A war that caught the eyes of politicians, media and creatives around the world
What began as the Spaniards' war was co-opted by fascists and communists of the world seeking to show the merit of their ideology
The seeds of this war were planted in the 19th century, prior to the rise of communism and fascism
19th century in Spain
1. Opposition to the monarchy resulted in pushes for constitutional rights, liberalism and even a short-lived Republic
2. Destruction of the Empire by the US and revolutionaries weakened the Spanish state and disunified the populace
Alonso XIII
King of Spain who launched a disastrous war against Morocco in the 1920s, losing the majority support of his army
Alonso XIII recognised the lack of support and left the country in 1931
Proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic
1. Headed by Netto Alcaz Amore
2. Promised change - trade unions, land reform, secularization, women's liberation, autonomy for Catalonia and the Basque country
The actual introduction of these ideas was slow and painful, leaving the right-wing feeling alienated and the left further disappointed
The 1933 general election
Led to a right-wing Catholic conservative party under Jose Maria Gil Robles winning a majority of the seats, reversing the reforms that had been done
1934 uprising by anarchists and communists
1. Crushed by General Francisco Franco and the Army of Africa
2. Sparked outrage and helped unify the left
The 1936 general election resulted in a narrow victory for the Popular Front, a coalition of communist, anarchist, socialist and liberal parties
Attempted military coup in July 1936
1. Launched in Morocco under Franco's command, with generals across Spain rising up
2. The police reluctantly worked with the leftists, resulting in the coup's miscarriage
Nationalists
The side that took Seville, Castile and Leon, but the government held on to Valencia, Barcelona and Madrid
Republicans
The side that saw some tension between the government's desire to survive and the communists and anarchists' desire to implement their own revolution
The Nationalists received support from Nazi Germany, fascist Italy and Portugal, including supplies and volunteers
Franco's Army of Africa
1. Arrived and pushed north towards Madrid, brutally crushing the enemy in the Battle of Merida
2. Franco was rewarded with the title of Commander-in-Chief, later becoming the unquestionable military head of the Nationalists
The Republican government's cabinet was thrown out in favor of a communist one, which attempted to unify the Republic in their own image
Madrid stood unyielding for years, but the Nationalists eventually pushed the Republicans back across the north, cutting their territory in two
The Nationalists invaded Catalonia in 1939, leading to the fall of Barcelona and eventually Madrid, resulting in Franco's victory
Franco became the absolute dictator, keeping in check the many factions he had once unified as Nationalists
The monarchy was revived in 1947, with Franco selecting Juan Carlos de Bourbon as his heir in 1969
After Franco's death in 1975, King Juan Carlos I reformed Spain, reviving democracy and modernizing the country
The consequences of the Spanish Civil War are still deeply remembered and felt, with the sometimes violent division between left and right remaining not only in Spain but the world
Appeasement
A policy of giving in to Hitler's demands in order to keep the peace
Britain followed a policy of appeasement during the 1930s
Reasons for appeasement policy
Economic difficulties
Attitudes to the Paris Peace Settlement
Spanish Civil War
Pacifism
Concern over the Empire
Lack of reliable allies
Military weaknesses
Fear over spread of Communism
Positive opinion on Hitler
Appeasement
Giving Hitler what he wanted in order to keep the peace
The Spanish Civil War saw right-wing Nationalists, led by General Franco, fight against the left-wing Republicans
Germany and Italy supported the Nationalists with planes, tanks and weapons
The USSR supported the Republican forces
The British government signed up to the Non-Intervention Committee to prevent the Spanish Civil War from escalating into a Europe-wide conflict
Some people on the Left ignored the Non-Intervention Committee and volunteered to fight in Spain, believing that only force would stop the spread of fascism
The bombing of Guernica by Nazi German and Italian bombers heightened fears of the consequences of any war
The British Prime Minister at the time, Stanley Baldwin, stated that "the bomber will always get through"
The British Government expected around 600,000 casualties in the first few days of any war
The lack of air defences over Britain and a shortage of air raid shelters encouraged support for appeasement
The Republicans were led by Largo Caballero
Franco was supported by the army, nobility, clergy, landowners and fascist groups like Falange
The Nationalists were led by General Franco
In July 1936, there was an attempted coup against the Republican government