Spanish Civil War: A Summary of its Development and Key Events

The Spanish Civil War: A Summary

The Genesis of the Conflict

The army conspiracy that led to the Spanish Civil War was a long and complex process. Almost from the beginning of the Republic, it faced conspiracies within the army. In 1936, the Popular Front won the election and immediately accelerated the implementation of its planned reforms. This alienated the economic oligarchies, who turned to fascism and the army in a bid to regain power through a coup.

The Outbreak of War

On July 17, 1936, an incident occurred at the Melilla headquarters, and on July 18, 1936, the army rebellion spread throughout Spain. However, the coup failed in most cities, provincial capitals, and industrial regions. What was intended as a swift takeover became a protracted civil war.

Division and Revolution

Spain quickly divided into two camps: the loyal Republicans and the rebels. The Republic’s loyalists initiated a revolutionary process, which the rebels had sought to prevent. It was the armed populace, not the ineffective security forces, who initially stopped the insurgents. While the Republicans controlled most of the country, including the industrial and more populated areas, a fundamental division emerged within their ranks: whether to prioritize winning the war or advancing the revolution.

Two factions emerged: a revolutionary side, dominated by the CNT and the POUM, aimed to overthrow the bourgeois republic, while another, led by the PCE and the PSOE, sought to preserve it.

The Communist Party and the USSR

The PCE, a small but disciplined party strengthened by the Popular Front, had the support of the USSR. This allowed them to quickly build an army to oppose the rebel forces. However, the militias that had initially stopped the fascists had also triggered the revolution. They were unwilling to fight for a bourgeois republic. The PCE believed that winning the war required the support of Western democracies, who opposed a revolution in Spain.

The Republic received selfless aid from the International Brigades, composed of volunteers from around the world recruited by Communist parties, and also received support from the USSR. Western democracies, however, largely ignored the conflict. To gain their support, the PCE initiated a counter-revolutionary process against the POUM and the CNT, culminating in the three-day May Days of 1937. The goal was to preserve the bourgeois republic, but even this failed to garner support from Western democracies.

The Republican Government in Crisis

Throughout the war, the Republican government remained in crisis. Autonomy was granted to the Basque Country (October 1, 1936), but this held little significance as the region was isolated from the central government and soon fell to the rebels (March-April 1937). Governments changed rapidly, with Juan Negrín’s being the most stable. Even anarchists joined the government, highlighting the urgency of winning the war and containing the revolution.

The Rebellious Side

The proponents of the coup also initiated a revolution, but one of a fascist nature, favoring big business and the establishment of a personal dictatorship in Spain. Francisco Franco unified the initially scattered rebel forces under a military structure. Franco consolidated power and purged extremists within his own ranks. The rebels controlled agricultural Spain, which proved crucial in the long war due to its ability to feed their troops.

Anticipating a protracted conflict, Franco established a rebel government in Burgos and negotiated with the fascist powers of the time, Germany and Italy, and later with Western democracies.

The War’s Progression

The primary objective of the war was the conquest of Madrid. However, Madrid proved difficult to capture, leading Franco to deploy his troops to conquer other strategically important territories before attacking Madrid. In 1937, General José Solchaga invaded Asturias and the Basque Country, two industrial zones. German and Italian aid was vital for the rebel army. In Spain, the German army tested tactics that would be used in World War II, such as the war of maneuver, which exploited the Republican army’s indecision, and the bombing of civilians, as seen in Guernica.

The Republican Army’s Struggles

The Republican army struggled to counter the well-organized rebel army. Brunete, Belchite, and Teruel were the most significant Republican offensives, but none were decisive. The Republic’s final major offensive, the Battle of the Ebro, also failed, and the rebel army captured Catalonia and Levante. The Republican government was based in Valencia. With the fall of Catalonia and Levante, the war was effectively over. Madrid fell on April 1, 1939, marking the end of the war.

The Spanish Civil War and World War II

The Spanish Civil War has often been considered a prelude to World War II, a conflict between democracies and fascism. However, this overlooks the revolutionary process initiated by the Spanish Republic. The Spanish war was a war between fascism and revolution, while World War II was a war between fascism and Western democracies.