The Spanish civil war of 1936-39, was a military revolt, supported by the conservative elements in the country against the elected republican government. The failure of the initial military coup ensued a bloody civil war. Though an internal issue of Spain, the civil war was looked upon by major powers of the time through their lenses and treated this as a dress rehearsal for the second world war.

Spanish Civil War And Its Causes

The great depression acted as a precursor for the civil war, it ruined Spain’s economy. Created huge unemployment and resentment against the rule of General Rivera who came to power with the support of the army. With depression destroying the economy of Spain, the army withdrew support to Rivera, and the new Spanish republic was proclaimed which faced serious issues from its conception that led to the civil war.

1. Catalonia and Basque provinces asserted their right to separate, the Catholic church was bitterly opposed to the republic and wanted the return of the king, Economic crisis ruined Spain’s wine and olive export markets, Unemployment rose and there was general apathy towards the new rulers.
2. The civil war is also the outcome of polarization of Spanish life and politics that had developed over previous decades. On one hand nationalists -as rebels were called- were mostly Roman Catholics, important elements of the military, most landowners, and many businessmen. On the other side, the Republicans, were urban workers, most agricultural labourers, and many of the educated middle class.
3. A succession of governmental crises culminated in the elections of February 16, 1936, which brought to power a Popular Front government supported by most of the parties of the left and opposed by the parties of the right and what remained of the centre.
4. On July 18, 1936, the Spanish Civil War began as a revolt by right-wing Spanish military officers in Spanish Morocco and spread to mainland Spain. From the Canary Islands, General Francisco Franco broadcasts a message calling for all army officers to join the uprising and overthrow Spain’s leftist Republican government.
5. The Nationalists and Republicans proceeded to organize their respective territories and to repress opposition or suspected opposition. Republican violence occurred primarily during the early stages of the war before the rule of law was restored, but the Nationalist violence was part of a conscious policy of terror.
6. The captaincy of the Nationalists was gradually assumed by General Franco, leading forces he had brought from Morocco. On October 1, 1936, he was named head of state and set up a government in Burgos.

Threat Of Fascist Aggression During Civil War Period

The Spanish civil war also coincided with the period where the majority of Europe was under threat from aggressive military policies and fascist policies from Hitler and Mussolini and Asia was under threat from expansionist Japan. The events that took place during this period made it apparent that the world is heading towards another war.

1. On one hand, this is the time where Mussolini is making aggressive moves like his invasion of Abyssinia, the last remaining independent state of Africa.
2. Economic suffering of Italy due to the great depression also prompted Mussolini to divert people’s attention from domestic issues. A war victory would achieve that and also provide export markets for Italy.
3. Another alarming event of this period was the joining of hands between Hitler and Mussolini. Mussolini, irked by sanction imposed by the League of Nations over the invasion of Abyssinia, came close to Hitler and under his influence became more aggressive.
4. Hitler’s rise is another major concern for world powers. Not prepared for the war France and Britain started appeasing Hitler while he went on to blatantly violate clause after clause of Versailles treaty.
5. Hitler began massive rearmament and development of the German military, recovered Saar territory and polish border, broke the Versailles treaty and introduced conscription, remilitarized Rhineland, and made a pact with Mussolini.

Spanish Civil War A Dress Rehearsal For World War

The blatant violation of the Versailles treaty and aggressive warlike postures of Hitler and Mussolini alarmed the world. It was in this backdrop the Spanish civil war started. The internal affair of Spain soon saw the involvement of all major powers of the world and thus served as a dress rehearsal of war that was sure to come.

1. Both the Nationalist and Republican sides, seeing themselves as too weak to win a quick victory, turned abroad for help. Germany and Italy sent troops, tanks, and planes to aid the Nationalists.
2. The Soviet Union contributed equipment and supplies to the Republicans, who also received help from the Mexican government. During the first weeks of the war, the Popular Front government of France also supported the Republicans, but internal opposition forced a change of policy.
3. In August 1936, though France, Britain, USSR, Germany and Italy signed a nonaggression pact, it was largely ignored by Germany, Italy and Soviets.
4. About 40,000 foreigners fought on the Republican side in the International Brigades largely under the command of the Comintern, and 20,000 others served in medical or auxiliary units. In addition to soviet troops, thousands of communists and other radicals from France, the USSR, America, and elsewhere formed the International Brigades to aid the Republican cause.
5. Many countries saw the civil war as an international conflict between either tyranny and democracy, fascism and freedom or communism and civilization depending on their point of view.
6. For Germany and Italy, Spain was a testing ground for new methods of the tank and air warfare. For Britain and France, the conflict represented a new threat to the international equilibrium that they were struggling to preserve.

Though all major powers of Europe participated in the civil war, Britain and France once again failed the world by not taking strict action against Hitler and Germany. Some British officials preferred a fascist -leaning Nationalist regime to a leftist one. Britain and France imposed an arms embargo on both sides, but with the Nationalists receiving German and Italian weapons, the freeze only hurt the Republicans. Spanish civil war served as proving ground to Hitler’s and the Soviet’s army. The civil war itself ended in 1939, when Republicans finally surrendered Madrid, bringing the Spanish Civil War to an end. Franco assumed power as dictator of Spain and ruled till 1975.