Spanish Civil War: Uprising, Factions, and Aftermath
On July 12, Lieutenant Castillo of the Assault Guards was killed. In retaliation, his companions killed a right-wing leader, José Calvo Sotelo. From that moment, everything happened quickly. On the afternoon of July 17, 1936, the garrisons of Ceuta, Melilla, and Tetouan revolted, led by General Franco against the Republic. On July 18, the uprising spread to the rest of the peninsula, marking the beginning of the Civil War.
The Military Uprising (July 17 and 18, 1936)
The conspiracy against the Republic was supported by different sectors: the monarchists, the Falange, and the Carlists. However, the real organizers of the uprising were military personnel, grouped mostly in the Spanish Military Union. The coup took the form of a classic pronunciamiento, as evidenced by the fact that their first intention was to move quickly and take Madrid. Their purpose was not clear in political terms: they talked about the introduction of an authoritarian regime, in the style of a Military Junta. In any case, what was planned as a quick coup became a civil war lasting nearly three years.
Internationally, despite the agreement by several countries (Non-Intervention Committee, led by England in 1936), Portugal, Nazi Germany, and Fascist Italy helped the rebels. The Republicans were aided by Soviet arms supplies and food, as well as the International Brigades.
The Warring Factions
The Republican Zone
Following the coup, the Republican power suffered a near-total collapse. José Giral’s government tried to create an armed force from the militia, with little success. In this context, there was a revolutionary phenomenon parallel to the war (and sometimes incompatible with it) carried forward mainly by anarcho-syndicalism (CNT and FAI) and Trotskyists. In many capitals and towns, boards, councils, and committees were immediately constituted, prepared to impose a new revolutionary order.
As a result, a very strong repression began in the Republican zone against all that could be related to the so-called rebels (insurgents). The clergy, landowners, the middle and wealthy classes, Catholics, etc., were considered suspect and subject to uncontrolled persecution. This resulted in the looting and burning of churches and monasteries, arrests, killings, and seizure of assets on behalf of parties or unions. Many of the persecuted fled, hid, or tried to move to the area controlled by the rebels.
Continued military setbacks further weakened the negotiating positions with the National side. In February 1939, the Republic controlled only the Central zone. Later that month, England and France recognized the Franco government; the war was effectively lost.
The National Zone
In the National zone, all efforts were aimed at winning the war. To this end, a unique power of a military nature was soon established, and not the slightest dissent was allowed. However, the political and social groups who had given their support to the military uprising were divided, and they had no joint project to give coherence to the military rebellion. Therefore, the army became the dominant power and was in charge of organizing the new state.
The National Defense Council was created in Burgos, composed of military personnel (Mola, Franco, Queipo de Llano, etc.). From October 1, 1936, they appointed General Franco Generalissimo and Head of Government. This National state was soon recognized by Germany, Italy, Portugal, and the Vatican, which gave it the international diplomatic backing it needed.
Ideologically, they defended a social model based on conservatism and Catholicism with some notes of Fascism (blind obedience to the “Boss,” contempt of liberalism and democracy, the exaltation of violence and death, etc.). Concessions were made to sectors that had supported the rebellion. The persecution of any political or ideological dissent was also institutionalized. Repression (arrests, imprisonment, summary trials, murder) was extremely hard (as already announced by Queipo de Llano and Mola), covering all those who had supported the Republic or who simply did not manifest their commitment to the new regime. It was also very extensive in time, as it continued after the war.