From 1936 to 1939, two opposing groups of citizens waged a bitter fight for control of Spain. The Spanish Civil War has been seen as a dress rehearsal for World War II, which began in 1939. The two conflicts involved the same participants as well as some of the same issues. The Nationalists in Spain were helped by Italy and Germany. On the other side were the Republicans. They were helped by the Soviet Union as well as individuals from many countries, including the United States and Great Britain. After much bloodshed the Nationalists took control of Spain. Their leader, General Francisco Franco, ruled as dictator until his death in 1975.

Background

In the decades after World War I, politics in Spain became deeply divided. There were factions, or groups, who each had their own interests in mind. On one side was the ruling class made up of wealthy landowners, business people, military leaders, and conservative Catholics. On the other side were those who wanted social change, such as farm and factory workers, educated members of the middle class, socialists, and communists.

In 1923 the military leader Miguel Primo de Rivera led a coup, or takeover, of the government. At first he was backed by Spain's ruling class, including the king. But he lost support for his government, and by 1930, he gave up power. King Alfonso XIII allowed elections to be held in 1931. When the people voted to set up a republic, the king fled the country and the Second Republic was set up.

The people soon became dissatisfied with the Second Republic, however. In 1934 there were widespread worker strikes, fighting in the major cities of Madrid and Barcelona, and a bloody uprising by miners. Assassinations (the killing of leaders for political reasons), arson fires, and other acts of violence were common. On February 16, 1936, elections were held to choose a new government. The factions that were pressing for reforms banded together as the Popular Front. With support from the working class, the Popular Front won the vote. Supporters began taking apart “old” Spain. Churches were destroyed, buildings were draped with red flags (symbols of a workers' revolution), and farms and businesses that were once privately owned were brought under collective ownership.

But the ruling class, which included key military leaders and other conservatives, was not willing to give up control of Spain. On July 17 they launched a military uprising. The rebel forces, called Nationalists, took control of Spanish Morocco, Spanish islands in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and the city of Seville in southern Spain. With the country divided, war could not be avoided.

The war

General Franco, one of the leaders of the military uprising, took control of the Nationalists. With Spain's army on their side, they were well armed and well trained. Republicans, or those who supported the Popular Front, were forced to rely mostly on untrained volunteers and a small supply of weapons. Both sides were helped by other countries. Franco won the support of Italy's fascist regime and Nazi Germany, which sent troops and large supplies of weapons. The other side received funding and weapons from the Soviet Union, which supported the communists and the Republican force.

The Republican fight was viewed by many around the world as a fight against authoritarianism. In other words, it was a struggle against those who would require strict obedience to authority. Liberal-minded men and women from other countries were drawn to the Republican cause. The International Brigade was made up of 40,000 foreigners, including nearly 3,000 Americans who volunteered to fight against Franco's Nationalists. But it was a losing battle.

The Nationalists steadily won territory in the north and south. In the spring of 1938, they moved east toward the Mediterranean coast. Their last offensive began on December 23, 1938. The next month they took Barcelona, a major city on the coast. Meanwhile the Republican cause broke apart. The different groups that had banded together now disagreed with each other. Many were put off by the harsh actions of the communists.

On March 28, 1939, the Nationalists, 200,000 strong, marched unopposed into Madrid. The next day the Republicans surrendered everywhere. General Franco took control of Spain.

Impact

In nearly three years of ruthless fighting, hundreds of thousands died. Estimates place the number between 500,000 and 600,000, which does not include those who died from malnutrition or starvation. The world was shocked by the brutality of the conflict. The Spanish Civil War had just ended when World War II began. Franco kept Spain out of the widespread conflict and distanced himself from his former allies, Germany and Italy. He ruled Spain as a dictator for 36 years.