Section 1: Spain at the outbreak of war, July 1936

Question 1

when launching the coup d’état in July 1936, what had General Mola hoped for? But what actually happened?

Answer 1

he hoped for a rapid seizure of power and collapse of the Republican government.
-however, the military uprising failed to remove those in power and quickly developed into civil war. In some areas the Nationalists did seize control. However, the majority of major cities such as Marid and Barcelona remained under the control of the Republicans

Question 2

initially, who did it seem would emerge victorious? and why?

Answer 2

initially it seemed the Republicans would emerge victorious.
-they possessed superior manpower and controlled the majority of Spain
-however, as the civil war continued these advantages began to dissipate.

Question 3

in the early days of the war what did politicians and military leaders on both sides attempt to do?

Answer 3

in the early days of the civil war politicians and military leaders on both sides attempted to make alliances in order to strengthen their positions.
-however, Spains leaders, like Spain itself, were deeply divided

Question 4

Prior to the attempted coup, what did Gil Robles use his position in gov to prepare for? was he involved in the planning of the coup?

Answer 4

prior to the attempted coup, Gil Robles had used his position in government to prepare the military for an uprising, by beginning rearmament and by purging the army of some officers who supported the Republic.
-although Gil-Robles was not involved in the planning of the coup, he immediately gave the rebellion his full support, donating some of CEDA’s money to the rebels and instructing his followers to support the uprising in any way they could

Question 5

from the beginning of 1936, what did the Carlists establish?

Answer 5

the Carlists had established their own militia and had organised military training in Navarre, in the hope that the military would rise against the government.
-the Carlists were quick to support the rebellion

Question 6

who was the primary leader of the coup?

Answer 6

general Mola.
-he drew up the initial plan for the coup in April 1936 and sought support from senior officers in May and June

Question 7

what was Molas goal?

Answer 7

Molas goal was to establish a military dictatorship, rather than to re-establish the monarch
-he hoped that within two weeks of launching the coup he would control the whole of Spain. The new military government would enlist the support of the political groups such as CEDA and the Falange, and paramilitary groups such as the Carlists militia and the military wing of the Falange, and initiate the brutal suppression of unions and left-wing political parties.
-his final aim was to hand power to the exiled general Sanjurjo and establish a ‘directory’, a government similar to that of Primo de Rivera in the 1920s

Question 8

Was general Sanjurjo also involved in planning the revolt?

Answer 8

yes. He was technically the head of the conspiracy.
-however, as he was in exile in Portugal he was unable to remain in regular contact with his supporters and therefore left Mola in charge of the arrangements.

Question 9

Within the army, what group helped in co-ordinating what? what exactly was this group?

Answer 9

within the army, the Union Militar Espanola (UME) played a leading role in co-ordinating rebel officers in the run-up to the coup.
-the UME was a secretive organisation within the army, set up in 1933. Its members tended to by sympathetic to the right. It was not founded to organise a revolt, but its members became increasingly sympathetic to the idea of a rebellion in the spring of 1936 and worked with Mola to disseminate his plans

Question 10

who was the final leading figure in the early phase of the rebellion? was his goals similar to those of Mola and Sanjurjo? Why were Mola and Sanjurjo keen to work with the Falange?

Answer 10

it was the Falange leader Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera. Mola and Sanjurjo had very different goals to Primo de Rivera.
-while he wanted to create a fascist regime, Mola and Sanjurjo wanted a traditional military dictatorship.
- Nonetheless, Mola and Sanjurjo wanted to give the impression that they had widespread popular support and therefore were keen to work with the Falange, which was growing significantly in early 1936

Question 11

Did Primo de Rivera trust the military leaders?

Answer 11

no, but he still agreed to give them limited support in order to overthrow the left-wing republic

Question 12

Who was extremely hesitant about joining the conspiracy?

Answer 12

Franco

Question 13

Immediately after the coup what did Azana try to negotiate with Mola?

Answer 13

immediately after the coup, Azana tried to negotiate with Mola to bring the conflict to a swift end. He offered various compromises, but Mola rejected any deal.

Question 14

In the early days of the war, what was Azana’s strategy?

Answer 14

his strategy was to continue with a government led by liberal republicans rather than move to the left and appoint a socialist prime minister

Question 15

who was Spains prime minister at the time of the coup? But who quickly replaced him? and what were these 2 politicians united in?

Answer 15

Santiago Casares Quiroga.
-he was quickly replaced by Barrio.
-these two politicians were united in their determination not to arm left-wing groups, for fear that they would turn against the republic and initiate a socialist revolution.

Question 16

after a single day in office (as prime minister) what happened to Barrio and why?

Answer 16

he was ousted after a single day in office.
-this is because he attempted to open dialogue with Mola but failed and he quickly lost the support of the left, who demanded decisive action against the army rebels.

Question 17

After Barrio was ousted, who was the new prime minister? What policy did he adopt? What were the consequences of this policy?

Answer 17

-Jose Giral
-he adopted a different policy. He agreed to give government weapons to left-wing militias.
-this policy of ‘arming the people’ broadened the conflict. It also created a situation in which the government was no longer in full control of its forces, as the left-wing militias tended to follow their own initiative rather than accept orders from the government.

Question 18

Were the Nationalists a unified movement in 1936? What were the different reasons why each group was drawn to the Nationalists?

Answer 18

-no they were not.
-conservatives wanted the Nationalists to eliminate the growing threat of communism, ban trade unions and restore the authority of the army and the church.
-the Falange on the far right supported a social revolution which would end the power of the aristocracy
-the Carlists supported the return of the monarchy to Spain. By 1936 the Carlists Youth had 30,000 members and an estimated 10,000 members were armed. During the civil war between 70,000 and 100,000 Carlists joined the Nationalist army.

Question 19

what were the Republicans united in?

Answer 19

the republicans were united in their opposition to the political aims of the Nationalists.

Question 20

what were the reasons for Republican disunity?

Answer 20

-the anarchists wanted the removal of all forms of government within Spain and supported violent revolution.
-Spanish socialists and communists did not want to destroy the government in the short term.
-The Spanish Communist Party (PCE) remained loyal to the communist leadership of the USSR and Stalin. The party believed Spain was not ready for revolution and co-operated with the Republican government to fight the Nationalists
-the position of the PCE was opposed by the Workers’ Party of Marxist Unification (POUM), which identified with the Russian communist Leon Trotsky. The POUM’s leader, Andreu Nin, demanded an immediate revolution to overthrow the government of the republic before fighting the Nationalists. However, many members of the PCE viewed Nin as a traitor.
-The Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) was also divided. Some members were willing to support the republic while others were more supportive of the ideas of the POUM and Nin. The left-wing groups were often divided over how Marxist ideology should be interpreted and applied to Spain. The middle-class liberals also supported the republic but rejected revolution.

Question 21

what did the divisions make more difficult for the Republicans?

Answer 21

it made it more difficult for a clear leader of the republican movement to emerge

Question 22

after Jose Giral, who became Prime Minister in September 1936? was he able to unite the different forces?

Answer 22

Francisco Largo Caballero of the PSOE became prime minister.
-he also took over the role of war minister.
-no, he failed to unite the different forces.

Question 23

what’s the first reason why the Republicans had the advantage in the beginning? (hint: something superiority)

Answer 23

-it was the Nationalists who at first were at with the disadvantage with their forces approximately third smaller than those of the Republic.
-in addition, approximately two-thirds of the 80,000-strong militarised law enforcement agencies such as the Civil Guard and the Assault Guard sided with the republic. Even though this was partly compensated for by the 25,000-strong army of Africa siding with the Nationalists, the fact that these forces took time to reach mainland Spain heightened the initial numerical advantage of the republic.
-the republic also retained control of the majority of Spain’s small navy and air force

Question 24

what is the second reason why the Republicans were with the advantage in the beginning

Answer 24

-in terms of the economy, the republic was also in a strong position. In the early stages of the war the republic controlled five of Spains seven biggest cities and therefore the vast majority of Spains industry.
-the Republican government also had control of Spains gold reserves and therefore the gov expected to be able to trade and buy the goods it needed to keep fighting

Question 25

what is the third reason why the republicans were with the advantage in the beginning?

Answer 25

-Mola’s strategy had failed. He had planned to conquer most of Spain in 48 hours and capture the cities, where he assumed he would face stiff resistance, within two weeks. By the end of August, it was clear that Molas strategy had failed.
-indeed, the lack of a swift victory had given the republic time to organise and defend its position.
-Molas plans suffered another setback on 20 July when general Sanjurjo, the man Mola had hoped would lead the new military government, died in a plane crash on his way to join the Nationalist forces in Spain.

Question 26

what is the fourth and final reason why the republicans were advantageous in the beginning?

Answer 26

-finally, the Nationalist forces were divided. Molas led an army in the north, supported by the Carlist militia. Francos forces were in the south, initially unable to leave Morocco.

Question 27

What were the worrying signs for the republic in the beginning?

Answer 27

-first, the republics response was disorganised. With Francos forces trapped in Morocco the government could have acted quickly and defeated Mola in the north. However, the government moved slowly, seeking negotiations rather than striking at Mola when he was vulnerable.
-second, by the end of August the gov had initiated the policy of arming the people. This made the disorganisation in the republic worse. The armed left-wing militias acted independently of each other and of central control. Therefore, ‘arming the people’ did not create a unified or effective fighting force. In fact, some left-wing groups had used their weapons to terrorise the middle class or burn churches in the Republican zone. This activity diverted resources from combatting the Nationalists and alienated the middle-class supporters of the republic as well as Catholics who might otherwise have sided with the gov. Arming the people also weakened Giral’s gov, the Republican zone became chaotic and poorly co-ordinated

Question 28

when did Franco take charge of the Spanish army in Morocco? what were his forces like? However, what was the issue in the beginning?

Answer 28

on 18 July 1936
-his forces were large and well trained
-however, the issue was that they could not play a major role in the war until they left Africa and arrived in Spain.

Question 29

on the first day of sending troops from the African army, how many was Franco able to send? However, what did the Spanish navy quickly do?

Answer 29

on the first day Franco was able to arrange for 700 of his troops to get to Spain. However, the Spanish navy, which remained loyal to the republic, quickly blockaded Morocco’s ports, halting the transfer of troops.

Question 30

How did Franco respond to the naval blockade in the ports?

Answer 30

he responded by organising an airlift.
-his solution was to approach the Italian and German governments to ask for support.
Mussolini responded by sending nine bombers, while Hitler send a squadron of transport planes.
-the panes played two important roles. First the German Junkers carried around 1,500 troops to Spain in the first two weeks. Second, the Italian bombers attacked the Spanish naval blockade, so that Franco could send more troops by sea.
-In total, Franco sent almost 5,000 troops to Spain in the first 2 weeks

Question 31

What did Francos troops coming to Spain help with?

Answer 31

they helped consolidate the Nationalist hold on southern Spain. Francos forces ensured that the Republicans could not take Seville back and by early August Franco had established his base in Seville.

Question 32

By mid-August, with the help of the dictatorship in Portugal, what did Franco establish?

Answer 32

he established Nationalist control over Spains border with Portugal and sent support to the Nationalist units that were struggling to retain control of Granada.

Question 33

by 1938, what was the size of the Nationalist army?

Answer 33

-by 1938 the situation at the outset of the war had been reversed, with the Nationalist army approximately a third larger than the Republican army.
-by early 1939 the Republican army could count only 500,000 military personnel within its zones, whereas the Nationalist forces numbered 1,025,500.
-as the Nationalists gained more territory, their forces expanded

Question 34

What did both sides rely heavily on?

Answer 34

on conscription.
-the republic was forced into enlarging the age range of conscripts so that eventually Republican conscripts included men aged 17-55 years, a wider range of ages than in Nationalist Spain.

Question 35

what was the training and reception into the Nationalist army like and what did this mean?

Answer 35

the reception and training system for conscripts in the Nationalist area was more efficient, meaning there were far fewer cases of evasion, which was large scale within the republic.

Question 36

what was numerical superiority not as important as?

Answer 36

numerical superiority was perhaps not as important as the experience, skill and training of the troops.
-in this regard the Nationalists had a clear advantage from the outset.
-when the Spanish army had divided in the early days of the uprising, two-thirds of the serving officers of middling and lower rank had sided with the rebels. The problem for the republic was that although the majority of the highest-ranking officers had remained loyal, they were not as numerous, which meant that there was a lack of experienced, professional officers to command individual units of troops. This meant that low-ranking majors and captains had to be given control over larger units than their skill and experience merited.

Question 37

what also undermined the authority of many of the officers that sided with the republic?

Answer 37

mistrust undermined the authority of many of the officers who sided with the republic.
-there was a deep-seated mistrust of the professional military from Republican politicians and republican volunteers and militiamen.

Question 38

what was done by the Republicans to check the loyalty of the soldiers? Of the 7,300 professional officers in the Republican zone, how many were classified as loyal?

Answer 38

-the Republican War Ministry organised a Committee of Investigation to check the loyalty of professional officers, classifying them as Fascists, Republicans or indifferent.
-only half were classified as loyal.
-often largely unfounded political suspicions deprived the republic of capable officers whose services it so desperately needed.

Question 39

What was the Army of Africa renowned for?

Answer 39

-for its strength and brutality.

Question 40

What was the training which Nationalists provided for their conscripts and junior officers?

Answer 40

it was far superior to the training offered by the militias.

Question 41

how many military academies were there for the Nationalists?

Answer 41

-some 28 military academies in the Nationalist zones provided basic training for lower-ranking commanders.
-there was not equivalent in the Republican zones

Question 42

by who was a significant proportion of the manpower of both sides represented by? However, what was different about them?

Answer 42

-a significant proportion of the manpower of both sides, although most numerous on the Republican side, was represented by the militias
-however, the nature and organisation of these militias was quite different.

Question 43

what was the number of manpower which the militias in the Republican side represented?

Answer 43

on the Republican side the militia units at their height represented more than 150,000 of the republics manpower

Question 44

what was one problem with the Republican militias? (HINT: what they rejected)

Answer 44

-the militia units had been formed in the wake of the July 1936 uprising by various trade unions and left-wing political groups and continued to operate throughout the war. Composed of civilian volunteers, many organised according to left-wing ideas of equality and freedom of discussion.
-therefore, many rejected hierarchical organisation and formal discipline usually considered necessary in military organisations. This was especially true in the radical anarchist militias.
-This could make them difficult to command and to manage, although this did not necessarily mean they were ill-disciplined and ineffective.

Question 45

what was another problem with the republican militias? (HINT: different ideologies)

Answer 45

-another issue was the existence of a huge range of different militias, committed to different ideologies, which did not necessarily co-operate effectively with each other or with the regular Republican Popular Army.
-many militia units preferred to operate largely independently. This could undermine their military effectiveness.
-although the Republican gov attempted to co-ordinate and militarise the militias by announcing by decree on 30 September 1936 the incorporation of the militias into the regular army structure, in reality many of the militias were not effectively assimilated until much later in the war.

Question 46

which forces did the Nationalist militias include? what did these militias have in common with the Republican militias?

Answer 46

included the forces of the Carlists, known as the requetes, and the paramilitary forces of the fascists Falange.
-these militias, like those of the republic, had a strong sense of their own identities and a strong commitment to their own ideologies.
-significantly, some of the militias had goals that were at odds with the leadership of the Nationalist movement. The carlists, for example, sought the restoration of the monarchy, not the creation of a military dictatorship. However, the right-wing ideologies of these militias tended to embrace the necessity of discipline and the need to obey orders without question. Therefore, the Nationalist militias were generally more willing to accept military hierarchy.
-Additionally, as commander of the Nationalist forces, Franco quickly incorporated the militias into the military structure. From 20 December 1936 the militias were placed under the control of Franco’s military. This meant that the Nationalist militias were more easily centrally controlled than those in the Republican zones

Question 47

how many volunteers did the requetes, the Carlist militia, provide?

Answer 47

11,443 volunteers were provided for Franco’s army

Question 48

how many recruits did the Falange militia provide for Franco’s army?

Answer 48

7,000 recruits

Question 49

In Pamplona, what did the Carlists, Falange and police do?

Answer 49

they co-operated to destroy unions and other groups that supported the government

Question 50

why did the anarchists side with the republic? where was their support base mainly located? and in which areas were they especially strong?

Answer 50

-the anarchists sided with the republic to oppose the greater threat of fascism, which they believed Franco’s forces represented.
-their support base was mainly located in urban areas.
-they were especially strong in industrial areas such as the Asturias, Basque Country and Catalonia. Furthermore, anarchist support was strong in areas where anti-clericalism was widespread, such as Catalonia.

Question 51

why did the Republican gov maintain the support of the Basque Country and Catalonia?

Answer 51

because the Republican gov allowed considerable autonomy for Catalonia and the Basque Country.

Question 52

what was the majority of the land in the Nationalist zones?

Answer 52

-the majority of the land in the Nationalist zone was agricultural, producing food for Spains domestic market.

Question 53

what approach did the British adopt in relation to supporting the Republican government? What did the British pressurise the French government not to do? Why was Britain not willing to help the Republican gov?

Answer 53

-Britain adopted a cautious approach.
-the British also pressurised the French gov not to become heavily involved in the civil war.
-the British government was concerned that its involvement in Spanish affairs would result in a wider European war. There were also deep-rooted ideological reasons. Anti-republican sentiment was strong in the British cabinet where the worst excesses of the left in Spain raised the spectre of the spread of communism. There was also British economic interests in Spain, accounting for 13.3 percent of Britain’s European investments, and it was felt these would be endangered by the rise of a revolutionary socialist regime where their assets might be seized for the people.

Question 54

in 1936, who did president Azana seek help from?

Answer 54

-he sought help from the left-wing Popular Front in France, headed by the socialist Leon Blum.
-Blum had initially been in favour of the idea, agreeing on 20 July 1936 to send a shipment of armaments. However, Blum changed his mind and on 9 August 1936 the French gov prohibited the exportation of munitions to Spain.

Question 55

France was not willing to support the Republicans unless what?

Answer 55

unless Britain was also prepared to intervene.

Question 56

What did Britain and France fear about the direct involvement in the Spanish civil war?

Answer 56

-in the 1930s Britain and France were following a policy of appeasement to try to prevent war with Germany, which meant negotiating with Hitler and submitting to some of his demands.
-Britain and France feared that direct involvement in the Spanish civil war would endanger the policy of appeasement and lead to war with Germany.

Question 57

what scheme did the French gov propose?

Answer 57

-the French government, anxious to assist the Spanish republic but unwilling to intervene directly, proposed a scheme which it hoped might help indirectly. This was an agreement of non-intervention to be signed by all the major European powers. France, Britain, and 27 other countries, including Russia, Germany and Italy, singed the non-intervention pact.

Question 58

what did the French hope about the non-intervention pact? However, in practice, who did the non-intervention pact actually favour?

Answer 58

they hoped that Germany and Italy would honour it and refuse to supply the Nationalists with assistance. In 1936, the republic had both territorial and industrial advantages. Therefore, the French hoped the non-intervention pact would be enough to promote a Republic victory.
-however, in practice, the non-intervention pact actually favoured the Nationalists. Britain and France honoured the pact and sent no military aid to either side of the conflict. Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, by contrast, ignored the treaty and continued to send aid to Franco and the Nationalists. The USSR sent some aid to the republic, but Stalin demanded a high price.

Question 59

in the quest for international assistance, who did the Nationalists turn to?

Answer 59

they turned to the major fascist powers of Italy and Germany.

Question 60

by July 1936 what had Franco purchased from Germany?

Answer 60

• 6,000 rifles
• 450 machine guns
• 5 million bullets
• 10,000 grenades

Question 61

What military aid did Hitler provide the Nationalists with, apart from the artillery?

Answer 61

• In September 1936 Hitler sent Lieutenant colonel Warlimont to act as a leading military advisor to general Franco.
  -Two months later he also authorised the establishment of the Condor Legion of fighter planes and bombers to support the Nationalists

Question 62

What did Mussolini supply the Nationalists with?

Answer 62

-Mussolini supplied large numbers of Italian soldiers to help fight the Republican forces.
-Italy sent more than 50,000 men to support the Nationalist forces, while Germany sent approximately 10,000 men.

Question 63

In the first three months of the civil war, what did Mussolini provide to the Nationalists?

Answer 63

• 130 aircrafts
• 2,500 tonnes of bombs
• 500 artillery pieces
• 700 mortars
• 12,000 machine guns

Question 64

what did the Soviet Union send the Republican government?

Answer 64

• In October 1936 Stalin sent 500 tonnes of military hardware, 1,000 tonnes of ammunition and 500 engineers, which helped the Republican defence against the Nationalists’ attempt to take Madrid
  -the Russians continued to send tanks and aircraft to help support the Spanish Republicans until 1939, but the provision of Russian supplies diminished later in the war as Stalin wanted to avoid becoming involved in a wider European conflict

Question 65

who were the International Brigade? how many people joined?

Answer 65

they were volunteers who travelled to Spain to support the Republican forces.
-they were organised by the Comintern in 1936.
-approximately 35,000 people joined the International Brigade, including 9,000 volunteers from France, 2,800 from the USA and 2,000 from Britain

Question 66

what were the reasons the volunteers of the International Brigade supported the republic?

Answer 66

-many of the volunteers supported the republic for political reasons, as they wanted to stop the spread of fascism.
-the driving force behind British volunteers was support for communism. Nat Cohen and Sam Masters were the first two British volunteers to aid the Republicans and both were communists.
-Members of the IB crossed the French/Spanish border on what was known as the ‘secret railway’.

Question 67

who organised the first unit of the International Brigades?

Answer 67

Joseph Broz from an office in Paris.
-he sent 500 volunteers to Albacete via the ‘secret railway’ on Train 77.
-volunteers found other ways to cross into Spain over the Pyrenees that did not involve the use of trains