Reasons why the Nationalists Won - REPUBLICAN WEAKNESS

Question 1

How did the republican’s Tactics weaken them?

Answer 1

repub militias better at street-fighting than conventional warfare
BUT
repub leadership refused to change tactics - despite lack of training bc felt as the legitimate gov they could win in conventional warfare
+
didn’t want to employ guerrilla warfare as it was associated with the resistance movement

Question 2

How did the republican’s Popular Army weaken them?

Answer 2

lacked military experience compared to nationalists
+
int. brigades were committed but also lacked experience

= should have made greater use of the militias to draw opponents into more guerrilla/street-fighting to play to their strengths

Question 3

How did the republican’s Military Resources weaken them?

Answer 3

USSR supplies didn’t match quality of those supplied to nationalists by H & M

4th Oct 1936: first delivery of soviet military material arrived in Spain which did help early on to defend Madrid
BUT
reduction in soviet supplies later in the war = a key reason for N success

+ soviet firearms e.g. rifles, machine guns etc. were particularly poor
- 1/4 of rifles were obsolete weapons from 1880’s = getting appropriate ammo was difficult

BUT
tanks & aircraft were good
T-26 tanks & Polikarpov I-15 + I-16 fighters were superior to N in early months

Question 4

How did the republican’s Food Supplies weaken them?

Answer 4

N had advantage of controlling major agri area e.g. vast wheat lands of Old Castile

agri collectives exacerbated problem:
- by autumn 1936 = 2,500 collectives established run on principles of collective ownership by the peasantry
- some prepared to distribute food to anarch militia groups BUT less prepared to supply the regular army
- abolition of money to a barter economy prevailed leading to problems in negotiation w the gov

vs.

N supplies centrally controlled by the Military Defence Council - no such issues

+
repubs had issues transporting food
- Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao under N siege

= prices increased e.g. Barc on avg. prices trebled
= rationing introduced in cities
= widespread hunger - lower morale