Spanish Civil War: Causes and Consequences

The Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War was a social, political, and military conflict that took place in Spain between the pronouncement of July 17 and 18, 1936, and the last part of the war signed by Francisco Franco on April 1, 1939.

It is also commonly referred to as the War in Spain, a name shared with other nineteenth-century civil wars (the Carlist Wars).

The contending factions called themselves the National side (the victors, organized around the military rebels) and the Republican side (the losers, formed around the government of the Second Spanish Republic, elected by the Popular Front in February 1936). Their opponents referred to them with the adjectives fascist and red, respectively. In general, they were identified respectively with the political right and the political left, the upper classes (which in areas of small farms in Galicia, Castilla la Vieja, and Navarre had broader support) and the labor movement (very divided, which starred during the Spanish Revolution, a failed war and violent internal strife), the Catholic Church and anticlericalism (with significant exceptions, such as Basque nationalism), and Spain with different ideas and options for territorial organization, in the form of the State or its very existence.

International Context

The international context was passing through critical moments before the Second World War. While liberal democracies (Britain and France) sought to maintain a policy of nonintervention, each of the sides was clearly supported by the powers identified with fascism (Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy) and communism (Stalin’s Soviet Union).

The consequences of the Civil War marked to a great extent the subsequent history of Spain, in exceptionally dramatic and lasting ways. These included both demographic (increased mortality and declining birth rates that marked the population pyramid for generations) and material (destruction of cities, the economy, and artistic heritage), intellectual (the end of the so-called Silver Age of Spanish letters and sciences), and political (repression in the rear of both areas, maintained by the winners with varying intensity throughout the Franco regime, and the exile of the losers). These consequences were perpetuated well beyond the long war, including maintaining the exceptional geopolitics of the Franco regime until 1975.

International Dimension of the Civil War

The Civil War was played out at the international level (especially in Europe) as a struggle between fascist ideals (National camp) and Communists (Republican side). This was due in part to the Republicans seeking help from the Russians (Communists) and the National area relying on the aid of Germany and Italy (Fascists). However, Franco gradually moved away from the fascism of Hitler and Mussolini as the Second World War developed.

On behalf of the Republic also fought the International Brigades, a volunteer corps especially from Europe, who came to defend freedom and combat fascism. International labor unions and political parties also supported the Republic. In addition, it had asked for help, at the start of the war, from France, but Great Britain pressured the French not to support them. This was because in England, conservatives were interested in a strong government in Germany that could stop the possible progression of Stalin, leader of the USSR.

Despite all these supports, in September 1936, the Committee on Non-Intervention met, in which participating countries agreed not to intervene in the Civil War. Among others, Germany, Italy, and the USSR had signed this agreement. After the war, the failure of the Republican side for many meant a failure of European democracy. In 1937 the Vatican recognized Franco’s government since it positioned itself as a defense of the Church against the mistreatment suffered by Republicans.

Consequences

• Demographic: A large decrease in the population. One million people disappeared: 450,000 of them were killed during the war, and others were exiled or convicted in the subsequent repression. This increase in mortality was not offset by birth, as it remained at very low levels until the beginning of the war.
• Exile: Most of the exiles went to France where, years later, they would participate in the Second World War (either forming part of the resistance or being locked up in concentration camps). Another important group of exiles was established in South America and founded in Mexico the Republican government in exile.
• Political: After the war, all public positions contrary to the regime were replaced, from political and military positions to teachers.
• Economic: Finally, in economic terms, the situation was very sensitive during the early postwar years. This was due, first, to the break caused by war and the large decline in population (between dead and mutilated), and on the other hand, Spain suffered a trade embargo (and political) by the other countries because of their affiliation with the regimes of Hitler and Mussolini.