Spanish Civil War

1. Spanish Civil War Causes, Events and Results

2. Nature of the War • Even though the attracted international attention, and was seen as an European “ideological war”, the roots of the conflict were Spanish in nature, relating to the particular divisions that had developed in the country by early 20th century

3. Espagne Langue officielle: Espagnol Population: 41 116 842 hab. Capitale: Madrid

4. La religion Espagole Profondément catholique depuis la reconquête de son territoire envahi par les musulmans, marquée par les excès de l’inquisition, l’Espagne, à l’aube du XIXe siècle, se trouve en conflit avec le courant des libertés porté par la France de 1789.

5. A partir de 1789 • Dès lors, la religion contemporaine de l’Espagne se trouve étroitement liée à la vie politique, particulièrement mouvementée, de ce pays. • En effet, celui-ci connut, au cours des deux derniers siècles, deux invasions, quatre guerres civiles, plusieurs guerres coloniales, trois révolutionset deux dictatures.

6. Historical Context • Frequent revolts and civil wars between reformers and conservatives • 1887-1931: Monarchy under Alfonso XIII • 1923-30: military dictatorship under Miguel Primo de Rivera Miguel Primo de Rivera

7. Under the Constitutional Monarchy • Liberals wished to replace monarchy with a liberal democratic order • Carlists ( religious groups) fought to maintain the traditions of monarchy and Catholicism • Growing strength of socialism, anarchism and separatism

8. Spain before 1931 • 10 former kingdoms • Overwhelmingly agricultural population and economy • Aristocratic landowners dominated in rural areas • Extremely poor and uneducated peasantry • Church dominated schooling • Vast differences in wealth and education between cities and countryside, between regions, and between social classes • Rapid industrialization after 1910 led to emergence of working class • Growing separatist movements in Catalonia and the Basque country

9. Spanish Historical Background • The problem of regionalism • North and East were more industrialized • South is agrarian • Basques, Catalans, Galicians had significant cultural and economic differences. • All minorities sought greater autonomy and separation from Spanish state.

10. Economical and Social Divisions • Centres of industrial development in the economically dynamic north (Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao) created a new urban proletariat and new industrial elites • However, the rest of the country was dependent on a feudalistic agricultural system where the peasants in the south lived under miserable conditions as they worked on the vast private estates of the rich, on the verge of starvation.

11. Political • Regional/social/economical divisions led to deep social tensions and divided the country into to opposing sides.

12. Political • Left • Poor, republicans, reformers, proletariat, peasantry and minorities supported socialists and anarchists. • Rights • Rich landlords/ industrial elite, Army, Church and Monarchists supported the conservatives and fascists.

13. Spanish Civil War Political Spectrum

14. Military 1898 The loss of Cuba as the last outpost of the Spanish empire leaves a huge colonial army with no role, which assumes the roles of maintaining law, order and tradition at home. This created political tension as the army interfered in politics.

15. Religious • The wealthy, catholic, powerful and deeply conservative church was a big part of everyday lives of many people. • It was resented by the poor peasants in the south/ politicized urban workers, who saw it as a part of the wealthy classes that oppressed them. • This issue regarding the church further divided the country.

16. Long Term Causes : Political Instability • Weakness of government:  • In the late 19th century Spain was a constitutional monarchy. • There were political parties, but the elections were rigged and the Cortes (parliament) had no real power, as the power was held by wealthy oligarchs (anhängare av fåmansvälde). • This caused social and political instability.

17. The Role of the Spanish Army • The army was powerful because of its colonial past. • It believed that it was the protector of the nation, and this meant that it intervened in politics if a crisis occurred. • The army intervened in 1936, which led to war. • The army was conservative and the Africanistas (who had served in Morocco) were most nationalistic and traditional.

18. The Role of the Spanish Army • The army also had a bad reputation with the people as it was brutal, ineffective (it had lost Spain’s colonial assets) and expensive. • This caused social tension, as middle/upper class defended military interests as they dominated the jobs as officers and generals.

19. The role of the church: The Catholic Church in Spain was wealthy and powerful. • It used is influence to support social, economical and political conservatism. • The aristocracy had also close bonds to the church as they funded the church. • Consequently, the church defended the interests of the upper class. • This led to resentment among the poor and urban workers.

20. Economic causes: • Spain was mainly an agricultural economy and the plight of agricultural workers was a key factor in the discontent that led to the civil war. • Agriculture was the main source of employment and there were fundamental problems that made it inefficient.

21. Economic causes • a) Work was seasonal and landless peasants had to move around to get a job  b) Most peasants lived in hopeless poverty  c) The agricultural system was feudalistic with poor peasants working on the farms of land owners • These fundamental problems in agriculture created social tension

22. Economic Causes • There was also the need for industrial modernization and reform. • Urban workers faced low wages, long hours and bad working conditions. • Trade unions were formed but could not achieve anything substantial as employers could always find alternative labour in the countryside. • With no legal means, the workers resorted to violent uprisings as the means to effect of change.

23. Economic Causes • Even though Spain’s neutrality during WW1 facilitated (underlättade, made easier) a short economic boom with increase in production and exports, the working-class living standards went down. • In the early 1920s the country faced major economic problems and this led to increased militancy in the working class as well as political polarization.

24. Regional Problem • A cause of tension was the struggle between the centralist state and Catalonia and Basque, which wanted independence. • When Robles (national front government) withdrew Ananza’s (republican government) reforms that had granted the regions more independence, tension intensified and led to divisions in Spanish society.

25. Short term causes: Political polarization • Between 1931-36, Spain became politically polarized. • Is important to note that when the second republic was established (governments between 1931-36), no one “except a tiny minority on the lunatic fringe on the extreme right or left, believed that Spain’s problems could be solved only by war” (Paul Preston). • Thus, the events during the second republic and were crucial for the outbreak of the war.

26. Left republic 1931-33: • Ananza limits the power of the church. • Church was no longer in control of education. • Power of army was also attacked. • Government attempted to reduce number of officers by offering early retirement on full pay. • This was an offer taken by 50 percent of officers. • However, the policy backfired as this meant that the army was radicalized to the right as the officers who stayed in the army were conservative and nationalistic, including the Africanistas.

27. Left Republic • Desperate economic problems that existed in Spain were exacerbated by the depression. • For example, production fell by one third. • As a result the gov initiated a land reform programme with compensation for land owners. • The state took over some estates and the right saw this as a major threat to its interests, and an attempt to copy the Soviet system.

28. Left Republic • Each reform was perceived as an attack by one or more right-wing groups like church, army or landowners. • As a result the reactionary right political party CEDA was formed to protect the interests of the right. • Spain did indeed become more politically polarized during the left republic.

29. Left Republic • However, the left republic brought some stability in the country as regions were given more independence. • For example, Catalonia was given its own parliament.

30. Right republic 1933-36: • As a result of the growing tensions, Ananza resigned, new elections were held and the right won. • CEDA became the biggest party. • The right government reversed all of the reforms made by the left republic.

31. Right Republic • Church was now given control over education • The land reform programme was halted • The newly won independence of the regions was withdrawn. • Threats from a left general strike increased and violence was widespread. • The regions now supported a left-wing government. • This led to that the right wing government became more authoritarian and brutal in their treatment of political opposition.

32. Popular front 1936: • The right wing government disintegrated as the economic and political situation deteriorated. • Elections were held in 1936 and a left wing coalition between socialists, anarchists and communists won. • Ananza became prime minister and started to reverse all the counter reforms made by the right.

33. Popular front 1936: • Anarchists encouraged peasants to seize land in the countryside. • Violence increased and Spain became ultra politically polarized. • The government faced increased disorder and the right wing believed that Spain was in the early stages of a left-wing revolution. • Civil war drew closer.

34. Immediate causes: • The victory of the popular front threw right wing CEDA into turmoil. • Robles began to use his funds to support plans for a military coup. • In fact, an extreme nationalist group of junior military officers (including Mola and Franco) began to plan the coup as soon as the popular front attained power.

35. The catalyst of the coup was the murder of the popular CEDA politician Sotelo. The coup is initiated on the 17 July in 1936. • The coup is successful in northern Spain and Andalusia, but it failed in major industrial areas as well as Madrid. • Consequently, both sides reach a deadlock and the civil war begins.

36. Reform Program of 1931 • King fled and Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed • President Niceto Alcala Zamora • Goals • Expand power of the Cortes • Separation of church and state • Universal suffrage • Secular school system • Govt was unable to stop mob violence against Church property and landowners • Conservatives denounced the govt for anti-clericalism, ineffectiveness, and undemocratic practices Niceto Alcala Zamora

37. 1933 Election & Aftermath • Spanish Confederation of the Autonomous Right (CEDA) won a plurality • Endorsed Alejandro Lerroux as Prime Minister • Radicals increasingly turned to violent methods • Increase in general strikes, street conflicts, assassination attempts, and attacks on religious buildings • Conservatives began to form paramilitary and vigilante groups • Govt crushed all rebellions • Support for the govt dwindled on both left and right PM Alejandro Lerroux

38. 1936 Election • Loose coalition of left-wing parties called the Popular Front won a narrow victory over CEDA • Socialist Party (PSOE), Liberals, Communist Party, regional nationalist parties • Socialist Party refused to join coalition • Prime Minister Manuel Azana (liberal) • Cortes replaced President Zamora with Azana on weak constitutional grounds • Rightists were outraged and many gave up on parliament Manuel Azana

39. The Spark • Jose Calvo Soleto: leading monarchist and conservative in the Cortes • Protested rising anti-religious terror, property seizures, & hasty agricultural redistribution • July 13, 1936: Murdered by police with links to the Socialist Party • Center and right parties were outraged • Nationalist generals were already planning an uprising and this provided the justification for a coup Jose Calvo Soleto

40. Nationalist Coup • Organized by Generals Jose Sajurjo & Emilio Mola • Prime Minister Casares Quiroga sent Generals Llopis and Francisco Franco to commands in outlying islands to distance them from coup plots • July 17: plotters broadcast the secret code to begin the coup • Llopis and Franco seized the Balearic and Canary Islands • Franco was flown to Spanish Morocco to take command of the Spanish Army of Africa

41. The Coup Fails • Nationalist forces failed to take control throughout most of Spain • Republican leaders were paralyzed by disagreement and indecision • In areas, workers and anarchists raided govt armories and suppressed Nationalist forces themselves • Within weeks Nationalists gained control of most of western and northern Spain • Republicans retained control of eastern and central Spain

42. The Nationalists • Cast the war as a struggled between Christian civilization and communism/anarchism • To protect tradition, security, and the rule of law • Opposed regional separatism • Strongly anti-communist • Staunchly Catholic • Favored strong central power • To defend the Church against anti-clericalism • Supporters included most businessmen, practicing Catholics, army officers, landowners • Carlists – favored restoration of the monarchy • Falange – fascist party favoring a strong dictatorship and military • Nationalists – favored a strong govt and unified country • Military – most military officers joined the Nationalists • CEDA – leaders and members of the right-wing political parties

43. Nationalist Leaders Francisco Franco Emilio Mola

44. The Republicans • Cast the war as a struggle between tyranny and democracy • Centrists wanted to preserve moderate capitalist democracy • Communists wanted to establish a Soviet-style “people’s republic” outlawing the right-wing • Republican groups/parties generally had a wider range of goals and ideologies • Supported by most workers, landless peasants, and educated middle class • Republican Left – favored a liberal democracy • Socialists (PSOE) – favored land distribution and worker-controlled factories • Communists (POUM) – favored a Soviet-style communist govt/economy • Trade unions – wide range of trade unions desired varying degrees of worker control over factories • Catalans & Basques – desired regional autonomy or independence

45. Republican Leaders Manuel Azana, President Francisco Largo Cabellero, PM

46. Foreign Involvement • League of Nations imposed an arms embargo to try to limit the fighting and carnage • Britain & France were sympathetic to the Republicans but chose not to sell weapons • Feared that assisting the Republicans might lead to open conflict with the Fascist powers • Arms embargo proved ineffective as weapons freely entered Spain to assist both sides

47. German Involvement • Franco asked Hitler and Mussolini to assist the Nationalists • Germany provided mostly aircraft, tanks, equipment and advice • 19,000 troops • 600 planes (Condor Legion) • 200 tanks • 1000 artillery pieces • Hitler’s motives • To win another ally against Britain and France • To gain access to Spanish raw materials and ports during war time • To test and improve the Luftwaffe

48. Italian Involvement • Italy provided more troops but less equipment than Germany • 50,000 troops • 660 aircraft • 150 tanks • 1000 artillery pieces • Italian Navy helped stop arms shipments to Republicans • Mussolini’s motives • Fascist solidarity • To gain concessions from Spain in the Mediterranean • Not to be outdone by Hitler

49. Soviet Involvement • Soviet Union defied the arms embargo and secretly provided the Republic with much equipment but no troops • Attempted to conceal activities by sending old equipment and disguising shipments • Arms shipments were usually small and arrived unpredictably • Forced the Republic to buy the arms using gold reserves • Equipment • 3000 advisers and troops • 806 aircraft • 362 tanks • 1555 artillery pieces • Soviet Union advised all members of Comintern to send volunteers and munitions to the Republic • Soviet agents tried to strengthen the Spanish Communist Party and weaken the other Republican factions • Stalin’s motives • To spread communism • To preoccupy the German military • To embarrass Britain and France • Soviet involvement enabled Nationalists to paint the Republicans as Bolsheviks

50. Volunteers • On the Nationalist side • 8000 from Portugal • 700 from Ireland • Unknown # from Romania • On the Republican side • Called the International Brigades • Saw Spain as the frontline in the fight against fascism • 30,000 foreigners from 53 countries • mostly communists and intellectuals • Over 1000 each from France, Italy, Germany, Poland, US, Britain, Belgium, Ireland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Canada, Romania, Switzerland, China • Only the Mexican govt supported the Republic and sent a significant amount of money and equipment