Spanish Civil War - BTHS World History

Spanish Civil War Causes and a Cause Introduction  Spanish Civil War  Broke out in 1936  More than a century of social, economic and political  Half a million died Long-Term Causes Weakness of Government   Political instability  19th century, Spain struggled between periods of conservatism and liberalism  Several factors that caused tension and division Weakness of government  1871, Spain became a constitutional monarchy  King Amadeo became head of state and he appointed a Prime Minister who should have commanded the majority of parliament (Cortes)  Real power held by wealthy oligarchs, control shifted between cliques  Two main parties, Conservatives and Liberals, no real difference  Elections rigged Role of Spanish Army  Army had a powerful position in Spain due to its imperial past  Believed that was the protector of the nation    Right and duty to intervene, did so in 1829, 1871, 1923  Did not act to save King Alfonso in 1931, led to his exile  Did intervene during Second Republic and in 1936 Unpopular with the people  Reputation for brutality, expensive  Had lost Empire in 19th century, to American in 1898, struggled to keep Morocco 1906-26 In need of reform  Too big, too many officers  Upper and middle classes make up the officer corps  Generally conservative  ‘Africanistas’ had experienced war in Morocco, the hard-liners Role of Church  Catholic Church rich and powerful in Spain  Disputes between them and state in 1800s  State guaranteed role in education and economy, church used its wealth for influence  Supported conservative policies  Aristocracy tied closely to the church  Defended rights of upper classes, led to resentment Economic Causes  Plight of agricultural workers was a key factor, focus of the economy, source of employment  Did not provide sufficient food and work was seasonal  Need for workers to migrate  Most in poverty, wide gap  Central and South, land owned in huge estates, by ‘Grandees’ who dominated the political system  North, peasants owned small plots of land, too poor Economic Causes  Rioting in the countryside  Civil Guard deployed to repress  No support from the church, some looked to anarchists who sought redistribution of land  Catholics resistant to socialist ideas  Catholic Agrarian Federation formed to support farmers and reject socialism  Would later support Franco Economic Causes  Industrially a need for reform  Had been little growth in the 19th century  Expansion limited by poverty  Workers poor conditions  Growth of trade unionism   Competed with one another though, failed to achieve anything substantial  Employers could always find alternative labor  Workers’ parties had no power, no legal means Spain’s neutrality in WWI had caused a boom  Increase in exports meant inflation and shortages  Militancy increased  Early 1920s major economic problems, led to violent conflict in industrial cities in Catalonia Role of Regions  Catalonia and Basque provinces seeking independence   Had own cultures and economies Primo de Rivera, Prime Minister in 1923, ruled Spain as a dictator until 1930  Took back Catalonia’s selfgoverning rights  Separatists supported Republican movement that overthrew Alfonso in 1931 Political Opposition  Number of groups opposed to status quo  Liberal groups achieved nothing, remained a political force  Spanish Socialist Party had grown, UGT more visible  Small Communist Party after Russian Revolution   All divided over which reforms should take place  Moderate Socialists Indalecio Prieto  Radicals Largo Caballero Anarchists also a major force  Popular with the peasants  Boycotted democracy, active with CNT  Responsible for some bombings Fall of the Monarchy and Establishment of the Second Republic    King Alfonso was not a modernizer  Pressure on him after defeats and ineffective government  Did not resist coup of General Primo de Rivera in 1923 Primo de Rivera  Tried to establish right-wing regime similar to Italy  Infrastructure and Industry advances  Ran up massive debts, worse when Depression hit  Alienated landowners and army  Resigned in 1930, did not bring about stability Elections in 1930 then showed support for republicans, liberals, socialists and Catholics  King went into voluntary exile   Neither Church or army stepped in Second Republic established 1931 Short-Term Causes Political Polarization  Between 1931 and 1936, major gap in ideology  Did not anticipate war in 1931  By 1936, it will be desireable The Left Republic  Following departure, center-left wanted to modernize  Government declared a new constitution, stating Spain was a democratic republic of workers  Manuel Azana became President  Key issues continued  Addressed church’s power  Anticlerical, tried to separate church and state  No longer in control of education, state payment of clergy stopped, power of the army attacked  Made it only more nationalist really The Left Republic   Desperate economic problems existed in Spain exacerbated by the Depression  Agricultural prices tumbling, exports fell, unemployment rising  Industrial output fell  Largo Caballero, Minister of Labour intiated an extensive land redistribution program with compensation  1932, land law, right saw as a major threat Civil unrest and violence continued  Dealt with brutally, introduced Assault Guard  Risings by both sides  General Jose Sanjurjo from right  Casas Viejos anarchist uprising from left  Army remained mostly loyal The Left Republic  Catalonia given its own parliament, some powers over law and education  Right-wing groups angered by this move towards independence and break-up of Spain  New right-wing party, Confederacion Espanola de Derechas Autonamas, formed to defend the church and landlords  CEDA led by Jose Maria Gil-Robles modelled on German Nazi Party  Political divisions definitely increased  Azana also attacked anarchists, lost him some working class support, resigned in 1933 The Right Republic   Elections of 1933, Republic swung right  Disunity on the left  CEDA largest party, Gil-Robles made War Minister New government ruled for two years   Known as black years, systematically reversed Left Republic’s reforms  Church and land restored  Catalonia suppressed by troops  Threat of general strike The right lost support of the Basques The Right Republic  Political response to Right Republic divided  CEDA labeled Spanish Nazi party, some thought they should seek Soviet-style solution  Right demanded a shift to more authoritarian approach  Led to more cooperation on the Left The Popular Front  Right wing disintegrated as economic and political situation deteriorated  Election of 1936, Popular Front, anti-fascist pact of left-wing groups including socialists and communists, victorious  Some associated it with democracy, some with Stalin  Manifesto promoted by Azana who now returned, liberal, not radical  Wanted to restore reforms of 31-33   Still no political census Anarchists encouraged peasants to seize land, recruited militias  Conflict with fascists, government faced increasing disorder  General strike in May  Right wing thought they were in left revolution Immediate Causes 1936  Victory of the left in 1936 elections threw CEDA into turmoil  Used funds to support military plans for a coup  Began planning immediately  Nationalist junior officers joined with senior Africanista officers, including Franco  Coup began after murder of popular CEDA leader on July 13  Azana attempted to prevent coup by moving key military figures to remote posts  Conspirators made contact with two groups, Falange (authoritarian radicals) and Carlists (monarchists)  Fascists versus communists  Coup began on July 17 from Morocco, took northern Spain  Half of the army remained Republican, coup actually unsuccessful without foreign intervention

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