The Spanish Civil War: From Republican Collapse to Francoist Rule
1. The Collapse of the Republicana
1.1 Spain: Dismantling the State (July-September 1936)
Unions and labor organizations, crucial to the social revolution, demanded the distribution of weapons to defend the Republic. However, Casares Quiroga, the head of government, refused, fearing the potential power shift to union leaders and workers’ parties. The Republic, lacking the strength and resources to control these groups, faced a significant challenge as many police, civil guard, and army commanders defected to the rebel side.
On July 19, a new government led by José Giral authorized the distribution of arms among the workers. This decision, coupled with the military uprising, led to the immediate dismantling of the Republican State. The Basque Country, under the PNV (Basque Nationalist Party), became an exception, establishing an autonomous government within the Spanish Republic.
Unions seized, intervened, and collectivized private and clergy property, public services, land, and industries, particularly those abandoned by their owners.
1.2 The Reorganization under Largo Caballero (September 1936-May 1937)
In September 1936, a new socialist government was formed under Largo Caballero, including Republicans, and for the first time, communists, with four ministerial positions.
The new government had two primary objectives:
- Create a unified army command.
- Restore state power by dissolving local authorities.
As Franco’s troops advanced towards Madrid, the government relocated to Valencia on November 6, 1936, leaving Madrid under the control of a Defense Board led by General Miaja.
The Events of May 1937
In Catalonia, two parallel power centers emerged since the war’s beginning:
- The Government: Chaired by Companys and comprised of Esquerra Republicana, Catalan left, communists, and anarchists.
- The Central Committee of Antifascist Militias: Controlled by anarchists of the CNT and FAI, overseeing factories, services, and armed militias.
The government’s attempts to subdue the Antifascist Militias Committee led to an uprising in May 1937 by anarchists and communists of the POUM (Workers’ Party of Marxist Unification). Mediation by CNT leaders helped quell the insurgency and end the parallel power structures.
However, Largo Caballero was forced to resign due to his refusal to outlaw the POUM, as demanded by the Communists, who accused the party of being a pro-fascist instrument within the working class.
1.3 Negrin’s Government (May 1937-March 1939)
The fall of Largo Caballero and the formation of a government by the Socialist Negrin marked a shift in political strategy, prioritizing the war effort. Negrin garnered significant support from the Communists.
The Council of Aragon, the only remaining revolutionary power outside state control, was dissolved in the summer of 1937 by the regular army dispatched by the Negrin government.
By 1938, with the Republic facing a dire military situation, two opposing stances on the war emerged:
- Negrin’s Position: Advocated for prolonging the war, hoping for a European conflict between Western democracies and fascist powers (Italy and Germany) that could potentially turn the tide.
- Republican Sectors: Favored negotiating peace and surrender, a thesis championed by Indalecio Prieto, who eventually abandoned this position in April 1938.
Negrin’s government remained in power until the war’s end, pursuing a policy of resistance and seeking an agreement with the enemy that would preserve the republic and democracy in Spain. This led to the famous Thirteen Points program, a peace offering to the Francoist side, based on the Republic’s continued existence after a democratic election process, once the armed conflict ceased.
The Casado Coup (March 1939)
Colonel Casado, head of the Central Army, precipitated the war’s end with an anti-government uprising in March 1939, aiming to negotiate peace with Franco. Negrin and PCE leaders were forced to flee, while loyalists in Madrid were executed by the rebels, marking the final surrender without resistance.
2. The Rise of the Francoist State
2.1 Political Developments on the Nationalist Side
As the coup evolved into a protracted war, a political organization became necessary. The National Defense Junta, established on July 24, 1936, in Burgos, aimed to nullify the Popular Front’s laws and lead the systematic repression of Republican supporters. This board, initially headed by General Miguel Cabanellas but controlled by Mola, saw Franco’s entry only in August.
On October 1, General Francisco Franco declared himself Generalissimo of the army and Head of State, consolidating political and administrative power with military authority.
The first law enacted established the State Technical Board, an administrative body with seven committees headquartered in Burgos. It oversaw central government decisions and reported directly to Franco’s headquarters in Salamanca.
A new legal framework began to take shape: unions were banned, political parties dissolved, strict press censorship imposed, Republican public officials dismissed, the Republican flag replaced with the pre-1931 version, and decrees of “counter-agrarian reform” enacted, returning land to owners who had it seized or spontaneously given away. This was accompanied by brutal repression, mass arrests, and summary executions.