The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)

• The military rebellion started on July 17-18, 1936, led by Generals Mola, Sanjurjo, and Franco (Africanistas).
• The rebellion aimed to end social disturbances, stop left-wing reforms, and prevent a potential Marxist revolution.
• The plan was to rapidly conquer the Peninsula and establish an authoritarian regime, but it was hindered by the strength of the Republican forces.
• Spain was divided into two opposing sides: the Nationals controlled Castile, Galicia, and cities such as Seville, Pamplona, Cadiz, and Granada, with support from Germany and Italy.
• The Republicans dominated Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country, Catalonia, the Levant, Madrid, and cities such as Malaga, Toledo, or Cartagena, with support from the Soviet Union and the Communist International Brigades.
• The British and French democracies did not support the Republic.
• The rebels advanced towards Madrid, but the Battle of Jarama and the Battle of Guadalajara prevented them from entering the city in 1936.
• In 1937, Franco's troops occupied the north (Bombing of Guernica) and Malaga (Malaga-Almeria road massacre).
• In 1938, after the Battle of the Ebro, Aragon and Catalonia were conquered.
• By the beginning of 1939, Republicans only retained Madrid and the region between Valencia and Almeria.
• Between February and March 1939, Franco's troops occupied the whole Peninsula, and the war ended on April 1, 1939.
• The war caused about 500,000 deaths and sent 400,000 Spaniards into exile.
• Infrastructures were damaged, and agricultural and industrial production decreased dramatically.
• Franco established a dictatorship and dismantled the liberal and parliamentary system established since the 19th century.

The Second World War (1939-1945)

Causes

• The peace treaties signed after WWI imposed harsh conditions on the defeated powers, leading to resentment, especially in Germany.
• The Great Depression provoked unacceptable unemployment, poverty, and hyperinflation in Germany.
• Totalitarian regimes expanded to acquire raw materials and prestige.
• The appeasement policy to avoid a new war by accepting part of the German demands (Munich Agreement) contributed to the outbreak of the war.
• The failure of the League of Nations, which limited itself to passing symbolic sanctions against the aggressors, weakened the international response.
• The increasing tension provoked by the invasions of China by Japan (1931), Abyssinia by Italy (1935), and Austria (1938) and Czechoslovakia (1939) by Germany contributed to the outbreak of the war.

Test your knowledge about the Spanish Civil War which occurred from 1936 to 1939. Learn about the military rebellion led by Generals Mola, Sanjurjo, and Franco, their aims, and the factors that shaped this conflict.