8. The Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War

Juan Antonio López Luque

Causes

• Changes in governments (left-right-left)

• Reforms and counter reforms

• Social discontent

• Political radicalization

• Social demonstration and revolts (revolts in Asturias and Cataluña and Casas Viejas).

• Military uprisings (General Sanjurjo).

• Increase in violence: Castillo y Calvo Sotelo.

• Social classes: true democracy, high classes privileges, social equality, social rights, distribution of wealth, land property, monarchy…

• Church-State: catholicism Vs. secularism

• Authonomies: State Vs. Regionalism

Causes of confrontation

July 17 1936 – April 1 1939.

Origins of the war

Origins of the war

Military uprisingMilitary uprisingWar stagesWar stages

July 17 1936 – April 1 1939.

InternationalizationInternationalizationConfronted political

viewsConfronted political

views

ConsequencesConsequences

Coup d’etat

• General Sanjurjo, the ideologist

Among the conspirators:

• General Sanjurjo, General Goded, General Mola, General Franco, and some mothers.

• The objective: a quick and violent coup d’etat.

Measures taken by the popular Front:

• Control over anti-republic military

• High ranking pro-republic military appointed.

Republicans

Republicans

General Franco

• General Franco: chief of the “Moroccan” Army

• A plane rented in England by pro-rebel civilians –named Dragon Rapide- took Franco to Tetuán (Morocco) from the Canary Islands.

Nationalists

Nationalists

Moroccan troops serving with the Spanish Army were the main force of General Franco and gained a reputation for

cruelty

Moroccan troops serving with the Spanish Army were the main force of General Franco and gained a reputation for

cruelty

Dates

• Uprising begins July 17

• July 18 Morocco is under control

• July 19 the troops croosed the Gibraltar strait into the Peninsula

• Not all the garrisons in the Peninsula supported the rebelion. Some of them remained loyal to the Republic

Mid August 1936Mid August 1936

Rebels

Republic

Military stages

Fight for Madrid

Fight for Madrid

Northern front

Northern front

Eastern front

Eastern front

• July1936 - March 1937

Important because it was the capital (symbolic importance) and it’s in the center of the country (strategic importance)

1st strategy failed: General Mola attack from the North and General Franco from the South

Mola could not surpass Somosierra (80 kms from the capital) and Franco then decided to attack Toledo

A new attempt of taking Madrid in November of 1936 failed but provoked the escape of the government to Valencia . Another attack in February of 1937 also failed

Madrid

Attack over MadridAttack over Madrid

Northern front

• April – October 1937

• Because of the failed attack on Madrid.

• Tried to control Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country

• Very wealthy area: industry and mines

• General Mola was the leader of the attack until his dead in a plane crash in June 1937.

• The German Condor Legion, responsibles of the attack over Guernica.

• Bilbao fell in June.

• The Basque autonomy is cancelled

Guernica de Pablo Picasso

• The Republican Army counter-attacked North of Madrid and Aragón.

• The objective was to divide the Nationalist forces

• August 1937 the nationalist Army with the support of the Italian troops conquered Santander, and in October Asturias had fell.

Northern front

End of 1937End of 1937

End of 1937End of 1937Mid August 1936Mid August 1936

• October 1937-April 1939

• Republican Army conquers Teruel (12/1937) and the Nationalists re-conquered it (2/1938).

• Battle of the Ebro, the longest and largest battle of the war between July and November 1938

• The results of the battle were disastrous for the Second Spanish Republic with tens of thousands of dead and wounded and little effect on the advance of the Nationalists.

Eastern front

•The Nationalists reached the Mediterranean through the river Ebro valley, and occupied Vinaroz and Castellón.

•In April1938 Lérida is occupied and the Cataluña autonomy is abolished

•The Republican government goes to Barcelona

•The pact of Munich*

•Attack over Cataluña (12/1938), and occupation of the city in January of 1939

•On February 6 1939 the legal authorities of the Republic crossed the frontier with France

Eastern front

Between the UK and France, and Germany and Italy

Czechoslovakia is handed over to Hitler

The United Kingdom and France proposed a retirement of the volunteers fighting in both sides

The International Brigades who were supporting the Republic left the country in 1938. German and Italian troops never did.

The allies decided not to intervene and left the Spanish Republic in the hands of the fascism.

The Pact of Munich (september 1938)

The end of the war

• On March1939 Lieutenant Colonel Casado (republican) tries to negotiate with Franco without permission of President Juan Negrín but he fails

• On March 28 1939 franco conquers Madrid.

• On March 30 1939 Alicante, the last Republican city is conquered.

• On April 1st 1939 the war officially ends