The Condor Legion. Omissions? Around 32,000 volunteers joined … Throughout this century liberalism and traditionalism clashed and corruption was rife. The Spanish Civil War began on July 17, 1936, when generals Emilio Mola and Francisco Franco launched an uprising aimed at overthrowing the country's democratically elected republic. Politically, their differences often found extreme and vehement expression in parties such as the Fascist-oriented Falange and the militant anarchists. The Spanish Civil War. Seeking allies against the threat of Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union had embraced a Popular Front strategy, and, as a result, the Comintern directed Spanish communists to support the Republicans. It describes the complex origins of the conflict, the collapse of the Spanish Republic, and the outbreak of the only mass worker revolution in the history of Western Europe. Southern Methodist University SMU Scholar History Theses and Dissertations History Spring 2020 INTERNATIONALISM IN THE BARRIOS: HISPANIC-AMERICANS AND THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR (1936- Timeline of the Spanish Civil War. A cornucopia of famous writers and artists covered the conflict. By March 28 all of the Republican armies had begun to disband and surrender, and Nationalist forces entered Madrid on that day. However, the on of the main causes was all sides’ failure to compromise and to respect the rights and opinions of others. The matter of how many were killed remains highly contentious; however, it is generally believed that the toll of Nationalist violence was higher. 1 talking about this. Labor unrest was widespread in the early 1930s, and the election of February 16, 1936, brought to power a leftist Popular Front government. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Portugal won her independence but Barcelona, who had acknowledged Louis XIII of France as its king, fell to Philip IV in 1652. The Spanish Civil War. Gen. Francisco Franco's troops in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War, late 1930s. While ground combat was somewhat reminiscent of World War I—tanks had a comparatively limited role, and lines remained fixed for months at a time—Hermann Göring’s Luftwaffe offered a glimpse of the role that air power would play in the German blitzkrieg. Ellwood, Sheelagh M. , 1991 The Spanish Civil War (Historical Association Studies) Basil Blackwell Ltd Esenwein, G. R. , 2005 The Spanish Civil War: A Modern Tragedy Routledge Forrest, A. , 2000 The Spanish Civil War (Questions and Analysis in History) Routledge Preston, P. , 1986 The Spanish Civil War 1936-39 Butler & Tanner Ltd Internecine conflict compromised the Republican effort from the outset. A new constitution returned power to the Church and the landowners and political and economic corruption spread throughout the country from Madrid. However, the Civil War in Spain was also notorious for being incredibly ‘messy’ politically – so much so that understanding what was happening can be extremely difficult. Political violence became endemic in the country as a consequence, and it escalated until it became a full-scale civil war. Were they really as bad that portrayed? They captured the Basque northern provinces in the summer of 1937 and then Asturias, so that by October they held the whole northern coast. On the other side, the Republican, were urban workers, most agricultural labourers, and many of the educated middle class. The army acquired a taste for overthrowing governments – between 1814 and 1874 there were 37 attempted coups. SOFT CONSTRUCTION WITH BEANS (A PREMONITION OF CIVIL WAR) BY SALVADOR DALI. The Spanish Civil War 1936-39 was a conflict notable for its brutality and for the way it savagely divided Spain. This book presents an original new history of the most important conflict in European affairs during the 1930s, prior to the events that produced World War II – the Spanish Civil War. The end of the First World War saw an end to the economic boom, unemployment and discontent followed fanning a rise in anarchism and socialism (both of which had been present in parts of Spain – mainly Andalucia and Catalonia, since the last quarter of the 19th century). The Civil War took place because the rising was successful only in Old Castile, in Navarra, where Carlist support was decisive, and, of the larger towns, in Zaragoza, Sevilla, Córdoba, Valladolid, and Cádiz. Clubbing Together, Brothels in Spain and Spanish Culture, Corruption in Spain, Marbella, the Godfather, a face lift and Mr Clean, Hooked, drugs in Spain and the gateway to hell, On the rocks, divorce in Spain and domestic violence, Politics in Spain, the Transition to democracy, Sex in Spain and the confessions of a call girl, The big issue, how immigration in Spain is changing the face of the countrypain, The history of Spain, Spain’s unification and elevation to world power, Selling property in La Safor and the Gandia area, Authoritarian rule versus libertarian instinct; and. Home » Modern World History » The Spanish Civil War. In rural areas with a strong right-wing political presence, Franco's confederates generally won out. However, if only it were so simple and clear cut. The new government introduced or proposed various reforms, including to the army, its relationship with regions like Catalonia, landownership, personal rights of women, freedom of religious worship etc. The Spanish Civil War was caused by many factors, including major socio-economic problems, such as poverty and inequality. A succession of governmental crises culminated in the elections of February 16, 1936, which brought to power a Popular Front government supported by most of the parties of the left and opposed by the parties of the right and what remained of the centre. The war was an outcome of a polarization of Spanish life and politics that had developed over previous decades. the wars in northern Europe, the fight against the French in Italy and destruction of the Armada..” presaged the decline of “imperial power, developed in less than two generations.”, In short no lessons were learnt and the Catholic Church’s unbending conservative orthodoxy and disdain for trade “made the Castilian ruling class introverted.”. The Spanish Civil War was more than a fratricidal struggle. Life expectancy was around 35 years, the illiteracy rate averaged 64% and two thirds of Spain’s active population still worked on the land – with huge variations in terms and conditions between the regions. Learn how your comment data is processed. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The city had endured a siege of nearly two-and-a-half years, and its residents were in no condition to resist. In fact the census of 1788 showed that almost 50% of adult males were not involved in any form of productive work, to quote Beevor – “one half of Spain east bit does not work, while the other half works but does not eat.” is a famous proverb which appears to have arisen around this time. The Republican forces had put down the uprising in other areas, except for some of the larger Andalusian cities, including Sevilla (Seville), Granada, and Córdoba. The Civil War took place because the rising was successful only in Old Castile, in Navarra, where Carlist support was decisive, and, of the…. Despite the danger, writers flocked … Central government against regionalist aspirations. In 1934 there was widespread labour conflict and a bloody uprising by miners in Asturias that was suppressed by troops led by General Francisco Franco. Everyone, it seems, was fighting everyone, at one time or another, as a bewildering array of political views sought dominance in Spain from extreme anarchists through to communists, socialists, fascists and republicans. The following day the remnant of the Republican government surrendered; Franco would establish himself as dictator and remain in power until his death on November 20, 1975. The Church controlled every aspect of education and promoted Castilian qualities “such as endurance of suffering and equanimity in the face of death.” It encouraged parsimony, mental and physical, and rejected the papacy because of its corruption. Not only is this the best introductory text … In 1700, after the death of the last Spanish Hasburg the first of many wars of Spanish Succession started and Catalonia sided with England against Louis XIV’s grandson, Philip of Anjou. Tending sheep is not labour intensive and the “only alternatives to starvation was the army and, later, the empire.” As a result, Spain’s population is estimated to have fallen from about 14 million in the Middle Ages to a little over 7 million at the end of the eighteenth century. By February 1939, 250,000 Republican soldiers, together with an equal number of civilians, had fled across the border into France. On one side were the anarchists and militant socialists, who viewed the war as a revolutionary struggle and spearheaded widespread collectivization of agriculture, industry, and services; on the other were the more moderate socialists and republicans, whose objective was the preservation of the Republic. The Nationalists drove a salient eastward through Teruel, reaching the Mediterranean and splitting the republic in two in April 1938. The underlying causes of the Spanish Civil war. Nationalist troops in Irun, Spain, during the Spanish Civil War. This failure meant that the Second Republic could never provide a government that could bring stability and prosperity to the country. It was as turbulent a time as any, ultimately, resulting in the military, led by Franco, feeling it necessary to step in and restore order in July of that year – the Spanish Civil War was officially born, but the country had already been effectively as close to civil war as is possible without it being nominated a civil war. When an initial military coup failed to win control of the entire country, a bloody civil war ensued, fought with great ferocity on both sides. A monarchy which disregarded the local rights and customs of regions or Kingdoms which had previously been independent, for example Catalonia and the Basque country. A war of attrition began. General Francisco Franco. On October 1, 1936, he was named head of state and set up a government in Burgos. Causes of the Spanish Civil War Exploding in July 1936, the war in Spain soiled the 20th century; it was among the bloodiest wars ever to take place on the European continent. A Mexican auxiliary battalion (fighting on the Republican side) marching through Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War, late 1930s. Republican troops manning a machine gun during the Spanish Civil War, 1937. This does not include all those who died from malnutrition, starvation, and war-engendered disease. The Republicans received aid from the Soviet Union as well as from the International Brigades, composed of volunteers from Europe and the United States. The Nationalists, as the rebels were called, received aid from Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. A Concise History of the Spanish Civil War by Paul Preston. Origins of the Spanish Civil War by M Blinkhorn Staff, 2004, Pearson Education, Limited edition, in English This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The civil war took on aspects of ideological warfare in other European countries, but it was, at its core, a Spanish thing. “The Church provided spiritual justification for the Castilian social structure and was the most authoritarian force in its consolidation.” Here we find authoritarian rule. But what were the precise origins of the Spanish Civil War? With Frank Finlay, Enrique Lister, Ramón Serrano Súñer, Narcís Julián. Due to the international political climateat t… THE BORGIAS – Few families in the world have been as notorious as the Borgias with Lucrezia Borgia and Caesar Borgia famous worldwide. Documentary series which uses film and eyewitness accounts from both sides of the conflict that divided Spain in the years leading up to World War Two, also placing it in its international context. Rod Younger MD of Books4Spain writing about: The Battle for Spain by Anthony Beevor, RELEVANT ARTICLES ABOUT SPAIN AND THE POLITICS AND CULTURE OF SPAIN. Who were to blame for the conflict? As a result, between 1931 and 1936 there were several uprisings, strikes, coup attempts, elections and an increasing polarisation between the various political parties, especially on the left. On one side, the Nationalist, were most Roman Catholics, important elements of the military, most landowners, and many businessmen. Nevertheless, the repatriation of money from the old empire and the First World War, in which Spain remained neutral, resulted in a mini economic boom and a significant increase in the birth rate – which was to have an impact twenty years later in the 1930s. In 1640 the Catalans, who had had considerable autonomy and power in the Mediterranean, along with the Portuguese, rose against Philip IV. The main antagonists were the Nationalists under Gen. Francisco Franco and the Republicans under Francisco Largo Caballero and, later, Juan Negrín. The American Civil War had begun and the very people Amwrican were once neighbors had each. On July 18, 1936, the Spanish Civil War begins as a revolt by right-wing Spanish military officers in Spanish Morocco and spreads to mainland Spain. The Nationalist rebels' initial efforts to instigate military revolts throughout Spain only partially succeeded. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Spanish-Civil-War, The Holocaust Encyclopedia - Spanish Civil War, History Learning Site - The Spanish Civil War, Spanish Civil War - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Spanish Civil War - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War, Examine the role of communism and fascism in the Spanish Civil War. Spanish Civil War, (1936–39), military revolt against the Republican government of Spain, supported by conservative elements within the country. In fact, the Spanish Civil War was, in my opinion, the inevitable consequence of Spain’s economic and political decline after its Golden Age, although, as Beevor points out “this view contravenes the informal yet important rule of history that nothing is inevitable”. It was massacred but this defeat seemed to emphasise just how corrupt and incompetent Spain’s leadership was. So we have an increasingly impoverished and marginalised country with limited natural resources being ruled by a highly conservative Catholic Church disconnected from the more liberal and less overtly political church emerging in other parts of Europe and a Castilian Monarchy who saw the rest of Spain and its dwindling empire as a source of funds. Lastly, centralism against regionalism: As mentioned above, Spain had never really been united but theReconquista, along with marriages between different royal families, created a centralised government (Monarchy) with the Church effectively in control. Stanley G. Payne, author of The Spanish Civil War 'These two experts in agrarian history advance new and nuanced interpretations of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century Spanish political and economic developments. The drawings depict subjects such as the bombing of villages, battle scenes with tanks and planes, events during the evacuations, and daily life in the colonies (or the past). In one form or another, all the great powers were involved in the affair. The common perception of at least 80% of the people who ask me about this and who also purport to know about the cause of the Spanish Civil War, state with certainty that Franco over threw a democratically elected Republican government – end of story. The general election of February 1936 led to a very narrow victory by a coalition of left wing parties who then fell to bickering amongst themselves, with the hard left faction urging a Bolshevik revolution. Updates? We will investigate primarily the history of Catholicism the Spanish Civil War as reported by one of the leading histories of that period. This decline was, of itself, due to three key factors identified by Beevor, namely: To quote Beevor (which I will do with some frequency!) – The Moors entered Spain in 711 and left (reluctantly) hundreds of years later. The Spanish Civil War (1936 – 1939) has come to symbolize the clash between the ideologies of liberalism, socialism and communism versus conservatism, traditionalism and fascism. reforms leading to regular clashes with the establishment (Church, Army and landowners). “The Internationals—United with the Spaniards We Fight the Invader,” poster by Parrilla, published by the International Brigades, 1936–37. Nationalist forces put the figure at 1,000,000, including not only those killed in battle but also the victims of bombardment, execution, and assassination. The Spanish Civil War was a major contributor to the hardening of the division from HISTORY 410N at Chamberlain College of Nursing Here were the seeds of class conflict. “The army conquered, then the Church integrated the new territories into the Castillian state.” The power of the Church was based on fear and culminated, as we know, in the creation of Inquisition by Isabella. The American Civil War was arguably the most important war in the history of the country. After capturing Madrid on March 28 th to end the War, El Generalísimo sought to unify the newly formed Spanish state. The Soviet Union contributed equipment and supplies to the Republicans, who also received help from the Mexican government. What I do know from my Spanish roots, family history and experience is that the conflict was not as black as white as many people believe and, as Antony Beevor says in his Introduction, “The Spanish Civil War remains one of the few modern conflicts whose history has been written more effectively by the losers than by the winners.” and “Truth was indeed the first casualty of the Spanish Civil War.”. Well, that is something that my friend Rod Younger of Books4Spain explains in one of the most lucid and penetrating articles about the Civil War in Spain that I have read for a long time. By November 1936 the Nationalists had advanced to the outskirts of Madrid. … It resulted, of course, in General Franco’s long dictatorship (which only ended in 1975) and was a defining moment for Spain – the results of which can be felt even now. Entered Madrid unopposed the Civil rights Esswy was an organized effort by Black Americans to racial. 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