Download The course of the Spanish Civil War

Spanish Civil War
Why significant?
National
• "A brutal conflict that
polarised Spain, pitting
the Left against the
Right, the anti-clericals
against the Church, the
unions against the
landed classes and the
Republicans against the
Monarchists" (BBC
website)
International
• A "dress rehearsal" for
World War Two:
• Fascism against
Communism,
• Aggression against
Appeasement.
Humanitarian
• Over 500,000
people were killed
in 3 years.
Cultural
• Picasso's Guernica, Orwell's
Homage to Catalonia,
Hemmigway's For Whom
the Bell Tolls, Laurie Lee's A
Moment of War – artists
and writers saw the conflict
as a battle for civilisation
and culture against the
forces of darkness.
The causes and course of the
Spanish Civil War
The Nationalists and Republicans do
battle in a deeply divided country
Spanish imperialism fades
• Spain had declined as a world power from the 16th
century
• Following independence of many of its South American
colonies, it suffered defeat in a war with the USA and lost
Cuba and the Philippines in 1898
• It was a considerable drain on resources maintaining
control in remaining colonies such as Morocco
• Industrialized areas, such as Bilbao and Barcelona (that
had relied on overseas markets) were depressed
• 70% of the population were peasants
• Political unrest loomed with many different political
groups
Spain benefitted from the First World War, in which it was not
involved. It had provided coal, minerals, ships and textiles.
Industrialists had acquired this wealth but it also brought inflation.
News of the Russian Revolution spread unrest throughout Spain.
This led to labour unrest and strikes.
The end of the war brought industrial contraction and
unemployment.
There were anarchist revolts.
Spain’s colony in north Africa revolted causing:
additional strain on economy
capture of Spanish forts 15 000 deaths.
There was a military coup in 1923 led by Primo de Riviera.
This coup d’etat was favoured by:
king
army
Conservatives
many intellectuals
who saw the need for an ‘iron surgeon’ to rule Spain.
By Dec. 1925 the military dictatorship was formally abolished but
de Riviera continued to rule as prime minister with a cabinet of
military officers.
His rule was characterized as a conservative, authoritarian, and
nationalistic regime and his slogan was ‘Country, Religion,
Monarchy’
Uprisings tried to end the dictatorship and by Jan. 1930 de Riviera
resigned.
•
•
Great Depression had brought junta’s ability to rule the country into
question.
Opposed by many groups :
republicans
socialists
universities
press
parts of the army
Eventually by Jan. 1930, he lost the support of the King and the army.
Other support had come from the privileged classes , latifundia (large
agricultural estates) landlords.
He had tried to reform the system and instigate public works but these reforms
would have affected the very groups who supported him.
Following elections, that the Republicans won under the
leadership of Alcala Zamora, King Alfonso XIII went into exile.
July 1931, the Cortes (elected by voters over 23) had a
majority of Republican centrists, socialists, communists, and
the anarcho-sydicalist left. It was led by Manuel Lazana.
In Dec. 1931, the Assembly made the following decrees:
Spain became a republic
Parliament would consist of one chamber
Elected by universal suffrage every 4 years
State and church to be separated
Church power weakened (Jesuits banned/divorce)
President could not be army officer or member of clergy
Govt. had the power to nationalize large estates and industries
However, many parts of Spain remained monarchist and in
Navarre ‘Carlists’ (absolute monarchists)
Spain was therefore bitterly divided between:
Right-wing nationalists, such as landowners, employers, industrialists,
church and army.
Left-wing republicans, such as workers, trades unionists, socialists,
peasants.
There were three governments during the Second Republic.
1931 – 1933: Manuel Azana and the centre-left coalition.
Nov. 1933 – Jan 1936: Gil Robles and CEDA (Confederation of
Autonomous right parties) formed a rightist majority coalition.
1936 election won by leftist parties but Azana unable to hold the
coalition together.
• In Aug. 1936, the army under Franco rebelled and overthrew the
Republicans because of the threat from the left and the right’s
inability to govern with sufficient authority.
• Civil war ensued.
Spain as part of Europe
• If Spain fell to the Nationalist forces, France
would be surrounded on 3 sides by Fascist
states.
• Spain had strategic naval bases on both the
Atlantic and Mediterranean to control shipping
and site submarine bases.
The course of the Spanish Civil War
•
A Selection of Maps tracing the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939.
http://www2.bc.edu/~heineman/maps/SpCW.html
•
This site contains five maps of Spain from the start of the Nationalist
Rebellion in July 1936 through the defeat of the Republic in March 1939.
•
The first map shows the immediate success achieved by General Franciso
Franco's invasion from Spanish Morocco, which was co-ordinated with a
military uprising in the North. Franco and a group of generals launched their
attack after a coalition of Socialists and Catalonian and Basque Separatists
had gained control of the Spanish Republican government.
Franco’s moved his forces to the mainland peninsula with the assistance of
German forces (20 transport planes). The navy still supported the
Republican Government.
•
Foreign intervention in the conflict
•
Democracies
Britain and France were unsure about letting the nationalists win but equally worried
about the Republicans leaning towards communism.
Non-intervention agreement signed but quickly broken by fascist dictators and
USSR. Non-intervention C’ttee (Britain & France) tried to block any form of aid from
reaching Spain. Royal navy patrolled Spanish coast.
•
Fascist states sent troops and weapons
Hitler sent Condor squadron, up to 10 000 troops and naval support
Mussolini sent 60 000 troops and weapons
Salazar sent 20 000 troops to help the Nationalist forces.
They were fearful of communism and wanted to stop its spread.
•
USSR
Stalin sent supplies to Republicans to keep the conflict going. Arguable, to keep
German attention on Spain and not eastern Europe. Tanks and aeroplanes had
design faults and were withdrawn.
•
International Brigade was composed of foreigners from Europe and the USA, who
supported the Republicans. At any one time it had 15 000 men and women.
Results:
After a bitter and bloody war, the Nationalist forces under the command
of Franco captured Madrid in March 1939. Hitler now had an ally in
France but his non-agreement to help Franco obtain a north African
empire led Franco to keep Spain neutral, although he did send
troops to fight in eastern Europe.
The war strengthened the bond between Italy and Germany and led to
the Rome-Berlin Axis.
Britain and France’s Non-intervention C’ttee was discredited because it
had not stopped the combatants receiving aid.
Weapons and troops had been tested in a ‘real’ war situation.
Answer one of the following:
• Analyse the causes of either the Spanish Civil War or the
Korean War.
• Examine the impact of foreign intervention on either the
Chinese Civil War or the Spanish Civil War.