Spanish Civil War: From the Second Republic to Franco’s Victory
**The Second Spanish Republic: Revolution of 1934**
The measures taken by the government generated great indignation on the left, which convened numerous protests and strikes. Their positions radicalized with the entry into the government of three CEDA ministers. This was construed by the left as the surrender of the Republic to those who wanted to destroy it. A general revolutionary strike was called. The revolutionary movement was defeated everywhere except in Asturias, where a working alliance of the UGT and CNT abolished private property rights and implanted communism. The government, fearing the revolution, appealed to the Army of Africa. In Asturias, African troops under the command of General Franco crushed the revolution, and a cruel repression was unleashed against the workers. In 1935, the right hardened its policy. Gil Robles named major military objectors to anti-republican positions (Fanjul, Franco, Goded) and announced a project to change the constitution. The left initiated a process to recover the essence of the Republic around the figure of Azaña.
**1936 Elections and the Popular Front**
Cases of corruption and scandal affected the Radical Party, which forced Alcalá Zamora to call new elections. The left presented a united front with a program of amnesty, recovery of reforms, and the Generalitat. The right-wing parties presented themselves disunited. With high participation (72%), the Popular Front won. A government composed only of Republicans was formed, chaired by Casares Quiroga. Azaña was elected President of the Republic. After the amnesty, land reform was accelerated, the Statute of Catalonia was restored, and the process for the Basque and Galician Statutes was initiated. Spain lived in an atmosphere of confrontation and violence between the left and right. The left pressured the government, triggering a wave of strikes and land occupations. The right soon began to conspire to regain power through a coup led by Mola. There were numerous attacks carried out by right-wing and left-wing gunmen. The murder of the far-right leader in Parliament, José Calvo Sotelo, was the pretext used by the military conspirators to trigger the coup starting on July 17.
**The Spanish Civil War: The Military Uprising**
Preparation of the coup: The groundwork for the coup was laid by a large sector of the army that wanted to end the government of the Popular Front, which they considered contrary to the principles they defended. The leaders of the conspiracy were Queipo de Llano, Goded, Fanjul, Franco, and Mola. The political forces supporting it were the Carlists, monarchists, and Falangists. The pretext was the murder of Calvo Sotelo.
**The Military Coup of July 17-18**
The military rebellion began on July 17 in the Protectorate of Morocco and extended to the Canary Islands on the 18th with Franco. In Navarre, General Mola, and in Seville, Queipo de Llano, led the uprising.
**Results**
The military had control of the most professional and effective troops. The coup failed in large cities (Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia) and in the most populated and industrial areas because of popular resistance from political parties and unions. A significant part of the army officers and the Civil Guard remained loyal to the Republic. The failure of a quick military coup across the peninsula transformed the insurrection into a terrible civil war.
**Military Development of the Civil War**
**The Battle for Madrid**
The attack on the north led by Mola was stopped in Somosierra and Guadarrama. In the south, the rebels led by Franco reached the gates of Madrid in November, in Leganés, but the offensive failed and progress was halted at the Ciudad Universitaria, thanks to the action of the International Brigades and the Durruti Column.
**The Northern Campaign**
Led by Mola and with the help of German aviation, it allowed the subsequent control of the Basque Country, Santander, and Asturias.
**The Republican Collapse**
The advance from Teruel to the Mediterranean achieved the isolation of Catalonia. The failure of the Republican counteroffensive in the Battle of the Ebro allowed the advance of the Nationalists into Catalonia. Attempts by Republicans to achieve an agreed surrender were rejected by Franco. On April 1, 1939, the unconditional surrender of the Republicans and the end of the war occurred.