The Spanish Civil War

In the 1930’s the world faced a world wide great depression (including Spain)

In 1931, king Alfonso Xiii abdicates the Spanish throne and goes into exile as a result of building political pressure

Spain is declared a republic. Democracy is implemented Spain is declared a republic! Democracy is implemented. However, troubles persist…

“Spain has ceased to be Catholic.” - Manuel Azana, Prime Minister Article 3- No state language Article 26- Churches and clergy members have no special treatment, and are now separate from the state Article 43- Marriage is secular

Failure of the Government to Protect and Serve With in three years (1933-1936), 50,000 Spaniards are killed 6,832 clergy members are targeted and murdered. Churches are burned and ransacked. The Army is restructured to cut cost As violence soars, the Left Coalition fails to stop the violence. At times the support it Others ignore it completely

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 ideology

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

WHO ARE THE REPUBLICANS? Urban workers, most landless peasants, much of the educated middle class, all the left-wing political groups and socialist and anarchist Trade Unions They were particularly strong in industrial regions such as Asturias and Cataluña.

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

WHO were the nationalists? The majority of Catholic clergy and practicing Catholics, most of the large landowners, many businessmen, monarchists, and fascists Many members of the army were on the side of the nationalists.

The Nationalists were initially led by general Jose Sanjurjo In 1936 he is killed in a plane crash The weight of his luggage crashed the plane. Oops

DEVELOPMENT OF THE WAR On 19th July, 1936, General Francisco Franco assumed command of the Nationalist forces. In 1936, October, Franco was named Generalísimo de los Ejércitos and Head of the State of the National area.

General Sanjurjo is replaced by Francisco Franco Franco aligns himself with fascist ideology. Civil war will now break out in spain! The war lasts from 1936-1939

MADRID The main aim of the rebels was to occupy Madrid. But the defense of the city was fierce; some Anarchist Brigades from Cataluña and the first volunteers of the International Brigades took part in it. The Republican government was forced to leave Madrid to get out of the combat zone.

MADRID Having failed to take the capital, Franco bombarded it from the air.

INTERNAL PROBLEMS IN THE REPUBLICAN SIDE In the anarchist- controlled areas, Aragon and Catalonia, workers and peasants collectivized land and industry, and set up councils parallel to the Republican government. This revolution was opposed by both the Soviet-supported communists, and Social Democratic Republicans.

INTERNAL PROBLEMS IN THE REPUBLICAN SIDE As the war progressed, Anarchists and the POUM (Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista) were integrated with the regular army, but in May 1937 anarchists and communists engaged each other in violent street battles in the city of Barcelona.

FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT Germany and Italy helped the Nationalists. The democratic countries decided not to get involved (Non Intervention) The soviet unión “supported” the left

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

The war should have ended early on…but then the fascist countries sent support. JJ note: Francisco Franco fangirls over Hitler in a number of different images. Here’s one:

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

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 images are startling The images are startling. Picasso tried to be secretive about the painting’s meaning…but we have clues about why he included certain drawings. Guernica took months to paint. It was displayed in Paris. Let’s take a look at some of the symbolism…

The Bull in the painting is a symbol of Spain The Bull in the painting is a symbol of Spain. The bull “observes” the destruction in front of him.

The fallen warrior is from the legend of Parsifal—whose sword breaks in half at the crucial moment of battle.

The fallen warrior is also laid out in a crucifix position…

The slashes on the horse are representative of newsprint—the newspaper that lists those who have died.

The light in the middle of the painting may mean he’s shining a light on the violence…

There are terrible images—a woman holding a dead child.

A person burning in a fire…

Guernica has come to be one of the most famous paintings of the modern age

END OF THE WAR At the end of March, 1939, the Nationalists entered Madrid. The war was finished.

Nationalists took control of Spain

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. Franco, insisted that Spain remain independent and neutral…

CONSEQUENCES of Franco’s rule Evacuation of children to Mexico, Britain, Belgium, the Soviet Union and other European countries. Many of those in the Soviet Union, from Communist families, remained there and experienced the Second World War

CONSEQUENCES Atrocities were committed on both sides during the war. The terror was used against civilians. In the case of the Nationalist side, these atrocities were ordered by fascist authorities in order to eradicate any trace of leftism in Spain.The most famous victim was the poet and dramatist Federico García Lorca.

Atrocities on the Republican side were committed by groups of radical leftists (not by the government) against the rebel supporters, including the nobility, former landowners, rich farmers, industrialists and the Church CONSEQUENCES

CONSEQUENCES After the end of the War, there were brutal reprisals against Franco's leftist former enemies. Thousands of Republicans were imprisoned and executed. Many other Republicans fled abroad, especially to France and Mexico.

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

During the Franco Regime, Guernica had been sent to New York During the Franco Regime, Guernica had been sent to New York. Picasso said it should only return to Spain when Franco died. When Franco died, the canvas was rolled up and sent back to Spain.

The image is still used today to protest war and the destruction that war brings…