The Spanish Civil War

In the 1930’s the world faced a world wide great depression…

There was poverty and unrest There was poverty and unrest. Many felt that a “communist” government might hold answers to relieve the misery…

Others turn to fascist dictators.

Both Communist governments and Fascist governments practiced TOTALITARIANISM.

Totalitarianism means: Total control. Control over people’s lives Control over what they read Control over where they work Control over political process Control over businesses.

In Germany and Italy, people gave up their personal freedoms for the economic prosperity and national glory that Hitler and Mussolini offered them.

In Russia, Stalin was forcing the Communist system on the people In Russia, Stalin was forcing the Communist system on the people. When the farmers of the Ukraine rebelled, he starved them to death.

The Ukrainian famine cost millions of lives.

Other countries were affected by the unrest…in the United States, thousands joined the communist party.

In Spain, the government would face a test when force on the “right” who were anti-communist, would face those on the “left.”

This clash became a civil war, which cost Spain billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives.

The war should have ended early on…but outside “dictators” sent support. Who were those dictators?

Yes. Hitler and Mussolini supported the right, and Stalin supported the left.

For these dictators, it was an opportunity to “test” their weapons, including tanks and planes, and see how they worked.

Many other nations wanted to fight for the two sides—some Americans included--but all came unofficially to support the side that they believed was right.

The side on the right were called NATIONALISTS and the side on the left were called REPUBLICANS

Those who were on the left were also against the power of the Catholic church. As a result, thousands of nuns and priests were slaughtered.

Hitler sent his famous “Condor Legion Hitler sent his famous “Condor Legion.” This was a group of skilled pilots with new planes that were skilled at dive bombing..

They bombed the city of Guernica and slaughtered the inhabitants They bombed the city of Guernica and slaughtered the inhabitants. Women and children were killed….

A group of women and children A group of women and children. They were lifted high into the air, maybe 20 feet or so, and they started to break up. Legs, arms, heads, and bits and pieces flying everywhere.

Pablo Picasso, a Spanish painter, chose to use this bombing of the town as the theme for a very large painting.

The painting is almost the size of one wall of your classroom The painting is almost the size of one wall of your classroom. It is done in black, grey, and white.

The Spanish Civil War ended when the National troops won The Spanish Civil War ended when the National troops won. Hitler and Mussolini began to work closer together as dictators.

Mussolini “allowed” Hitler to move into Austria…

Two years later, World War II began when Hitler attacked Poland.

But Spain did not join with Hitler’s Germany, even though Hitler had helped the national troops in their Spanish Civil War.

The leader of Spain, Francisco Franco, insisted that Spain remain independent and neutral…

So Spain did not go through the devastation of World War II—Franco died in 1975.