Spanish civil war

• The Carlists, who wanted to restore the monarchy under Carlism, joined forces with the Nationalists to defeat the Republican government.
• The turno pacífico system was a political system based on the alternating succession of the Conservative party and the liberal party
• The dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera was supported by king Alfonso XIII
• The Second Spanish Republic was procalimed on 14 April 1931
• Primo de Rivera resigned in January 1930 and was replaced by Manuel Azaña
• The reformist Bienium included territorial, military, religious, educational and agrarian reforms
• In 1933 a General election was called and the CNT made a campaing asking for the abstention of the voter and eventually, it led to the winning of the political right
• The October Revolution of 1934:

  • The Generalitat the Catalaunya proclaimed the Catalan state
  • In Asturias, a revolutionary government was proclaimed
  • A new election was called in 1936
• In the 1936, CEDA was the main party of the political right.

  The political right united as the Frente Popular.

  Eventually, the let won the elections and the reforms were resumed
• The 1931 reforms provoked discontent among the conservative groups and it eventually led to a coup d'état in 1932 by General Sanjurjo, also known as the Sanjurjada
• After the resignation of Miguel Primo de Rivera, the king Alfonso named General Dámaso Berenguer as prime minister and later Admiral Juan Bautista Aznar.
• Generals Franco, Mola and Sanjurjo were suspicious of giving a coup d'état and sent away from Madrid
• On 17th July 1936, Mola, Franco and Sanjurjo attemped to gie a coup d'état but failed and developed in two a three-year civil war mainly divided in: Republicans and Nationalists
• Republicans: The Republican side consisted of socialist, communist, anarchist and liberal parties that wanted to establish a republic with no monarchy or aristocracy. They had support from the Soviet Union and Mexico
• Nationalists: The nationalist side consisted of fascist, monarchic and military forces who aimed at restoring the monarchy and establishing a dictatorship. They received support from Nazi Germany and Italy (Mussolini)
• Franco troops advanced from Morocco trough Extremadura and Toledo and attemped to take Madrid, but failed in July 1936, and in November, the Republican government moved to Valencia.

  • Battles won by Republicans: Jarama, Guadalajara
• Franco advanced to the north in order to take País Vasco, Cantabria and Asturias. The bombing of Guernica took place in this stage which was known as the northern campaigns. (March-October 1937)
• The battle of Teruel took place between December and February 1938 where the Nationalists managed to win it.
• In March 1938, the Nationalists entered Catalonia and conquered Barcelona on 27th January 1939. This ended the Civil War
• The Battle of Ebro took place between July and November 1938 and was one of the last battles of the war. It was fought along the river Ebro and resulted in victory for the Nationalists
• The International Brigades were made up of volunteers from all over Europe and America who fought against Franco's army. There were around 40,000 people fighting in them
• The Condor Legion was a group of German pilots who flew planes during the Civil War. Their main aim was to test their new weapons and tactics
• The Battle of Brunete took place between July and August 1937 and was an attempt by the Republicans to relieve pressure on Madrid. However, they were unsuccessful due to lack of supplies and reinforcements
• The Battle of Jarama took place between December 1936 and February 1937 and was another failed Republican attack on the Nationalist forces
• Franco had support from Hitler and Mussolini as he wanted to create a fascist state like Italy and Germany
• The only political party during Franco's dictatorship was known as FET y de las JONS
• Paseos were a nationalist way of executing the suspected republican supportters by taking them to a walk and executing them in large groups in the towns and then burring them in the cunetas
• Sacas were the Republican way of executing the Nationalists by imprisioning them and executing them in large numbers
• Checas were unofficial prisons established by left-wing revolutionary government during the war
• Republicans lost due to lack of unity among themselves, poor leadership, and military weaknesses.
• Civil War ended with the victory of General Francisco Franco who became the leader of Spain until his death in 1975.
• The Civil War ended with the victory of General Francisco Franco on April 1, 1939.