Figure 1.--Here we see a Spanish boy in a military uniform and a Mauser M-1893 rifle and bayonet. The portrait unfortunately is undated. We suspect the boy is a cadet in a military school. When the Civil War broke out, most of the Army sided with Franci's Rebel Nationalits.

Most of the Spanish army went over to Franco and the other right-wing officers. It should not be thought, however, that the Bationalists were just composed of a right-wing reactionary military supported by landowners and a reactionary Catholic Church. This is the image of the Civil War promoted by obsevers with Republican sympathies who tried to depict the Civil War as the the first real attempt to stop Fascism. In fact there is considerable doubt if Franco can be called a Fascist, although Spanish Fascists supported him and there were certainly trappings of Fascism adopted by the regime. Franso was certrainly conservative, even reactionary, but Fascist is a much more difficult case to make. Notably Franco never joined the Axis in World War II or allowed the Germans to enter Spain to attack Gibraltar. Nor did Franco turn over Jews to the NAZIs. Hitler after a notable 1940 meeting with Franco comment that he would have preferred to have a tooth pulled. The Spanish Civil War was much more complicated than the simplistic view of a struggle with Fascism. Many Spaniards joined the Nationalists because they felt the Catholic Church was theatened and believe the Republic was being taken over by Communists. Here there is considerable reason to think that their fears werte not groundless. Certainly as the War progressed, the Communists became increasngly important within the Republican forces. The attrocities committed by the Nationalists and their German and Italian allies are better publicized, but there many attrocities committed by Republican forces as well, including killing priests and nuns and destroying churches. The Republic after much of the Army went over to Franco had to build a popular army as best it could with civilian volunteers and militarized militia forces. Workers from the major cities became a mainstay of Republican forces.

Nationalist Rebels

Most of the Spanish army went over to Franco and the other right-wing officers. It should not be thought, however, that the Bationalists were just composed of a right-wing reactionary military supported by landowners and a reactionary Catholic Church. This is the image of the Civil War promoted by obsevers with Republican sympathies who tried to depict the Civil War as the the first real attempt to stop Fascism. In fact there is considerable doubt if Franco can be called a Fascist, although Spanish Fascists supported him and there were certainly trappings of Fascism adopted by the regime. Franso was certrainly conservative, even reactionary, but Fascist is a much more difficult case to make. Notably Franco never joined the Axis in World War II or allowed the Germans to enter Spain to attack Gibraltar. Nor did Franco turn over Jews to the NAZIs. Hitler after a notable 1940 meeting with Franco comment that he would have preferred to have a tooth pulled. The Spanish Civil War was much more complicated than the simplistic view of a struggle with Fascism. Many Spaniards joined the Nationalists because they felt the Catholic Church was theatened and believe the Republic was being taken over by Communists. Here there is considerable reason to think that their fears were not groundless. Certainly as the War progressed, the Communists became increasngly important within the Republican forces. The attrocities committed by the Nationalists and their German and Italian allies are better publicized, but there many atrocities committed by Republican forces as well, including killing priests and nuns and destroying churches.

Republican Loyalists

The Republican faction (Bando republicano) more commonly known the Loyalists (Bando leal / gubernamental) supported the established government of the Second Spanish Republic. The Spanish goivernment moved to ghe left with the electoral victory of the Popular Front (liberals, socislists, and communists) in the 1936 klction. The name Republicans (republicanos), was mainly used by the goivernment supporters. Histoirians today tend to use the term Loyalists. The REpublican opponents used the derogatory term Rojos (Reds) to refer to them. The Republic after much of the Army went over to Franco had to build a popular army as best it could with civilian volunteers and militarized militia forces. Workers from the major cities orgnized into militia groups became a mainstay of the Republic's forces. The Republic was also supported by Basque and Catalan nationalists. The Republican government in Vitoria began a reorganization process of the fragmented Army (October 1936). The reorganized army became the People's Republican Army (Ejército Popular de la República -- EPR). It was mde up of the Spanish Republican Army units that remained loyal to the Republic and militia members who were integrated into the new military structure. Unions played a major role in organing militias. They collaborated with other republican groups opposed to the Nationalists. The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) after periods of clandestine operation and legalization was finally legalized (1936). THey were afilited with the Federación Anarquista Ibérica (Iberian Anarchist Federation -- FAI). Members of the CNT would form part of the Republicn Government, holding ministrial posts and other high positions within the administration. The Unión General de Trabajadores (General Union of Workers -- UGT) ws the major Spanish trade union association, y affiliated with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). The militias they fornmed oulkd be the mainstay of the Reoublican fiorces.

Foreign Participation

Both the Nationalists anf Loyalists obrained foreign support. International Brigades, multinational groups of volunteers (many were Communists), came to the support of the Republic. They were mostly organized in France, and crossed the birder to join the Loyalist forces. Although thu achieved considerable publicity, they were a relatively small group. The Demoocracies (America, Britain, and France refused to intervene to support the Republic. American aid was probiited by the newly enacted Neutrality Laws. These were the same laws that prevented aid to the Allies at the subsequent onset of World War II. The Soviet Union, however, provided substantial militry support. Great Britain and France, anxious to prevent a general European conflagration, proposed a nonintervention pact, which was signed by 27 countries (August 1936). The sinatories included Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union, all three of hich failed to abide by their commitment. The Republic became dependent on the Soviet Union for militry aid, a factor in the left-wing shift. The democracies were sympathetic to the plight of the Reoublic, but the lefitist drift prevented any hope of aid. Germany and Italy, in the process of forming the Axis, provided the most important foreign involvemnent. Hitler leat at the opportunity to intervene when first appraised of the Army revolt. Italy and Germany aided Franco with an planes, tanks, and other military matériel. Unlike the Repoublkic, there was no shortage of supplies as tge war raged on. Germany sent some 10,000 aviators and technicians. The planes and aviators formned the Condor Bataliom. Italy sent large numbers of 'volunteers', estimates suggest about 70,000 men.

Created: 3:08 AM 2/9/2007
Last updated: 10:16 PM 11/17/2018