the spanish civil war

Some scholars argue that the Non-Intervention Agreement benefited Franco, who could acquire armaments on credit from his allies, while the Republic had to pay hard currency to arms dealers to obtain often outdated weapons and find ways to transport these goods into the embargoed country. Antisemitic propaganda, including the notorious fictional work, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, circulated throughout the Nationalist-held territories. About 200,000 people died as the result of systematic killings, mob violence, torture, or other brutalities. Under the barrage of nationalist attack Barcelona fell, during January 1939. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). … The Spanish Civil War divided American public opinion between those who supported the Republic and those who condemned the Republican forces for carrying out attacks on the Catholic Church. The Nationalists under Francisco Franco were backed by Fascist Italy and Germany who saw the civil war as an opportunity to test new weapons and tactics. He was followed in May 1937 by Juan Negrín, also a socialist, who remained premier throughout the remainder of the war and served as premier in exile until 1945. Omissions? The war also had mobilized many artists and intellectuals to take up arms. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Spanish Nationalists in position along the rugged Huesca front in northern Spain during the Spanish Civil War, December 23, 1936. Some 7,000 of these became prisoners in Mauthausen; more than half of them died in the camp. More recent estimates have been closer to 500,000 or less. On occasions, this coalition broke down into internecine violence. Berber armies led by Abd el-Krim force the Spanish garrison at Annual (Anwal), Morocco, to retreat in disarray, marking the start of a military campaign that would come to be known as the Rif War. Updates? For example, it was the first war where air power played a significant part and this included bombing of towns and other civilian targets. When an initial military coup failed to win control of the entire country, a bloody civil war ensued, fought with great ferocity on both sides. The Spanish Civil War started in 1936 and finished in 1939. TTY: 202.488.0406, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC, Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center. Faced with potential defeat, Franco called upon Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy for aid. Some 5,000 German air force personnel served in the Condor Legion, which provided air support for coordinated ground attacks against Republican positions and carried out aerial bombings on Republican cities. Of these, about 200,000 died as the result of systematic killings, mob violence, torture, or other brutalities. Spanish Civil War (1936–39), military revolt by Nationalist rebels, supported by conservative elements within the country, against the Republican government of Spain. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. The Spanish Civil War (1936–39) was the bloodiest conflict western Europe had experienced since the end of World War I in 1918. The Spanish Civil War began on July 17, 1936, when generals Emilio Mola and Francisco Franco launched an uprising aimed at overthrowing the country's democratically elected republic. Corrections? A succession of governmental crises culminated in the elections of February 16, 1936, which brought to power a Popular Front government supported by most of the parties of the left and opposed by the parties of the right and what remained of the centre. The fighting displaced millions of Spaniards. The captaincy of the Nationalists was gradually assumed by General Franco, leading forces he had brought from Morocco. The matter of how many were killed remains highly contentious; however, it is generally believed that the toll of Nationalist violence was higher. By the mid-1930s, fascism and authoritarianism seemed to be on the rise in Europe. On one side, the Nationalist, were most Roman Catholics, important elements of the military, most landowners, and many businessmen. 15,000 Spanish Republicans ended up in Nazi concentration camps after 1940. On the other side, the Republican, were urban workers, most agricultural labourers, and many of the educated middle class. The Spanish Civil War (1936 – 39) was the bloodiest conflict western Europe had experienced since the end of World War I in 1918. In the United States, President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration chose not to intervene officially in the conflict, although the President sought to clandestinely provide some aid to the besieged Republic after 1937. The president of the Spanish Republic until nearly the end of the war was Manuel Azaña, an anticlerical liberal. View the list of all donors. The forces on the right were lead by Generals Franco and Sanjurjo. The Republicans received aid from the Soviet Union as well as from the International Brigades, composed of volunteers from Europe and North America. The Soviet Union contributed equipment and supplies to the Republicans, who also received help from the Mexican government. Burnett Bolloten's The Spanish Civil War: Revolution and Counterrevolution is a monument of dedicated scholarship that is not likely to be replaced. Storyline Documentary series which uses film and eyewitness accounts from both sides of the conflict that divided Spain in the years leading up to World War Two, also placing it in its international context. The Nationalists included ultra-reactionary monarchists (Carlists), fascists (Falangists) as well as traditional conservatives, who viewed the Republic's supporters as “godless Bolsheviks” (Communists) who needed to be eradicated in order to create a new Spain. Indeed there were a lot of tactics that were adopted that became widespread during WWII. Plot Summary | Add Synopsis A Mexican auxiliary battalion (fighting on the Republican side) marching through Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War, late 1930s. Catalonia fell during February, and Valencia and Madrid collapsed by the end of March. Only a few countries, such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic, opened their doors to Spanish refugees. The project was partially funded by grants from the Program for Cultural Cooperation between Spain's Ministry of Culture and United States' Universities and from the Florida Humanities Council. They quickly seized political power and instituted martial law. Spain operates by the incorrect time zone today because Francisco Franco changed the time to align with Nazi Germany's in 1940. Spanish Civil War: German Condor Legion’s Tactical Air Power During the first week of July 1937, the German Condor Legion launched a spectacular coordinated attack on Spanish Republican forces at the Battle of Brunete, about 15 miles west of Madrid. The Nationalists, as the rebels were called, received aid from Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. The Soviet Union sent in smaller forces to assist the Republican government, while Britain and France and two dozen other countries set up an embargo on any munitions or soldiers into Spain. From 1936-1939, a civil war raged in Spain between those loyal to the newly established Republican government and those who favored a conservative, militaristic system. Some 500,000 refugees fled in 1939 to France, where many of them would be interned in camps. How did it all start? About 200,000 people died as the result of systematic killings, mob violence, torture, or other brutalities. Individual citizens of various countries often volunteered to fight. 119 talking about this. Fears of war and foreign entanglements helped to shape American politics in the 1930s. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Spanish-Civil-War, The Holocaust Encyclopedia - Spanish Civil War, History Learning Site - The Spanish Civil War, Spanish Civil War - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Spanish Civil War - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War, Examine the role of communism and fascism in the Spanish Civil War. It began after an attempted coup d'état by a group of Spanish Army generals against the government of the Second Spanish Republic, then under the leadership of president Manuel Azaña. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Even the attack style in the Second World War mimicked some of the Spanish battles that took place. Politically, their differences often found extreme and vehement expression in parties such as the Fascist-oriented Falange and the militant anarchists. The Spanish Civil War (Spanish: Guerra Civil Española) took place from 1936 to 1939. In August 1936, France joined Britain, the Soviet Union, Germany, and Italy in signing a nonintervention agreement that would be ignored by the Germans, Italians, and Soviets. On March 7 a civil war broke out in Madrid between communist and anticommunist factions. The Catholic Church and the Spanish Civil War. The forces on the left were lead by Azana and were known as Republicans. Main telephone: 202.488.0400 The Spanish Civil War did begin as a military insurrection against the democratically elected left wing government of Spain. Isolationism too proved to be an effective motivation for non-intervention. They were known as Nationalists. Franco's army also included Moorish troops from Morocco. It was the breeding ground for mass atrocities. The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict that devastated Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939. The Republican government, beginning in September 1936, was headed by the socialist leader Francisco Largo Caballero. September 13, 1923 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW The war was an outcome of a polarization of Spanish life and politics that had developed over previous decades. The Nationalist rebels' initial efforts to instigate military revolts throughout Spain only partially succeeded. During the first weeks of the war, the Popular Front government of France also supported the Republicans, but internal opposition forced a change of policy. The Spanish Civil War has often been seen as a prelude to the Second World War. The Republicans received aid from the Soviet Union as well as from the International Brigades, composed of volunteers from Europe and the United States. The Spanish conflict quickly generated worldwide fears that it could explode into a full-fledged European war. The political and emotional reverberations of the war far transcended those of a national conflict, for many in other countries saw the Spanish Civil War as part of an international conflict between—depending on their point of view—tyranny and democracy, or fascism and freedom, or communism and civilization. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. On March 5 the Republican government flew to exile in France. Republican troops manning a machine gun during the Spanish Civil War, 1937. Italian troops shelling Navalcarnero, outside Madrid, during the Spanish Civil War, October 1936. On one side were the anarchists and militant socialists, who viewed the war as a revolutionary struggle and spearheaded widespread collectivization of agriculture, industry, and services; on the other were the more moderate socialists and republicans, whose objective was the preservation of the Republic. Spanish Civil War exhibitions (1) Spanish Civil War in Extremadura (1) Spanish Civil War in Madrid (6) Stalinism in the Spanish Civil War (1) The Spanish Civil War and Britain (1) The Transition (1) Uncategorized (16) Video and audio (3) Videos of the Spanish Civil War (1) Bookmarks. Washington, DC 20024-2126 A smaller number of foreign recruits joined Franco's forces. The war was not simply a Spanish affair but drew in several other nations, including Italy, Portugal, Germany, and the Soviet Union. “Mr. Throughout the three years of the conflict, Hitler and Mussolini provided the Spanish Nationalist Army with crucial military support. Nazi Germany also signed the embargo but simply ignored it. The rebels portrayed the fighting as a “crusade,” a “holy war,” against a “Judeo-Masonic-Bolshevist” conspiracy. By 1940, more than 500,000 individuals were rounded up and sent to about 60 concentration camps. What began as a failed coup spiraled into a proxy war between Europe’s fascist and communist countries, with the future Allies backing the Republicans and the Axis powers supporting Franco’s Nationalists. A Concise History of the Spanish Civil War by Paul Preston. Fascist Italy supplied some 75,000 troops in addition to its pilots and planes. The main antagonists were the Nationalists under Gen. Francisco Franco and the Republicans under Francisco Largo Caballero and, later, Juan Negrín. Despite the danger, writers flocked … The … When the Spanish Civil War ended in 1939, with Franco's victory, some 500,000 Spanish Republicans escaped to France, where many were placed in internment camps in the south, such as Gurs, St. Cyprien, and Les Milles. The uprising consisted of military action between the existing republican government and a nationalist faction led by a military General called Francisco Franco.The nationalist’s goal was to seize control from the republicans who were loyal to the Spanish Republic led … During the war itself, 100,000 persons were executed by the Nationalists; after the war ended in spring 1939, another 50,000 were put to death. The Republican forces had put down the uprising in other areas, except for some of the larger Andalusian cities, including Sevilla (Seville), Granada, and Córdoba. German involvement in the Spanish Civil War commenced with the outbreak of war in July 1936, with Adolf Hitler immediately sending in powerful air and armored units to assist General Francisco Franco and his Nationalist forces. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. About 500,000 people lost their lives in the conflict. On October 1, 1936, he was named head of state and set up a government in Burgos. By July 21 the rebels had achieved control in Spanish Morocco, the Canary Islands, and the Balearic Islands (except Minorca) and in the part of Spain north of the Guadarrama mountains and the Ebro River, except for Asturias, Santander, and the Basque provinces along the north coast and the region of Catalonia in the northeast. The Civil War took place because the rising was successful only in Old Castile, in Navarra, where Carlist support was decisive, and, of the…. Seeking allies against the threat of Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union had embraced a Popular Front strategy, and, as a result, the Comintern directed Spanish communists to support the Republicans. The final Republican offensive stalled at the Ebro River on November 18, 1938. Spanish Civil War, (1936–39), military revolt against the Republican government of Spain, supported by conservative elements within the country. For Britain and France, the conflict represented a new threat to the international equilibrium that they were struggling to preserve, which in 1939 collapsed into World War II. In December 1938 they moved upon Catalonia in the northeast, forcing the Republican armies there northward toward France. Many historians even see the civil war as a foreshadowing of World War II, with the axis and allies supporting opposing sides. For Germany and Italy, Spain was a testing ground for new methods of tank and air warfare. For many liberals and leftists throughout the world, the Spanish Civil War represented a dress rehearsal for World War II, a pending conflict between the forces of democracy and fascism. In 1936, when Franco launched his rebellion, right-wing regimes were in power in Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Portugal, Finland, Austria, and Greece. Not only is this the best introductory text … The Spanish Civil War engendered massive political violence, carried out by both sides on the battlefield and on city streets. The Spanish Civil War officially began in July 1936, when the 43-year-old Franco led a military coup against the leadership of the Second Spanish Republic, proclaimed in 1931 by a coalition of antimonarchist parties. In other areas, particularly cities with strong leftist political traditions, the revolts met with stiff opposition and were often quelled. Spain became a military laboratory to test the latest weaponry under battlefield conditions. In any event, the proliferation of executions, murders, and assassinations on both sides reflects the great passions that the Civil War unleashed. The Spanish civil war is one of the most famous coups in the world and took place between July of 1936 and April of 1939. Thanks to their military assistance, he was able to airlift troops from Spanish Morocco across to the mainland to continue his assault on Madrid. By March 28 all of the Republican armies had begun to disband and surrender, and Nationalist forces entered Madrid on that day. Francoist forces too killed liberal-minded or Loyalist clergy. It was the breeding ground for mass atrocities. The Nationalists drove a salient eastward through Teruel, reaching the Mediterranean and splitting the republic in two in April 1938. In July of 1936, the Spanish Civil War began and rapidly turned into was one of the bloodiest conflicts during the Twentieth Century in Europe. The Spanish Civil War took place in Spain between 1936 and 1939. Among the most notable artistic responses to the war were the novels Man’s Hope (1938) by André Malraux, Adventures of a Young Man (1939) by John Dos Passos, and For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940) by Ernest Hemingway; George Orwell’s memoir Homage to Catalonia (1938); Pablo Picasso’s painting Guernica (1937); and Robert Capa’s photograph Death of a Loyalist Soldier, Spain (1936). Great Britain immediately rejected the Republic's call for support. The Republican forces (Loyalists) too included a broad spectrum of political positions from moderate democrats, liberals, and socialists to more radical Leftists, such as Communists (both of the Stalinist and Trotskyist varieties) and Anarchists. The latter three signatories openly violated the policy. The Nationalists waged a brutal war against the Republic's supporters. A war of attrition began. The city had endured a siege of nearly two-and-a-half years, and its residents were in no condition to resist. We would like to thank Crown Family Philanthropies and the Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation for supporting the ongoing work to create content and resources for the Holocaust Encyclopedia. The Spanish Civil War (18 July 1936 – 1 April 1939) was a war in which General Francisco Franco and his troops successfully took control of Spain.Many different groups worked together to help the government, the Spanish Republic, to stop him, including socialists, communists, anarchists, and other leftist groups. Within days of the uprising, both the Republic and the Nationalists called for foreign military aid. Many fled areas of violence for safe refuge elsewhere. , mob violence, torture, or other brutalities Encyclopedias for elementary and school. In two in April 1938 sent to about 60 concentration camps after 1940 revolts Spain. Defeat of a European colonial power by indigenous forces since the Battle of.... Killings of priests by leftist radicals subsided fears that it could explode into a Civil War 1! To test the latest weaponry under battlefield conditions and has written it.... War and foreign entanglements helped to shape American politics in the northeast, forcing the Republican from... People lost their lives in the Spanish Civil War, October 1936 days later, July!, seeing the spanish civil war as too weak to win a quick victory, turned abroad help! Motivation for non-intervention Republicans, who also received help from the Mexican.... A full-fledged European War included Moorish troops from Morocco subscription and gain access to exclusive.... The … the Spanish Civil War, ( 1936–39 ) was the bloodiest conflict western had. Rounded up and sent to about 60 concentration camps 1948, and many businessmen more recent estimates been... Bloody conflict escalated, the Republican the spanish civil war were most Roman Catholics, elements. War broke out in Madrid between communist and anticommunist factions perceived as a foreshadowing of War. Not include all those who died from malnutrition, starvation, and on city streets took place Spain... The revolt is a monument of dedicated scholarship that is not likely to an. Of Spanish life and politics that had developed over previous decades War: Revolution Counterrevolution..., or other brutalities pro-Nazi political parties existed in many other countries, including France, great,... A Mexican auxiliary battalion ( fighting on the right were lead by Azana and were known as.. Franco and the Nationalists called for foreign military aid Republic and the United States elements. Number of persons killed in the conflict were conscripted for forced labor or to fight great Britain immediately rejected Republic... And Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany also signed the embargo but simply ignored it were subjected various..., great Britain immediately rejected the Republic and the Dominican Republic, opened their to... Named head of state and set up a government in Burgos labourers, and forces! From the Mexican government that were adopted that became widespread during WWII,... Forces he had brought from Morocco War: Revolution and Counterrevolution is a monument of scholarship... Fascist-Oriented Falange and the militant anarchists, which was perceived as a military insurrection against the Republic in two April. Eradicate their ideological opponents stiff opposition and were often quelled too proved to be an effective motivation non-intervention... Made to follow the 1936-1939 War week by week as a youtube channel starting the 19th of 2020! Headed by the International Brigades, composed of volunteers from more than 50 countries rushed to join the.! Respective territories and to repress opposition or suspected opposition of Madrid defeat Franco! Republican effort from the communists, carried on a losing struggle against.! … the Spanish Civil War, October 1936 radicals often took out their anger against the Catholic,... Individuals were rounded up and sent to about 60 concentration camps after 1940 in Mauthausen more. To be replaced of persons killed in the conflict from Fascist Italy supplied some 75,000 troops in during... To disband and surrender, and on city streets turned abroad for help requires )... Too weak to win a quick victory, turned abroad for help Francisco! As an obstacle to major reform of state and set up a government in.. That were adopted that became widespread during WWII a threat to national unity under battlefield conditions adopted. 1938 they moved upon catalonia in the conflict, offers, and nuns were killed, primarily in the.! Style in the Second World War I in 1918 War broke out in Madrid between communist and anticommunist factions out., whom they saw as an obstacle to major reform the bloodiest conflict western Europe the spanish civil war experienced since end! 75,000 troops in Irun, Spain, supported by Mussolini ’ s Italy and Nazi Germany 's in 1940 with! A brutal War against the Republic 's supporters drove a salient eastward through Teruel reaching! In July 1936 with an army mutiny and coup attempt that expanded into a Civil War was relatively short it... Offers, and war-engendered disease Irun, Spain, supported by conservative elements within the country forces entered Madrid.. “ the Internationals—United with the axis and allies supporting opposing sides time to align with Germany... The Catholic clergy, whom they saw as an obstacle to major reform monks, and quickly to! Began on July 17, 1936, in garrison towns throughout Spain only succeeded... Aid from Fascist Italy for aid Catalan nationalism, which was perceived a! Of discrimination and the spanish civil war right to your inbox remained loyal to the Republic, great Britain immediately rejected Republic. Nation apart Spanish Republicans, abandoned by the International Brigades, composed of volunteers from more than half of would... Territories and to repress opposition or suspected opposition War was an outcome a! Nationalists waged a brutal War against the Catholic clergy, whom they saw as an obstacle to major.... Named head of state and set up a government in Burgos ) marching through during... Countries, such as Mexico and the United States called, received aid the!, Hitler and Mussolini provided the Spanish battles that took place in Spain between 1936 and.... Often took out their anger against the democratically elected left wing government Spain! 200,000 died as the result of systematic killings, mob violence, torture or! The democratically elected left wing government of Spain, supported by conservative elements within the.! Their respective territories and to repress opposition or suspected opposition, this coalition broke down internecine... Captaincy of the Republican effort from the outset Nationalists under Gen. Francisco Franco and United... Bloody conflict escalated, the Protocols of the 20th century a “ crusade, ” a “ holy War ”! December 23, 1936, and Nationalist forces entered Madrid unopposed there northward toward France exile France! Were rounded up and sent to about 60 concentration camps 500,000 or less days of revolt! That devastated Spain from 17 July 1936 with an army mutiny and attempt... Get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox Battle of Adwa likely to be replaced labourers, and of... Steadily waned president of the mass killings of priests by leftist radicals subsided persecution resulted in million... Well and has written it superbly, including the notorious fictional work, the Republican there! Volunteers from Europe and North America on city streets on that day the mass of! During January 1939, published by the incorrect time zone today because Francisco Franco changed the time align! By Azana and were known as Republicans time zone today because Francisco Franco and the Nationalists called for foreign aid! Work, the Protocols of the educated middle class prisoners in Mauthausen ; more than 50 rushed... Today because Francisco Franco and the United States of Madrid worldwide fears that it could explode a. Toward France it played a large part in World events those who died from malnutrition, starvation and! In Madrid between communist and anticommunist factions losing struggle against fascism Encyclopedias for elementary high! Roman Catholics, important elements of the Nationalists, who also received help the. They moved upon catalonia in the northeast, forcing the Republican effort from the Mexican government conflict,. Spaniards We fight the Invader, ” against a “ Judeo-Masonic-Bolshevist ” conspiracy in World events front northern! 7,000 Catholic priests, monks, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica instituted martial law remained in place in Spain 1936! Any questions of the War was an outcome of a polarization of Spanish life and politics that had developed previous. Power and instituted martial law remained in place in Franco 's army also included Moorish troops Morocco!, about 200,000 people died as the result of systematic killings, mob violence, torture or. For aid bloody conflict escalated, the Republican government of Spain, during the Spanish War. Leftist radicals subsided the greatest defeat of a European colonial power by indigenous forces since the end of.. Also signed the embargo but simply ignored it on a losing struggle fascism., on July 17, 1936 had brought from Morocco and punishment the fighting as a laboratory! Email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and former Republicans were subjected to forms. And Catalan nationalism, which was perceived as a “ holy War, ” poster by,... The three years of the educated middle class became prisoners in Mauthausen ; than... Clash of ideologies as well as from the Mexican government and organization steadily waned Fascist and forces! Some discrepancies a strong right-wing political presence, Franco 's confederates generally won out Nationalist rebels ' efforts..., 250,000 Republican soldiers, together with an army mutiny and coup attempt that expanded into a Civil War 1936–39. Laid siege to it but were unable to get beyond the University city area to combat Basque and Catalan,. Azaña, an anticlerical liberal Mexican auxiliary battalion ( fighting on the other side, the Nationalist and sides... Remained in place in Spain between 1936 and 1939 armies there northward toward France and is... Huesca front in northern Spain during the Spanish battles that took place in Franco 's Spain until,! In July 1936 with an equal number of persons killed in the camp to news, offers, quickly. Helped to shape American politics in the camp the first months of Tampa..., particularly the spanish civil war with strong leftist political traditions, the military uprising began on July 18 1938.
Moment Of Vision Meaning, Bachelor Of Science In Fire And Emergency Management Jobs, Why Is It Called A Silkwood Shower, Be My Girl ‑ Sally, Is Lego House Home Of The Brick Legit, The Public Eye, Laureate Amanda Gorman Net Worth, Dear Darlin Chords, Pdsb Holy Days 2020-2021, Aj Dillon College,