Military Forces in Spain, Civil War Start (1936)

Military Forces in the Spanish Civil War (July 1936)

This bar graph compares the military workforce available to the two warring sides, Republicans and Rebels, at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War (July 1936). The horizontal axis classifies fighters into different categories: officers, soldiers, the Army in Africa, and militia, including the total sum. Each category shows a column for forces loyal to the Republic and forces loyal to the Rebels, with absolute numbers provided. The vertical axis represents the strength at intervals of 20,000.

Key Data from the Graph

• Officers: 58% joined the uprising.
• Soldiers: An almost perfect balance, with 49.6% loyal to the Republic and 50.4% to the Rebels.
• Militias: A slight balance in favor of the Republic (53%).
• Army in Africa: 100% sided with the Rebels, significantly impacting the overall balance.

Although there’s an apparent balance of power, key differences existed.

Interpretation of the Graph

The Army was split almost in half. While the main leaders of the uprising were generals, 42% of officers remained loyal to the Republic. However, this number can be misleading, as the People’s Army did not utilize all of them due to distrust. Younger officers predominantly supported the uprising. The presence or absence of professional officers greatly affected the effectiveness of other military forces.

Among the troops, a great balance is evident. However, their actions were generally conditioned by the stance taken by the commanders of their respective units. Sometimes, particularly in the navy, troops managed to subdue their rebellious commanders. Still, Republican ships were often ineffective due to the lack of professional leadership. In an attempt to free soldiers from obeying their superiors, José Giral’s government decreed the dissolution of the regular army.

The colonial Army in Africa almost unanimously joined the revolt. The few commanders who tried to oppose them were immediately shot by the rebels. This army was more experienced in combat and better equipped. Franco was placed at its head, and after crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, he led a relentless advance toward Madrid. The support of the “Africanists” for the insurgency is mainly explained by their rejection of Manuel Azaña’s Military Reform Act.

The Role of Militias

After the uprising, Casares Quiroga was replaced by José Giral, who, besides dissolving the regular army, distributed arms among parties and unions willing to defend the Republic. Thus, militias were formed by labor organizations (socialists, anarchists, communists) and nationalist and republican groups. However, their performance was guided by their political leadership, initially lacking effective coordination. In contrast, the Falange and Carlist militias were militarized from the beginning, operating under military discipline.

Conclusion

Despite the apparent equilibrium of forces, the Rebels’ greater number of officers, the involvement of the Army in Africa, and the militarization of their militias gave them the initiative throughout the war. The graph does not reflect the international troops that supported both sides from 1936 onwards.