Red Terror (Republicans)

• The majority of executions in the Republican zone took place in the early months of the war when government authority had broken down. People targeted included:

  • Falangists
  • Priests
  • Landlords
  • Supporters of CEDA
• The key focus of Red Terror was upon people closely associated with the traditional ruling elite and conservative forces of Spain. Many buildings that symbolised the old regime were also destroyed. For example, in Barcelona, only one out of the city's 58 churches survived the war.
• However, acts of terror diminished as the Republican government began to exert more control over the different zones at the end of 1936. The CNT also established revolutionary courts in Catalonia to try and reduce the use of random violence and terror. Although, terror still broke out in areas where there was little effective control.
• However, the use of terror to suppress political opponents was not as systematically applied compared to the Nationalist zones as it was not a deliberate policy of the Republican government.
• More than 6000 priests, nuns and monks were killed during the civil war and in the region of Barbastro, more than 80% of the clergy were killed. Within Catalonia, leading industrialists were targeted and within Aragon landowners were murdered.

  Horrific killings look place, such as in the town of Ciudad Real where a local priest was castrated and his genitals were forced into his mouth.
• The Red Terror had significant consequences and persuaded the Catholic Church worldwide to support the Nationalists. It also helped provide the British government a reason not to support the Republicans. The Nationalists even exploited the Red Terror for propaganda purposes.