Page 41 - All About History 58 - 2017 UK
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Bluffer’s Guide
SPANISH CIVIL WAR
What was it?
On 17 July 1936, Spanish army troops led by General
Francisco Franco revolted against Spain’s popular
left-wing Republican government just five months after
it had been democratically elected. Their surprise attack
was hugely effective, seizing a third of the country within
a week. But after the right-wing Nationalist troops failed
to gain total control, Spanish civilians joined militias in an
attempt to put down the insurgency. Spain was split.
The Republicans were battling for freedom, backed by
the Soviet Union. The Nationalists claimed a war against
“godless” communists and they gained the support of Nazi
Germany and fascist Italy. As many as 40,000 socialists,
communists and idealists from around the world also
joined the Republicans. The resulting civil war was bloody.
Madrid and Barcelona were key battlegrounds. Under
siege against the Nationalists for most of the conflict,
the latter fell in January 1939 and Madrid soon followed.
By April, Franco had declared victory, executing 50,000
Republicans on top of the 200,000 people who had been
killed in combat or other violent outbreaks during the war.
Franco ruled Spain as a dictatorship until his death in 1975.
Why did it happen?
By the 1930s, Spain was deeply divided country with
workers, farm labourers and socialists favouring left-
wing Republicans, while monarchists, landowners,
businessmen, the army and the Roman Catholic Church
supported right-wing Nationalists. Partly due to the
economic fallout of the Wall Street Crash, the military
dictatorship that had ruled Spain since 1923 collapsed in
1929. In 1931, the king abdicated after the Republicans
came to power.
A period followed where the two political rivals had
served as elected governments but events worsened after
General Franco crushed a miners’ strike in Asturias in 1934,
killing 1,000. Political groups formed militias and violence
broke out on Spain’s street. On 16 February 1936, the left-
wing Popular Front coalition was elected. They banned the
fascist Falange Party and began installing pro-Republican
generals while demoting commanders with questionable
loyalty. Matters came to a head and Franco made his move.
Who was involved?
Francisco Franco
4 December 1892 — 19 November 1975
As part of a group of generals who plotted
the military coup, Franco led the Nationalist
Army and removed anyone stood in his way.
Manuel Azaña
10 January 1880 — 3 November 1940
Azaña helped form the Popular Front and
25 JULY – 16 NOVEMBER 1938 28 MARCH 1939
was president when civil war broke out. He
stayed in office until the Nationalists’ victory.
The lengthy and The Nationalists
bloody Battle of the had failed to take
Ebro is the last major Madrid during Adolf Hitler
Republican offensive intense fighting in 20 April 1889 — 30 April 1945
of the civil war. Tens November 1936 but Hitler declared his support for Franco on 26
of thousands die finally succeed. The
and the Nationalists Republicans surrender July 1936. Seeking to cement relations with © Getty Images
emerge victorious. unconditionally. Italy and Spain, he sent aircraft and troops.
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