Spanish Civil War

1. Spanish Civil War • Background • Lost Empire 19th Century • 1898 lose Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines, Cuba • Alfonso XIII (1902) • Autocrat • No reforms • Moroccan War lost 1921

2. Long term Causes of Spanish Civil War • Weakness of Government • 1871 King appoints PM supposed to represent Majority in Cortes (Parl.) • Real power is wealthy oligarchs • Conservatives v. Liberals and elections rigged • Role of the Army • Believes it is protector with right to intervene in crisis (1820, 1871, 1923) • Unpopular seen as brutal, and lost the empire • Needs reform, too big but dominated by Upper and Middle Class conservative officers

3. Long term Causes of Spanish Civil War • Role of the Church • Rich, powerful • Guaranteed role in education and parts of economy • Supports political and social/economic conservatism • Most clergy and money from aristocracy (supports them) • Resentment among poor, but popular in rural areas • Economic Causes • Agricultural economy • Not enough work, mostly seasonal • Central/South Grandees own huge latifundia • North small peasant farms can’t earn a living • Anarchists push for land reform, but Small farmers are subsidized by the Catholic Agrarian Federation and later support Franco • Civil Guard used to put down unrest

4. Long term Causes of Spanish Civil War • Economic Causes (Industry) • Need modernization and reform • Low wages, long hours, poor work and housing conditions, • Unions CNT and UGT have no power • Violent revolt seems appealing • Brief improvement in WWI then even worse in 1920’s • Regional Friction • Basques and Catalans separate languages and cultures • Industrialized Economies and separate churches • Catalan’s lose autonomy in 1920’s • Political Opposition • Liberals, Socialists (PSOE), UGT, Anarchists (CNT, FAI) can’t agree after revolt in 1931 • Socialists divided Moderates (Prieto), Radicals (Caballero)

5. Military Coup 1923 • Miguel Rivera • Suspends constitution • Martial law • Censorship • Anti-corruption • 90 Day term • Refuses to leave • Public works; 300% increase from 1923; tax the rich fails • Uses loans and inflation follows

6. Rivera Resigns 1930 • Alfonso exiled after free elections choose a republic • Provisional Government calls a general election • Socialists PSOE and left win big victory

7. Short Term Causes of the Civil War

8. Republican Government:The Left Republic Apr. 1931-Nov. 1933 • Creation of Republic itself is a cause of the War • N. Zamora is PM (Moderate republican) • Radicals: • Azana, Caballero • Prieto moderate PSOE • End Catholic Education • State doesn’t pay clergy • Women vote, Divorce legal • Azana (War Minister) massive Army cutbacks, 50% take retirement at full pay (Huge expense) • Radicalizes Army

9. Azana Takes Over (Oct. 1931) • Zamora elected president • Azana hates the Church • Religious buildings burned May 1931 • “burn all convents” • Depression makes things worse • Iron down 33%, steel 50% • Land Redistribution Plan requires compensation but gov’t has no money (Largo Caballero is Labor Minister responsible for program) • Only 7000 benefit

10. Azana Takes Over (Oct. 1931) • Create Assault Guard to make Military more left wing • Gen’l Sanjurjo revolts 1932 (Fails) • Anarchist revolt 1933 (change too slow) • Catalonia gets own parliament (angers right) • Historiography: Trad. View failure of land reform brought down Gov’t • P. Preston argues Right never gave it a chance (rights fault)

11. 1933 CEDA(Cath. Party) Formed • Gil-Robles • Allies CEDA with Radicals (centrist party) and Radical leader Lerroux becomes PM • Dismantle Azana reforms • General strike by leftists Oct. 1934 • CNT/FAI (Anarchist Union) center of strike • Revolt in Asturias (Miners) • Crushed by Franco, Azana arrested, but acquitted • Catalonian revolt crushed

12. 1933 CEDA(Cath. Party) Formed • Historiography: violent repression increases likelihood of war? • Basques swing to left • Prieto moderate, but Caballero calls for Soviet-style solution • Gil-Robles demands more authoritarian approach • Accused by left of being Spanish Nazis • Leads to cooperation on the left • Scandals force out Lerroux

13. Immediate Causes of the Civil War

14. 1935 Left Revitalized • POUM (Marxist Workers Party) formed by Nin and Maurin (Anti-Stalin) • Prieto takes over the Socialists PSOE

15. Popular Front • Azana forms PF from Catalans, PSOE, PCE (Communists), Esquerra Party and Republican Union • CNT won’t join • Catalan autonomy, amnesty, agrarian reform, no political blacklists, damages to be paid by owners(!!!) for 1934 revolt

16. National Front • CEDA, Carlists (anti: secular, political/econ reform) • Falange/Jose Rivera: oppose socialism, marxism, republic, capitalism (Model is Italy) • Falange is Sympathetic to, but not part of NF

17. Civil War Begins • Feb 1936 Election; PF 34.3%; NF33.2% • PF gets 263 of 473 seats in Cortes • CNT and Basques (strong Catholics) vote for PF • Release political prisoners, agrarian reforms, Generals transferred, Falange outlawed, Catalan autonomy

18. Popular Front Government • Wealthy flee Spain with capital • PSOE won’t join gov’t because Left Wing under Caballero opposes Prieto • Wants all liberals and non-socialists out of the government • Comintern wants a weak Bourgeois gov’t to keep POUM out

19. Azana tries to govern • Gradual reform • Catholic schools closed to prevent “arson” • PSOE rally suppressed and Prieto wounded • Tenants cant be evicted • CEDA is horrified and gives its campaign money to the army • 330 assassinated, 1500 wounded, 1 million strike and 160 Churches/convents Burned

20. Flashpoint • July 1936 Jose Castillo of Soc. Spec Police assassinated • Conservative leader Jose Sotelo killed in revenge • Sotelo had been threatened by Communist Dolores Ibarruri • NF won’t negotiate; radical Giral made PM and arms leftist militias

21. July 17 Nationalist Revolt • Generals Seize Islands and Franco flown to Morocco by MI 6 (British intelligence) • Nationalists: Clergy, Practicing Catholics (except Basques), most of Army, landowners, businessmen • Republicans: workers, peasants, intellectual MC

22. Nationalist Organization • Sanjurjo is figurehead • Mola and Franco run revolt although Franco hesitates • Moroccan Army is better so Franco gets overall command • Mola runs Peninsular Army • Civil Guard: 46,000 Join revolt, 26,000 of Assualt Guard

23. Republican Army • Left wing organizations • Some loyal generals and parts of Civil and Assault Guards, Most of Air Force and Navy, • Half of Army • Sept. 1936 Caballero becomes PM and reorganizes: Loyal Generals and Political Commissars create order • Soviet Tanks and Planes arrive • 59,000 Int’l Brigade Volunteers(always led by Communists, angers POUM and Anarchists

24. Fascist Aid • Italian and German tanks, troops aircraft, weapons • Italy: Corps of Volunteer Troops: 50,000 • German Condor Legion: 12,000

25. 1936 • 50,000 on wrong side of lines killed • Feuds resolved using war as an excuse, dig own graves • July: NF capture Ferrol naval base and fascist states offer aid • Franco troops airlifted by Germans to Spain • Sept NF closes Fr. Border cuts off North • Alcazar palace relieved and PF humiliated • Oct. Int. Bde.’s save Madrid • 2 Years of semi-seige follows • Nov. Ger.& It. Recognize Franco Regime

26. 1937 • It. And Sp. Colonial troops flood in but Madrid holds out • Feb, L of N bans foreign volunteers • Mar. Condor Legion comes anyway • Italians defeated at Guadalajara Madrid holds out • Apr = Guernica, Caballero falls, Negrin a Stalin puppet • Jul. PF offensive and also attack near Madrid • Franco counters, conquers Basques and North and Vatican recognizes regime

27. 1938 • PF takes Tereul in Jan. loses it in Feb. • Apr. Franco reaches the Sea cuts off Catalonia • PF seeks peace Franco wants unconditional surrender • PF all out effort at Ebro to reconnect territory fails • Catalonia invaded and Munich Agreement demoralizes Republicans

28. The Battle of the Ebro

29. 1939 • Catalonia falls, Barcelona falls and GB and Fr. Recognize Franco in Feb. • Madrid falls with help of Falangists inside the city • War over April 1. (Some pockets of resistance • Reprisals: 30,000 executed (some say 50-200,000, forced labor, flee, internment in Fr.

30. Social Revolution • Anarchists collectivized land, industry and created councils to administer them • Soviets and Social democrats oppose them

31. Stalin’s Role • Comintern forms Int’l Brigades • Orlov of NKVD advises PF and organizes guerilla war • Orlov ousts Caballero and gets Negrin in as PM • NKVD arrests and executes leftist opponents, POUM, CNT • 2/3 of Spanish Gold reserves sent to USSR

32. Atrocities Nationalists • At least “50,000” executed during war • Beevor: 200,000 white terror and 38,000 Red terror • Aerial Bombing • Secular teachers, attackers of the Church, civilians in captured towns and unwanted (unions and PF members)

33. Atrocities Republicans • Nobles, landowners, industrialists, Church • 7000 clerics killed and 283 Nuns • Swallow rosaries, buried alive • NKVD also kills Republicans

34. Review of Causes • Fundamental tensions • Regional Separatism • Terrorism • Secular v. Church • Republicans split, liberals, socialists, communists, anarchists • Incompetent Repub. Leaders • Manipulated by Stalin, PCE, (Gold Reserves)

35. Causes • Long term imperial decline • Landowners v. peasants • Church v. Anti-clericalsim • Conservatives v. Liberal • Urban v. rural • Army’s political interference • Trad. of political violence • Corruption/fraud by landowners and the left • Separatism/anarchism • Failure of reforms, fear of communism, Soleto murder

36. Nature of the War • Brutality • Foreign intervention • Ideological war • Air power • Armored warfare experiments • Propaganda

37. Why do Nationalists Win?

38. Republicans split • Key is Communist/socialist v. anarchist split and Caballero has to lead Coalition Government • Anarchists want revolution of the people, other groups want to wait until victory achieved • Catalonia, Aragon dominated by anarchists • Communists use terror to maintain control furthers the split • May Days revolts of 1937 one result of terror • Communists and Socialists v. anarchists and POUM • 4 days of fighting and Caballero forced out (NKVD involved) • Negrin sets up authoritarian regime, kills or imprisons opponents

39. Military Problems • Loyalists lack good leaders • No initial unified command as leftists want to use militias • Anarchists and Basques refuse central control • Experienced officers are viewed with suspicion • Critical early period militias and regions fight independently no mutual support • Only at the end of 1936 is unified Popular Army created Confusion allows Nationalists to gain a foothold in Spain and split republicans

40. Economic Problems • Anarchists seize utilities, transport, set up worker’s committees to run industry and set up collective farms • Collectives uncoordinated, inefficient and can’t supply war effort • Production in Catalonia falls by 2/3rds • Food, supply shortages and 300% inflation • Non-intervention Commission set up by Br./Fr. • No one will trade with Republic except USSR • No credit/no aid • USSR forces Repub. To pay for aid (entire gold reserve)

41. Foreign Aid • Was its role exaggerated? • Republic definitely got less aid than Nationalists • Soviet T-26 tank is better than Ger./It tanks/\, soviet aircraft better too earlt on • Rep. gets only 1000 planes, 750 tanks and some advisors • Forced to pay for it • Comintern organizes Int’l Brigades • 35,000 from Ger., It., Fr., GB., US • Vital at Madrid unimportant elsewhere, leave in 1938 when USSR cuts off aid • France Pop. Front gov’t initially sends aid but stops when Br. adopts non-intervention out of fear of Communists • Historians argue western arms embargo helps fascists and Axis Powers (Ger./It.) • Isolation helps FR. Avoid right wing backlash and prevents confrontation with the Axis

42. Nationalist Advantages

43. Political Unity • Franco unifies initially divided Nationalists in a few weeks • Rivals die, or are beaten in battle • Key is he commands Army of Africa which is much more efficient than the Peninsular Army • German aid is funneled through him • Merges Carlist monarchists and Falange (70,000 and 1 mi respectively) • New party is FET • Church also calls for crusade v. Godless Communism and atheism • Franco uses both propaganda and terror

44. Military Unity • Initially divided as well between Carlist and Falangist militias and Regular Troops • Army of Africa serves as core, and other groups assimilated and trained • Unified command under Franco and even Italians report to him • Good communications system, well trained junior officers • Franco moderate, rejects radical suggestions and takes care of his troops

45. Economic Advabtages • Business community backs NF so they can get credit and supplies • Sept. 1936 control main agri. areas • 1937 add industrial North • 700 mi in US credit

46. Foreign Aid • Hugh Thomas: SCW decided by external circumstances • Rebels get more and better quality aid • Germans airlift Franco Army, Condor Legion, Italians: 75,000 troops, overall about 1000 tanks and 1500 planes • Portuguese 20,000 troops and open borders to aid • Key benefit is modern equipment

47. Overall Foreign Aid • Main Effects: • Lengthens and intensifies the war • Spanish issues were submerged by wider ideological battles of Europe • British: • Form NIC Sept. 1936 (but Gr., It., USSR join and then ignore it) • Favors NF as Gibraltar is opened to NF and Br. and Am. Companies allowed to trade with NF (Extension of Appeasement?)

48. Overall Foreign Aid France: • French Pop. Front Gov’t fears domestic revolt if it aids Loyalists • Needs Br. aid who are more anti-republic • Restrict aid to humanitarian supplies • Forces Republic to rely on Soviets and polarizes politics of the SCW • Allow French to join Int’l Brigades • Soviet aid flows through France. USSR: • Stalin fears another Fascist State in Europe • Doesn’t want Republican victory to drive allies into anti-communist alliance with Hitler • Sends aid when Gr./It. Ignore NIC

49. Overall Foreign Aid USSR con’t: • Stalin hopes to exhaust Ger. Resources in Spain • Withdraws aid in 1938 as Republic seems to be losing and Allies focus on appeasement Germany: • Cautious but want to stop communism • Goering wants to test Luftwaffe • Key aid at key points in the war and presence deters other states from getting involved Italy: • Most assistance of any foreign power

50. Overall Foreign Aid Italy con’t: • Most assistance of any foreign power • Anti-communist, Mussolini improves position in Mediterranean • Weaken left-wing Fr. Gov’t • France would be encircled by Fascists • Cements It/Gr. Relations Portugal: • Troops, base for communications and supplies, Br. ally and deters Br. aid to Republic • 20,000 Troops and key supply line to Nationalists