Nat Strengths

• The Nationalists controlled major agricultural regions of Spain, such as the wheat lands of Old Castile. The rapid expansion of the Nationalists also increased the range and volume of food available.
• Organisational Strengths:

  Unlike the Republicans, the Nationalists had the ability to maintain a large and sufficiently skilled armed force, which was crucial in maintaining the supply of manpower and supplies. This was ensured by the Junta de Defensa (Defence Council) which was composed of military leaders who had complete control over all aspects of civilian and military life.
• The Nationalists were more experienced in conventional war than the Republicans, meaning they organised their supply routes more effectively. This can be seen with their victory in Northern Spain (1937), which removed 1/4 of Republican forces, allowing the Nationalist navy to attack the Eastern shores.