Spanish Spanish Civil WarCivil War(1936-1939)

Almudena Almudena

CorralesCorrales

Social Studies

1. TWO YEARS OF REFORMS0 With the proclamation of the Republic on April

14, 1931, the Restoration period came to a close, and a short period of deep political and social changes began.

0 In the 1931 municipal elections, the Republicans won almost all provincial capitals. While the Monarchists had won overall, the Republicans considered that their victory in the capitals, less controlled by caciques, was definitive. The Monarchists themselves accepted this point of view.

0 Once the results were known, Alfonso XIII was exiled and a provisional government was formed, which proclaimed the Second Republic on April 14, 1931, in a peaceful manner.

Cacique. In the Spanish language, both in Spain and Latin America, the term has come to mean a local political boss who exercises excessive power. The derivative term "Caciquismo" has been used to describe a democratic system subverted by the power of such local bosses successfully influencing the electoral process in their favour. It has been used most notably to refer to late nineteenth century Spain and twentieth century Mexico.

0 Over the course of almost two years, Azaña’s government implemented the most important reforms of the Republic. It attempted to transform Spain into a modern, democratic, secular nation.

0 The Reforms:

0 Agrarian reform

0 Catalonian was granted autonomy

0 Military reform

0 Labour reforms

2. CONSERVATIVES AND THE POPULAR FRONT

0 From the 1933 to 1935 the Center and the Right controlled the republic; they even froze the previous reforms. The 1934 revolution increased political friction and the Popular Front gained the power.

0 It was expected that the coup of July 18, 1936 would end quickly, with a Popular Front government. That did not, however, happen; Spain instead became enveloped in a bloody civil war.

3. THE COUP D’ETAT AND THE DIVISION OF SPAIN

0 The army’s uprising in Africa moved to the Peninsula on July 18, 1936. It had been supported by the Catholic Church, part of the Army, as well as the Carlists, Royalists, Conservatives, and Falangists. The overthrow divided Spain into two regions.

0 The region dominated by the insurgents, or the Nationalists.

0 The Republicans: social revolution, people’s militias.

5. THE EVOLUTION OF THE WAR (1936-1939)

0 The conflict lasted almost three years. It was a long, hard war with three distinct phases.

0 The Campaign for Madrid0 At the begining of August, with the assistance of

the Italians and Germans, the Moroccan troops, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar to arrive at Cadiz. They moved on to Extremadura and Toledo, and stood at the gate of Madrid by the end of October.

0 The arrival of the first International Brigades and Soviet airplanes and tanks slowed the capture of the capital. Franco’s troops were defeated in the Battle of Jarama (February 1937) and Guadalajara (March 1937).

6. THE EVOLUTION OF THE WAR (1936-1939)

0 The Northern Front (April- October 1937)

0 Franco’s troops advanced to the northern front with the intention of taking the industrial zones of the Cantabrian Sea. On April 26, 1937 the German Air Force (Condor Legion) bombed Guernica. This act propelled the fall of the Basque Country into Nationalist hands. In August Santander and Asturias, fell too.

0 Republicans launched a counter-attack in Brunete (Madrid) and Belchite (Zaragoza), but were unsuccessful.

7. THE EVOLUTION OF THE WAR (1936-1939)0 The End of the War

(October 1937-April 1939)

0 Near the end of 1937, Franco sent his troops to the Eastern front: his army took Teruel. The Republican troops crossed the Ebro and attacked Franco’s army from behind. And also began the bloody Battle of the Ebro, which lasted more than three months and in which the Republican army ended practically destroyed.

0 The Nationalists advanced over Catalonia with scarcely any oposition, and took Barcelona in January 1939. In March of that year, Franco’s troops entered Madrid and the war was considered ended.

8. LIVING IN WAR

0 Hunger and repression.

0 Food seriously limited

(cartilla de racionamiento)0 Strolls (paseos): an armed party took someone

out of his home and, with the excuse of “taking him for a stroll”, distanced him from the area and shot him.

0 Refugees and Exiles.

0 Children of the War: 30,000 children left Spain, going to Mexico, France or the Soviet Union.