo de Llano (Seville) and Goded (Mallorca) committed in the Peninsula
• Falange, supported the coup due to their activity, despite being a small party

Timetable

• July 17, 1936, in Melilla, Yagüe declared a state of war in Ceuta
• By July 18, insurgents dominated the Moroccan protectorate
• Africa's army became an essential part of the coup and subsequent war, being the most professional and well-equipped
• July 19, General Franco secured the rise in the Canary Islands and arrived in Tetuan to lead African troops
• On the same day, Mola declared a state of war in Pamplona and secured Navarre with the support of the Requetés; the conspirators rose in several cities simultaneously

Result

• The coup triumphed in the Northern Plateau, Zaragoza, Galicia, and Mallorca: Queipo de Llano seized Seville while controlling Western Andalusia with reinforcements from Africa
• The coup failed in major cities including Madrid, the Basque Country, Catalonia, Valencia, Asturias, and Santander where worker/left-wing forces had more strength
• José Giral replaced Casares Quiroga as head of government on July 19
• Giral authorized distributing weapons to Popular Front organizations and unions dividing the country into two sides because Insurgents attempted to seize governance bodies, declare a state of war, and stifle opposition

Madrid

• Assault and civil guards did not join the uprising, enabling deactivation of insurgents
• The Montaña barracks were the center of conspiracy before resistance and the participation of armed workers

Catalonia

• Godet, tasked with leading the coup in Catalonia, realized its failure in Barcelona due to small civil support and little implantation from Falange Española and Carlists, though the Lliga did not explicitly support the coup
• The revolution unleashed supporters
• Insurgent military took troops out of barracks to occupy city's power centers, but conspirators did not attend, and rebels had to detain officials against the coup; workers and assault guards monitored the streets
• Civil Guard and Colonels defended the Republic and helped stifle insurgents
• Armed workers, assault guards, and civil guards recovered insurgent sites
• Goded was arrested and convinced by President Companys to accept defeat via radio, signaling the end of the Barcelona uprising and influencing the rest of Catalonia; worker organizations and the CNT fai played a decisive role
• Large quantities of weapons were obtained in assaults on some barracks, leading to Barcelona’s new power of armed workers

Consolidation of Sides

• Insurgents directed by: Monarchy military, catholic groups, falangists, traditionalists: opposed the Republic's reforms, had supported the Italian and German fascism
• Defined themselves as nationals (Spain’s unity) and catholics intending to establish a dictatorship to restore order + halt social revolution

Other factions

• Monarchists and the CEDA wanted Alfons XIII to return
• Falange wanted to impose a totalitarian regime
• Carlists awaited for the traditional monarchy's restoration
• The Republic's loyalists were the popular classes (socialists, anarchists, and communists) + sectors of the illustrated wealthy, intellectuals and artists that were called "reds" + wanted to restore the democratic system and a progressive social order

Territory

• The Republican zone included Catalonia, Valencia & Murcia, Menorca, Madrid, Asturias (- Oviedo), Biscay & Guipúzcoa, Cantabria, southern Castile, and part of Andalusia
• Rebel zone included Morocco, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, northern Castile, Galicia, Navarre & Álava, part of Aragon, western Andalusia, and northern Extremadura
• Republicans controlled the Navy/ popular militias with an even split in the air force: Republicans had 6,500 officials to 8,900 Nationals
• 61,600 International Brigade members from abroad for Republicans/ 72,800 Italians, 5,200 Germans, and 110,000 Morrocans for Nationalists

Internationalizing the Conflict

• The Spanish Civil War sparked within the international context with many historians considering it a prelude to WWII due to great international impact
• Seen as a confrontation between democratic forces/ revolutionary factions (socialists and communists) and expanding fascist regimes (Germany & Italy) viewed the conflict as a curb on communism's expansion
• European democracies showed sympathies (left-wing and the labour organizations) towards the Republic, but the governments adopted a non-intervention policy due to Franco British initiative of maintaining their marginality due to their policy of containment with nazi Germany

Non-intervention Policy

• Meant neutrality before war + banning military material to Spain to avoid spreading the conflict throughout Europe
• The Committee of Non-Intervention was created to avoid interference in the conflict
• Despite Italy, Germany, and the USSR acceding, they did not respect the arrangements and sent help + numerous foreign volunteers joined the Republic to fight + their participation supported morals
• The Soviet Union was the only state that helped the Republic militarily + this aid was financed with gold reserves from the Bank of Spain, which was deposited in Moscow
• National side aid = diplomatic, political and military support, maintained a clear ideological affinity, and Hitler and Mussolini gave Franco planes to pass Africa's army onto the Peninsula
• Italy facilitated military material and the dozens of thousands of soldiers came in their own unit
• The German Condor Legion consisted of pilots & soldiers destined to Spain + Hitler considered the Spanish Civil War as a training camp for future conflicts
• Portugal aided 20,000 volunteers + facilitated passage through their territory for Nationals with soldiers from Morocco

The Republic

• Giral government (July-September 1936): Republican territory was controlled + fragmented by revolutionary factions (anarchists, radical socialists) who prevented the government from imposing its authority
• Revolutionary actions divided and weakened Republicans
• Govt Legitimacy that had to involve armed worker support
• For radical factions, the military uprising demonstrated the inefficiency of the republican reformism + opened the possibility of revolutionary societal transformations through eliminating private property and the ruling classes
• Anarchosyndicalists and communists (POUM) promoted the revolutionary process and the republicans, the Spanish communist Party (PCE) + PSOE

Largo Caballero Government

• Sep. 1936- May 1937: attempted to reconstruct state authority by bringing Popular Alliances into government (republicans, communists)
• Repress state-building powers in popular militias
• CNT + POUM was too revolutionary to join government + Catalonian/ Basque nationalists joined
• Government planned for anti fascist unity (alliance between republican forces: middles class, and labourers): proposed end the parallel powers, take over revolutionary groups in republic
• Legislature approved the Statute of the Basque Country (October/1936): Militias militarized
• Preparatory formation of an ex regular army known as 'Popular Army: tensions continued between political factions. Some encouraged social transformations + others prioritised

May Mayhem

• The May of 1937 at Barcelona: division of powers + war efforts caused fighting events among CNT + POUM
• POUM members had less influence in politics + the Generalitat = (catalon/ socialists supported the PSUC) attempted to regain control of Telefonica from anarchist hands
• The situation was so serious that the Central Government of Caballero sent forces to restore order: conflict resulted in 200 deaths + with defeat of more radical anarchists, Catalonia had less autonomy and the Republic accused it for not helping with military effort

Negrín Government

• May 1937-March 1939: Replaced Caballero due to events of May of 1937
• Negrín was focused on resistance + not militarily oriented (only an attempt to enforce a peace acceptable and to reach an understanding): proposed conditions for ending war.
• Removed the foreign presence + guaranteed democracy by excluding reprisals but the conditions were rejected by Franco
• Strengthened a popular army + sought military support with socialists + communists + which gained influence during the USSR
• February/1939/ collapse of Catalonia that grew sectors in supporting maintenance + end of the resistance was unviable
• France + Britain recognized Franco
• Negrin found communist powers

"Nacional" Zone

• The political powers that supported rebel forces were: soldiers, nationalists, traditional militarism + those had different political ideas: all of them had the dismissal to public regimes and to the social transformations.
• Franco declared Head of Gov + Commander in Chief: created Technical Board of State + its presence of civil + governments.
• Catalan nationalists joined + the elections of Franco were focused on military operations in southern regions
• In April + unification between Spanish Falange with traditional power + in the JONS = Nationalist Syndicate by Franco- called El Caudillo, Spanish fascist dictator: unviable as a single political party
• Measured political actions in zones were: totalitarian government, authoritarian militarized state, removal of autonomy, ideological control (censored), the church realigned their beliefs, the Catholic Church: endorsed the uprising

Systemic Repression

• 130 deaths in war from both sides + execution had place in two zones during months+ prisoners, and then camps with civil cases
• Republican band caused repression due to actions from uncontrollable groups + popular courts were corrient
• Victims were politicals (mayors + civilians) with academics accused for sympathisers
• Republicans were executed at Paracuelloos of Jarama against the repressive in Badajoz

Military Phases

• 38' + national soldiers began to occupy Catalonia
• Caused by the fatigue form warfare and war by 1939 Republic was feeble
• February, military force reached border of French with 1/2 million deaths
• Collapse of the republican resistance of 1939: France + Great Britain recognized Franco Government, the republic
• Catalan + Basque + Manuel Azana were dismissed + government Negrin defends continuity
• Colonel Casado gave coup in Madrid against resistance from the Red Army

Postwar

• April 1st to Alicante troops that blocked the port and impeded the the exit of refugees, from the Republicans side
• 7: consequences of the war: civil war in the dramatic:
• 500 000 dead at front + 500 000 exiles (Mexico, France) +destructions of infrastructure + decrease productivity+ cultural isolation, exiles, execution: 270+ interned prisons in camps + were summitted to war board summarily
• Personal dictatorship that went on until 197 +short term with durissima repression
• People immigrated to Latin America + long periods for them.
• Sectors recovered privileges + censorship + economic recession