Spanish Civil War: Political Developments in Republican & Nationalist Zones
Political Developments During the Spanish Civil War
Republican Zone
From the outset, the Republican zone lacked political unity. The government, led by José Giral, had limited authority. Armed worker and peasant militias formed independent committees, leading to a spontaneous social revolution spearheaded by the UGT and CNT. This resulted in seizures and collectivization of utilities, factories, and land.
A brief period of uncontrolled repression against right-wing individuals, particularly landowners and priests, ensued, which the government couldn’t contain. This “popular terror” alienated the bourgeoisie and damaged the Republicans’ image in democratic nations.
President Azaña tasked Largo Caballero, secretary of the UGT, with forming a new coalition government comprising Republicans, Socialists, Communists, and even Anarchists. Caballero’s government (September 4, 1936, to May 1937) implemented political reforms to regain control and discipline. Militias were militarized, and people’s courts were established to curb the indiscriminate repression. As Franco’s forces advanced, the government relocated to Valencia.
However, unity of action remained elusive. Authoritarian centralists and regionalists clashed with libertarians. Anarchists, the Trotskyist POUM (Workers Party of Marxist Unification), and the radical wing of the UGT (including Caballero) advocated for simultaneous war and revolution. Conversely, the Republican parties, the more moderate Socialist Party (led by Prieto), and the Communist Party favored a strong Republican state to prioritize winning the war and postponing revolution.
The Communist Party gained dominance due to Soviet aid. In May 1937, a street battle erupted in Barcelona between the UGT, Communists, and the Generalitat government against the Anarchists and the POUM, with the latter suffering defeat.
Largo Caballero resigned, and a new government led by the Socialist Negrin, composed of Socialists, Communists, and Left Republicans, took control. They halted collectivization and focused on winning the war. Negrin proposed staunch resistance against Franco, anticipating the outbreak of World War II. However, defeats led to dwindling support, and he faced opposition from Prieto and Azaña, who sought negotiations with Franco’s supporters. Only the PCE (Communist Party of Spain) backed Negrin. His “Thirteen Points” (May 1938) outlined his negotiating terms with guarantees, which Franco rejected.
Following the fall of Catalonia, Negrin was ousted by a military coup led by Colonel Casado, who aimed to sideline the Communists and negotiate with Franco. Negrin fled to France. Bilbao fell due to the betrayal of Basque military officer Alejandro Goicoechea, who defected with copies of the city’s defensive fortifications plans. Agricultural collectivization, driven by Anarchists, spread across Aragon, Valencia, Andalusia, Castilla La Mancha, and Catalonia.
Nationalist Zone
The insurgent side’s advantage lay in its unity, symbolized by the Burgos Defense Committee under General Cabanellas. Politically, the Nationalist project lacked a defined ideology—they were right-wing, centralist, and authoritarian—but they understood that victory was crucial for their survival.
General Franco gained prominence in the Salamanca Board meeting and was appointed Head of State and Generalissimo of the armies on September 29, 1936. He established his headquarters in Salamanca. After Mola’s death, Franco steadily consolidated power and built a personal dictatorship.
To control the political factions supporting the Nationalist troops (Carlists and Falange), Franco merged them through the Decree of Unification (April 1937) into a single party, the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS (FET y de las JONS). He assumed the role of National Director, while Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera was executed in prison. Later, the CEDA and monarchists were integrated to avoid conflicts.
In January 1938, the first government of the new state was formed in Burgos, led by Franco. In March, the Labour Law, inspired by Fascism, was enacted, and Franco assumed the title of Caudillo. The Catholic Church also supported Franco. Cardinal Goma, Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain, orchestrated a joint letter from the Spanish episcopate endorsing Franco and portraying the war as a crusade against Communism.
Repression in the Nationalist zone was brutal, targeting Republicans of all stripes: union leaders, political leaders, individuals with liberal or leftist ideologies, teachers, Republican voters, and even poets like Lorca. They were executed without trial. This organized terror, overseen by the Church, Army, and Civil Guard, aimed to consolidate power and destroy the enemy. The military rebels systematically employed terror to achieve these goals.