Spanish Civil War
• Background
– Lost Empire 19th Century
– 1898 lose Puerto Rico,
Guam, Philippines, Cuba
• Alfonso XIII (1902)
– Autocrat
– No reforms
– Moroccan War lost 1921
Long term Causes of Spanish Civil War
• Weakness of Government
– 1871 King appoints PM supposed to represent
Majority in Cortes (Parl.)
– Real power is wealthy oligarchs
– Conservatives v. Liberals and elections rigged
• Role of the Army
– Believes it is protector with right to intervene in
crisis (1820, 1871, 1923)
– Unpopular seen as brutal, and lost the empire
• Needs reform, too big but dominated by Upper and
Middle Class conservative officers
Long term Causes of Spanish Civil War
• Role of the Church
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Rich, powerful
Guaranteed role in education and parts of economy
Supports political and social/economic conservatism
Most clergy and money from aristocracy (supports them)
Resentment among poor, but popular in rural areas
• Economic Causes
– Agricultural economy
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Not enough work, mostly seasonal
Central/South Grandees own huge latifundia
North small peasant farms can’t earn a living
Anarchists push for land reform, but Small farmers are subsidized by
the Catholic Agrarian Federation and later support Franco
• Civil Guard used to put down unrest
Long term Causes of Spanish Civil War
• Economic Causes (Industry)
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Need modernization and reform
Low wages, long hours, poor work and housing conditions,
Unions CNT and UGT have no power
Violent revolt seems appealing
Brief improvement in WWI then even worse in 1920’s
• Regional Friction
– Basques and Catalans separate languages and cultures
• Industrialized Economies and separate churches
– Catalan’s lose autonomy in 1920’s
• Political Opposition
– Liberals, Socialists (PSOE), UGT, Anarchists (CNT, FAI) can’t
agree after revolt in 1931
– Socialists divided Moderates (Prieto), Radicals (Caballero)
Military Coup 1923
• Miguel Rivera
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Suspends constitution
Martial law
Censorship
Anti-corruption
90 Day term
Refuses to leave
Public works; 300%
increase from 1923; tax
the rich fails
– Uses loans and inflation
follows
Rivera Resigns 1930
• Alfonso exiled after
free elections
choose a republic
• Provisional
Government calls a
general election
• Socialists PSOE and
left win big victory
Short Term Causes of the
Civil War
Republican Government:
The Left Republic Apr. 1931-Nov. 1933
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Creation of Republic itself is a
cause of the War
N. Zamora is PM (Moderate
republican)
Radicals:
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Azana, Caballero
Prieto moderate PSOE
End Catholic Education
State doesn’t pay clergy
Women vote, Divorce legal
Azana (War Minister) massive
Army cutbacks, 50% take
retirement at full pay (Huge
expense)
– Radicalizes Army
Azana Takes Over (Oct. 1931)
• Zamora elected president
• Azana hates the Church
– Religious buildings burned
May 1931
– “burn all convents”
– Depression makes things
worse
– Iron down 33%, steel 50%
– Land Redistribution Plan
requires compensation but
gov’t has no money (Largo
Caballero is Labor Minister
responsible for program)
– Only 7000 benefit
Azana Takes Over (Oct. 1931)
• Create Assault Guard to
make Military more left wing
• Gen’l Sanjurjo revolts 1932
(Fails)
• Anarchist revolt 1933
(change too slow)
• Catalonia gets own
parliament (angers right)
• Historiography: Trad. View
failure of land reform brought
down Gov’t
• P. Preston argues Right
never gave it a chance
(rights fault)
1933 CEDA(Cath. Party)
Formed
• Gil-Robles
– Allies CEDA with Radicals
(centrist party) and Radical
leader Lerroux becomes PM
– Dismantle Azana reforms
– General strike by leftists
Oct. 1934
– CNT/FAI (Anarchist Union)
center of strike
– Revolt in Asturias (Miners)
– Crushed by Franco, Azana
arrested, but acquitted
– Catalonian revolt crushed
1933 CEDA(Cath. Party)
Formed
• Historiography: violent
repression increases
likelihood of war?
• Basques swing to left
• Prieto moderate, but
Caballero calls for Sovietstyle solution
• Gil-Robles demands more
authoritarian approach
• Accused by left of being
Spanish Nazis
• Leads to cooperation on the
left
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Scandals force out Lerroux
Immediate Causes of the Civil
War
1935 Left Revitalized
• POUM (Marxist
Workers Party)
formed by Nin and
Maurin (Anti-Stalin)
• Prieto takes over the
Socialists PSOE
Popular Front
• Azana forms PF from
Catalans, PSOE, PCE
(Communists),
Esquerra Party and
Republican Union
• CNT won’t join
• Catalan autonomy,
amnesty, agrarian
reform, no political
blacklists, damages to
be paid by owners(!!!)
for 1934 revolt
National Front
• CEDA, Carlists (anti:
secular, political/econ
reform)
• Falange/Jose Rivera:
oppose socialism,
marxism, republic,
capitalism (Model is
Italy)
• Falange is Sympathetic
to, but not part of NF
Civil War Begins
• Feb 1936 Election; PF
34.3%; NF33.2%
• PF gets 263 of 473
seats in Cortes
• CNT and Basques
(strong Catholics) vote
for PF
• Release political
prisoners, agrarian
reforms, Generals
transferred, Falange
outlawed, Catalan
autonomy
Popular Front Government
• Wealthy flee Spain with
capital
• PSOE won’t join gov’t
because Left Wing
under Caballero
opposes Prieto
• Wants all liberals and
non-socialists out of the
government
• Comintern wants a
weak Bourgeois gov’t to
keep POUM out
Azana tries to govern
• Gradual reform
• Catholic schools closed to
prevent “arson”
• PSOE rally suppressed and
Prieto wounded
• Tenants cant be evicted
• CEDA is horrified and gives
its campaign money to the
army
• 330 assassinated, 1500
wounded, 1 million strike and
160 Churches/convents
Burned
Flashpoint
• July 1936 Jose Castillo of
Soc. Spec Police
assassinated
• Conservative leader Jose
Sotelo killed in revenge
• Sotelo had been threatened
by Communist Dolores
Ibarruri
• NF won’t negotiate; radical
Giral made PM and arms
leftist militias
July 17 Nationalist Revolt
• Generals Seize Islands
and Franco flown to
Morocco by MI 6
(British intelligence)
• Nationalists: Clergy,
Practicing Catholics
(except Basques), most
of Army, landowners,
businessmen
• Republicans: workers,
peasants, intellectual
MC
Nationalist Organization
• Sanjurjo is figurehead
• Mola and Franco run
revolt although Franco
hesitates
• Moroccan Army is
better so Franco gets
overall command
• Mola runs Peninsular
Army
• Civil Guard: 46,000 Join
revolt, 26,000 of Assualt
Guard
Republican Army
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Left wing organizations
Some loyal generals and parts
of Civil and Assault Guards,
Most of Air Force and Navy,
Half of Army
Sept. 1936 Caballero becomes
PM and reorganizes: Loyal
Generals and Political
Commissars create order
Soviet Tanks and Planes arrive
59,000 Int’l Brigade
Volunteers(always led by
Communists, angers POUM
and Anarchists
Fascist Aid
• Italian and German
tanks, troops
aircraft, weapons
• Italy: Corps of
Volunteer Troops:
50,000
• German Condor
Legion: 12,000
1936
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50,000 on wrong side of lines
killed
Feuds resolved using war as an
excuse, dig own graves
July: NF capture Ferrol naval
base and fascist states offer aid
Franco troops airlifted by
Germans to Spain
Sept NF closes Fr. Border cuts
off North
Alcazar palace relieved and PF
humiliated
Oct. Int. Bde.’s save Madrid
2 Years of semi-seige follows
Nov. Ger.& It. Recognize
Franco Regime
1937
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It. And Sp. Colonial troops flood in
but Madrid holds out
Feb, L of N bans foreign
volunteers
Mar. Condor Legion comes
anyway
Italians defeated at Guadalajara
Madrid holds out
Apr = Guernica, Caballero falls,
Negrin a Stalin puppet
Jul. PF offensive and also attack
near Madrid
Franco counters, conquers
Basques and North and Vatican
recognizes regime
1938
• PF takes Tereul in Jan. loses
it in Feb.
• Apr. Franco reaches the Sea
cuts off Catalonia
• PF seeks peace Franco
wants unconditional
surrender
• PF all out effort at Ebro to
reconnect territory fails
• Catalonia invaded and
Munich Agreement
demoralizes Republicans
The Battle of the Ebro
1939
• Catalonia falls,
Barcelona falls and GB
and Fr. Recognize
Franco in Feb.
• Madrid falls with help of
Falangists inside the
city
• War over April 1. (Some
pockets of resistance
• Reprisals: 30,000
executed (some say 50200,000, forced labor,
flee, internment in Fr.
Social Revolution
• Anarchists
collectivized land,
industry and created
councils to
administer them
• Soviets and Social
democrats oppose
them
Stalin’s Role
• Comintern forms Int’l
Brigades
• Orlov of NKVD advises PF
and organizes guerilla war
• Orlov ousts Caballero and
gets Negrin in as PM
• NKVD arrests and executes
leftist opponents, POUM,
CNT
• 2/3 of Spanish Gold reserves
sent to USSR
Atrocities Nationalists
• At least “50,000”
executed during war
• Beevor: 200,000 white
terror and 38,000 Red
terror
• Aerial Bombing
• Secular teachers,
attackers of the Church,
civilians in captured
towns and unwanted
(unions and PF
members)
Atrocities Republicans
• Nobles, landowners,
industrialists,
Church
• 7000 clerics killed
and 283 Nuns
• Swallow rosaries,
buried alive
• NKVD also kills
Republicans
Review of Causes
• Fundamental tensions
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Regional Separatism
Terrorism
Secular v. Church
Republicans split,
liberals, socialists,
communists, anarchists
– Incompetent Repub.
Leaders
• Manipulated by Stalin,
PCE, (Gold Reserves)
Causes
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Long term imperial decline
Landowners v. peasants
Church v. Anti-clericalsim
Conservatives v. Liberal
Urban v. rural
Army’s political interference
Trad. of political violence
Corruption/fraud by
landowners and the left
• Separatism/anarchism
• Failure of reforms, fear of
communism, Soleto murder
Nature of the War
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Brutality
Foreign intervention
Ideological war
Air power
Armored warfare
experiments
• Propaganda
Why do Nationalists Win?
Republicans split
– Key is Communist/socialist v. anarchist split and Caballero
has to lead Coalition Government
– Anarchists want revolution of the people, other groups want
to wait until victory achieved
– Catalonia, Aragon dominated by anarchists
– Communists use terror to maintain control furthers the split
– May Days revolts of 1937 one result of terror
• Communists and Socialists v. anarchists and POUM
• 4 days of fighting and Caballero forced out (NKVD involved)
• Negrin sets up authoritarian regime, kills or imprisons opponents
Military Problems
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Loyalists lack good leaders
No initial unified command as leftists want to use militias
Anarchists and Basques refuse central control
Experienced officers are viewed with suspicion
Critical early period militias and regions fight independently no
mutual support
• Only at the end of 1936 is unified Popular Army created
Confusion allows Nationalists to gain a foothold in Spain and
split republicans
Economic Problems
• Anarchists seize utilities, transport, set up worker’s committees
to run industry and set up collective farms
• Collectives uncoordinated, inefficient and can’t supply war effort
• Production in Catalonia falls by 2/3rds
• Food, supply shortages and 300% inflation
• Non-intervention Commission set up by Br./Fr.
• No one will trade with Republic except USSR
• No credit/no aid
• USSR forces Repub. To pay for aid (entire gold reserve)
Foreign Aid
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Was its role exaggerated?
Republic definitely got less aid than Nationalists
– Soviet T-26 tank is better than Ger./It tanks/\, soviet aircraft better
too earlt on
– Rep. gets only 1000 planes, 750 tanks and some advisors
– Forced to pay for it
Comintern organizes Int’l Brigades
– 35,000 from Ger., It., Fr., GB., US
– Vital at Madrid unimportant elsewhere, leave in 1938 when USSR
cuts off aid
France Pop. Front gov’t initially sends aid but stops when Br. adopts
non-intervention out of fear of Communists
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Historians argue western arms embargo helps fascists and Axis Powers (Ger./It.)
Isolation helps FR. Avoid right wing backlash and prevents confrontation with the Axis
Nationalist Advantages
Political Unity
• Franco unifies initially divided Nationalists in a few weeks
– Rivals die, or are beaten in battle
– Key is he commands Army of Africa which is much more
efficient than the Peninsular Army
– German aid is funneled through him
– Merges Carlist monarchists and Falange (70,000 and 1 mi
respectively)
– New party is FET
– Church also calls for crusade v. Godless Communism and
atheism
– Franco uses both propaganda and terror
Military Unity
• Initially divided as well between Carlist and Falangist militias
and Regular Troops
• Army of Africa serves as core, and other groups assimilated and
trained
• Unified command under Franco and even Italians report to him
• Good communications system, well trained junior officers
• Franco moderate, rejects radical suggestions and takes care of
his troops
Economic Advantages
• Business community backs NF so they
can get credit and supplies
• Sept. 1936 control main agri. areas
• 1937 add industrial North
• 700 mi in US credit
Foreign Aid
• Hugh Thomas: SCW decided by external
circumstances
– Rebels get more and better quality aid
– Germans airlift Franco Army, Condor Legion,
Italians: 75,000 troops, overall about 1000 tanks
and 1500 planes
– Portuguese 20,000 troops and open borders to aid
– Key benefit is modern equipment
Overall Foreign Aid
• Main Effects:
– Lengthens and intensifies the war
– Spanish issues were submerged by wider ideological battles
of Europe
• British:
– Form NIC Sept. 1936 (but Gr., It., USSR join and then ignore
it)
– Favors NF as Gibraltar is opened to NF and Br. and Am.
Companies allowed to trade with NF (Extension of
Appeasement?)
Overall Foreign Aid
France:
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French Pop. Front Gov’t fears domestic revolt if it aids Loyalists
Needs Br. aid who are more anti-republic
Restrict aid to humanitarian supplies
Forces Republic to rely on Soviets and polarizes politics of the SCW
Allow French to join Int’l Brigades
Soviet aid flows through France.
USSR:
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Stalin fears another Fascist State in Europe
Doesn’t want Republican victory to drive allies into anti-communist
alliance with Hitler
Sends aid when Gr./It. Ignore NIC
Overall Foreign Aid
USSR con’t:
• Stalin hopes to exhaust Ger. Resources in Spain
• Withdraws aid in 1938 as Republic seems to be losing and
Allies focus on appeasement
Germany:
• Cautious but want to stop communism
• Goering wants to test Luftwaffe
• Key aid at key points in the war and presence deters other
states from getting involved
Italy:
• Most assistance of any foreign power
Overall Foreign Aid
Italy con’t:
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Most assistance of any foreign power
Anti-communist, Mussolini improves position in Mediterranean
Weaken left-wing Fr. Gov’t
France would be encircled by Fascists
Cements It/Gr. Relations
Portugal:
• Troops, base for communications and supplies, Br. ally and
deters Br. aid to Republic
• 20,000 Troops and key supply line to Nationalists
Spanish Civil War Tech.
• Limited War for Foreigners but total war in Spain
– Dehumanize enemies through propaganda
– Atrocities common, civilians targeted (Guernica and Priests)
• Tech impact somewhat limited
– New tech. but often not used effectively
– Shows future impact of air power but WWI had shown this
too
– Tanks used but cavalry too
– Sea power key to maintaining supply lines
– Combined arms crushes Republican offensives 1937-38
– Blitzkrieg tactics evolving but rarely used effectively
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Results of SCW: Econ
100,000 PF dead 70,000 NF
40,000-200,000 killed in post war White Terror
Republicans imprisoned in Concentration camps
Children of PF reeducated by NF
Economic Cost
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10 to 15% of Econ. Destroyed
Income down 28%
Inflation
No land reform and Agri. unproductive
Few skilled workers
Massive debt
Works out debt deals with Br./Fr. To remain neutral in WWII but isolated
after the war and 1946 famine results
– Cold War ends isolation and Sp. Finally industrializes
Results of SCW:Political
• Franco emerges as dictator and is in power to 1975
– White terror kills many and .5 mi. flee (most of intellectuals)
– Anti- Communism is justification
– 1939 Law of Political Responsibility
• Permits seizure of property of all republican supporters
• Restores power to Wealthy and privileged
• Wages cut unions destroyed
• All Church reforms repealed
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Church/State linked, preach order
Church takes up cause of the workers ( P. Knight says this is “infiltration”)
No national languages
Nationalism of minorities ended
No political opponents tolerated, Monarchy restored but Franco rules
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Results of SCW:Political
USSR
– Communists lose credibility due to defeat
– Stalin’s actions disillusion many on the left
– Soviets move away from Allies and consider deal with Nazi’s to
protect USSR (appeasement is last straw)
– Br. recognition of Franco and Munich Agreement is final evidence
that West can’t or won’t contain Hitler
Germany
– Military lessons learned about air-power
– Self-sealing fuel tanks and radio’s in tanks are lessons learned
– Blitzkrieg lessons are minimal
– Italy and Germany become closer politically and Stressa Front
collapses
– Germany portrays itself as defender against Communism
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Results of SCW:Political
Britain and France
– The Bomber will always get through is main lesson
– Next war may destroy western civilization
– Strengthens appeasement
– Fear spread of communism (let Communists and fascists destroy
each other and Democracies sit it out)
– Hitler sees Allies as Weak
• US
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US neutral and gives little aid except private loans
Hardens US isolation?
Neutrality Acts and “Quarantine all Aggressors” speech of 1937
No Marshall Plan Aid Post-War
1950 Cold War and anti-Communist attitude of Spain leads to US aid and
bases in Spain
Was the SCW a Cause of WWII?
• Pro:
– Hitler more aggressive due to “weakness” of the Allies
– Hitler more popular at home and abroad as a strong leader
and anti-communist
– Learn Military lessons that use later
– Br./Fr. Distracted and US more isolationist
– USSR moves towards “deal” with Hitler
Was the SCW a Cause of WWII?
• Con:
– Taylor Thesis of WWII
• Germany a dynamic force since 1870
• WWI damages German Military power, but leaves economic power
largely intact
• Hitler is not unique, any German leader would try to end Versailles,
recover territory and rearm
• WWII is not an ideological war, it is a a traditional balance of power
conflict between nationalist states
• Hitler and Mussolini have no “blueprint” for conquest
• Hitler “pushes on the door and the house falls in”
• Hitler takes advantage of allied blunders, US isolationism and Stalin’s
quest for security
• French and British appeasement is logical, rational foreign policy that
protects national interests
• WWII is inevitable outcome to WWI
• Hitler is reacting to other state’s actions in 1939, no plan
Social Impact
• Loss of life
• End of democracy
• Traditional
agriculture remains
• Centralized state,
corruption
• Cultural repression
• State is isolated
Franco’s Spain
• Chief of state
• Appoints all ministers
• Largely non-ideological
– Runs state like the Army
– Monarchists, falangists,
Conservative Catholics,
Army, Business,
technocrats civil service
support him
• Church regains power,
subsidized, controls
education
• Totalitarian? Fascist?
Fundamental Laws
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Labor Charter
Cortes
Charter of Rights
Referendum
Law of Succession
National Movement
Organic law of the
state
Historiography
• Losers write the history!
• Traditional
– Idealistic Republican
Struggle
– Defeat opens path to
larger war, larger fascist
agression
– Innocent democratic
leftists crushed by
wealthy reactionaries
– WWII and Sp. Civ. War
part of same conflict:
Liberal Democracy v.
International Fascism
Historiography
• Morality Tale
– Good v. Evil
– Fascism v. Democracy
– Enlightenment v. Catholic obscurantism
– Communism v. Fascism
• Revisionism
– Desperate response to radical destruction of democracy
– Alzana, Zamora, Prieto, Caballero incompetent and self
destructive
– Narrow PF victory leads to irresponsible politics
Post-Franco Revisionism
• Cold War School
– Blame PF failure on communists
– Subversive, Stalin’s stooges
– Orwell: Communists take over Republican Army
• New Left
– PF fails due to inaction of western democracies
– Communists commit some excesses but are progressive
– Just trying to prevent another Democracy from falling to
Fascists
• Post Franco USSR
– Archives reveal PCE dominant last 18 months, coercive use
of NKVD, Soviets economically exploit PF
– AIM: Soviet Satellite state?