Section 2: The course of the war

Question 1

in which part of Spain were the Nationalists more successful in?

Answer 1

they were more successful in northern Spain

Question 2

in what year did the Nationalists make significant gains?

Answer 2

they made significant gains in 1937

Question 3

by what year had both Barcelona and Madrid fallen to Nationalist forces?

Answer 3

by 1939

Question 4

for much of the first year of the war what was the strategic priority for the Nationalists?

Answer 4

it was to gain the capital city, Madrid.

Question 5

Explain the Nationalist advance towards Madrid in August-October 1936

Answer 5

-the Army of Africa marched north from its base in Seville, advancing rapidly through Extremadura. Their progress was aided by their foreign allies, who provided air cover for Nationalist battalions.

Question 6

when the Nationalists were advancing to Madrid in 1936, from Seville, how many km did they cover in their first week?

Answer 6

they covered 320km in their first week, before reaching an area held by the Republicans

Question 7

on the Nationalists advance to Madrid in 1936, what cities did the Army of Africa succeed in taking?

Answer 7

• the Army of Africa succeeded in taking the two key Republican cities, Merida and Badajoz, by 15 August 1936.

Question 8

during the Massacre of Badajoz in 1936 how many people were shot?

Answer 8

2,000 people were shot on general Yague’s orders, even after the town had been subdued.

Question 9

were the Nationalist forces delayed by Republican resistance on their advance to Madrid 1936?

Answer 9

-Nationalist forces were delayed very little by Republican resistance on the rest of their advance to Madrid.
-the majority of Republican fighters in the region were militiamen who were inexperienced and ill equipped and were relatively easy for the Army of Africa to outmanoeuvre. The town of Talavera de la Reina, for example, fell to the Nationalists in a single day, despite being defended by several thousand militiamen

Question 10

when did the relief of the Fortress of Alcazar happen?

Answer 10

in September 1936

Question 11

what was happening in the Fortress of Alcazar?

Answer 11

-to the south of Madrid, near Toledo, stood the Fortress of Alcazar, a medieval stronghold in which almost 2,000 Nationalist troops were being besieged by the Republicans.

Question 12

What did Franco do about the siege in the Fortress of Alcazar and why? who’s preference’s did Francos orders go against?

Answer 12

-Franco diverted the Army of Africa to Toledo to break the siege instead of proceeding directly to Madrid.
-This is because he recognised the propaganda value of breaking the siege and decided to achieve a symbolic victory by relieving the fortress
-Francos orders went against the preference of general Yague, who regarded capturing the fortress as of little strategic value in the overall priority to assault Madrid.

Question 13

when did Francos plan for ending the siege succeed?

Answer 13

his plan succeeded on 27 September as the advancing Army of Africa dispersed the Republican troops around the fortress.

Question 14

what did Franco gain from the relief of the Fortress of Alcazar?

Answer 14

-the victory heightened Francos status and reputation among Spain’s Nationalists.
-on 29 September 1936 he was named head of the Nationalist forces, thereafter styling himself as Caudillo and Generalissimo

Question 15

Was the diversion to Toledo to free the Nationalists in the Fortress of Alcazar strategically unwise?

Answer 15

-yes it was unwise. While it was major propaganda victory, it gave the Republicans time to organise the defence of Madrid. What is more, it allowed the Republicans in Madrid time to obtain vital supplies from the Soviet Union. Thus the Nationalists faced well-organised and effective resistance from the Republicans when they reached Madrid in early October.

Question 16

In October 1936 what did the Nationalists begin? what did the Republican gov do?

Answer 16

they began a heavy artillery and aerial bombardment of Madrid, using artillery and German Junker 52 aircraft.
-the Republican gov, fearing the worse, transferred to Valencia. However, the Nationalist advance into the city from the west was halted by Republican resistance at the Casa de Campo, a large urban park to the west of Madrid

Question 17

When the Nationalists attempted to take over Madrid in 1936 were they successful? and why?

Answer 17

no, in October 1936 when the Nationalists tried to take over Madrid, there was a a stalemate by the end of November
-this was due to many reasons:
–the first shipments of military aid from the USSR, including T-26 tanks and Polikarpov I-15 and I-16 fighter aircraft, arrived in October 1936. The Soviet planes proved superior to the German and Italian aircraft available at that stage to the Nationalists.
– the Republicans had the advantage in manpower. The regular Republican troops were assisted by the Republican militias who played a vital role in the defence of the capital.
-the first detachments of the International Brigades arrived on 8 November 1936. Their presence undoubtedly boosted Republican morale, and their practical contribution was highly significant. The IB played a key role in halting the Nationalist advance across the Casa de Campo where one in three brigadiers was killed. The determination of Republican resistance meant that by the end of November stalemate had set in to the west of Madrid

Question 18

When did the Malaga campaign start?

Answer 18

it started in February 1937

Question 19

What were the Nationalist successes when taking over Malaga?

Answer 19

-the city was isolated, surrounded on three sides by Nationalist troops. Nationalist tactics exploited this vulnerability by moving troops, including 10,000 Italians, towards the city simultaneously from the east, west and north.
-the Italian advance was highly successful, utilising the tactics of guerra clere (rapid war), which was predicated upon speed through the use of substantial numbers of armoured vehicles and tanks covered by supporting aircraft.

Question 20

what were the Republican weaknesses that made taking over Malaga easier for the Nationalists?

Answer 20

-the Republicans were cut off in Malaga with only 12,000 militiamen and 16 pieces of artillery.
-isolated and under-supplied Republican defences crumbled rapidly.

Question 21

in the first half of 1937, what remained the strategic focus for the Nationalists? new attempts of what were made? what did the Guadalajara campaign aim to do?

Answer 21

-Madrid
-with the direct assaults on the city from the west in 1936 having failed to achieve a breakthrough, new attempts were made to encircle and subdue the city in early 1937. These included at attack at Guadalajara, to the north-east in March 1937
-the Guadalajara campaign aimed to take Madrid via an attack from the city’s north-west

Question 22

what was the Guadalajara campaign, to try and take over Madrid, based on? What did the Guadalajara campaign result in?

Answer 22

-it was based on infantry advance, supported by tanks, artillery bombardment and low-level use of aircraft to attack enemy positions and to strafe troops on the ground.
-it resulted in a defensive victory for the Republicans

Question 23

Was the Guadalajara campaign successful in taking over Madrid?

Answer 23

-the success of the Republicans in driving back the advancing Nationalists was in large part due to the superiority of the Soviet military technology, particularly aircraft and tanks, used by the Republicans.
-however, neither side was able to decisively exploit their advances and stalemate again set in around Madrid

Question 24

when was the Vizcaya campaign?

Answer 24

March-June 1937

Question 25

why were the far northern regions of the Basque Country and the Asturias valuable for the Nationalist war effort?

Answer 25

because of their mineral and industrial riches

Question 26

the Nationalist use of what was crucial to the Vizcaya campaign? what did this campaign mark?

Answer 26

the use of airpower
-the campaign marked the first use of new German aircraft. Unlike the aircraft supplied by Germany in the first year of the war the new planes were superior to the Soviet aircraft used by the Republicans. This marked a shift in the balance of aerial warfare and the Nationalists retained this advantage for the remainder of the war

Question 27

in which campaign did the Nationalists have aerial supremacy for the first time and what did this mark?

Answer 27

in the Vizcaya campaign, and this marked a shift in the balance of aerial warfare and the Nationalists retained this advantage for the remainder of the war.

Question 28

Where was Guernica and what was its population?

Answer 28

it was a provincial Basque town with a population of around 7,000.

Question 29

what were some of the limited strategic significances of Guernica?

Answer 29

-it acted as a communication link for Republican forces, and it contained an armaments factory and occupied one of the main routes north

Question 30

When did the Guernica attack take place? and what did it symbolise?

Answer 30

it took place in April 1937
-it symbolised the remorseless cruelty of fascist military tactics

Question 31

how did the Nationalists attack Guernica?

Answer 31

-on the afternoon of 26 April 1937 several squadrons of Italian and German aircraft, including the new Heinkel 111 bombers, targeted Guernica with 60,000lbs of high-explosive and incendiary bombs
-as the large planes dropped their bombs, smaller Heinkel 51s flew low, strafing the roads out of Guernica and deliberately killing fleeing civilians. Guernica was devastated. The horrors were widely exploited in Republican propaganda, within Spain and abroad
-three days after the bombings, Nationalist ground troops, facing very little resistance, took Guernica

Question 32

how many were killed during the attack on Guernica?

Answer 32

the Basque government reported the civilian death toll as 1,685, with hundreds more injured, although recent estimates are significantly lower.

Question 33

The Nationalists’ rapid progress through the Basque Country culminated in what?

Answer 33

in their assault on the regional capital, Bilbao, with its steel works and engineering industries.

Question 34

What was Bilbao protected by? when did Bilbao surrender?

Answer 34

it was protected by a line of defences known as the ‘ring of iron’
-this was breached by the Nationalists following heavily artillery and aerial bombardment, while the city was isolated and starved of supplies by a Nationalist naval blockade of its port
-Bilbao surrendered on 19 June 1937

Question 35

The capture of what place established the Nationalists complete control of the Asturias region?

Answer 35

-the Nationalist conquest of the north was completed with the capture of Gijon on 22 October 1937, establishing their complete control of the Asturias region.
-the success of the Nationalist advance had relied significantly on their unchallenged air superiority, enabling them to subject Republican territories to severe aerial bombardments ahead of the infantry advance

Question 36

as the war went on, what hampered the Republican war effort?

Answer 36

the Republican war effort was hampered by internal divisions about how best to conduct the war

Question 37

how did the Republicans on the more extreme left want the war to be conducted?

Answer 37

-those on the more extreme left, primarily the anarchists and left-wing socialists, emphasised the desirability of developing revolutionary warfare strategies that would include the use of guerrilla tactics, civilian militia units, stirring up revolution behind Nationalist lines, and the mobilisation of the international working class to fight in Spain.
-these military aims reflected the anarchist belief that they were fighting a revolutionary people’s war in which war and revolution should occur simultaneously.

Question 38

how did the more moderate Republicans want to war to be conducted?

Answer 38

-the more moderate opinion within the republic, as represented by the communists and mainstream socialists, emphasised the importance of a more conventional strategic approach. In this view, discipline, order, hierarchy and conventional tactics were emphasised above the ideological goals of equality and freedom of debate

Question 39

Which approach did the Republican gov favour?

Answer 39

the Republican gov favoured the conventional approach.
-this inclination was strengthened by the increasing communist influence on the government from May 1937. The communists became increasingly important within the government as the republic was almost totally reliant on the USSR for armaments and supplies

Question 40

what did the way the Popular Army was organised reflect?

Answer 40

it reflected the Republicans’ conventional approach to the fighting
-the Popular Army, the govs main fighting force, was organised on strictly hierarchical lines.

Question 41

did the Republican gov try to bring independent militias under central control?

Answer 41

yes, the Republican gov tried to bring independent militias under central control and in so doing ensure they adopted traditional military discipline.

Question 42

what was the political basis for the Republican govs approach? what was the military basis?

Answer 42

-politically they were wary of social revolution, as they did not want to alienate moderate support. Additionally, they hoped that Britain and France would be more likely to provide assistance to a moderate regime.
-militarily, the gov genuinely believed that a more conventional approach would be better suited to winning the war.

Question 43

as a result of the differenced between the Republicans, what happened in May 1937 in Barcelona? what did the extreme left believe about the moderate left?

Answer 43

they was fighting between troops from the militias of the extreme left (predominantly the anarchists and left-socialists) against militiamen from the more moderate left (socialists and communists)
-the extreme left believed that the social revolution was being neglected by the moderate left, who dominated the Republican gov. The moderates, meanwhile, were wary of social revolution and believed that pursuing it at the same time as fighting a civil war would meant defeat.

Question 44

during the ‘civil war within a civil war’ that happened in May 1937 in Barcelona, who won? as a result who resigned and who replaced him?

Answer 44

-the moderates won. This meant the approach of the moderates dominated.
-as a result, the prime minister, Largo Caballero, who had previously spoken out against the communists, was forced to resign and his successor from May 1937, Dr Juan Negrin, acted to strengthen ties with the USSR and the communists, who became an increasingly influential force in the Republican Popular Army

Question 45

what was the Republicans first major offensive? what was the objective?

Answer 45

during the summer of 1937, the Republicans made their first major offensive at Brunete, just east of Madrid.
-the objective was to help relieve Madrid by breaking part of the Nationalist siege of the city and to cut off one of their major supply routes from the north

Question 46

Initially, did the Republicans manage to capture Brunete? However, what quickly happened?

Answer 46

Initial Republican manoeuvres, in which infantry were supported by artillery, tanks and air power, were in the main, successful and they captured Brunete in two days.
-however, the Republican advance quickly ran into problems. Many of the tanks used to support the infantry were halted by anti-tank guns. The Republicans also lost their dominance of the skies following the arrival of Messerschmitt 109 fighters and Heinkel 111 bombers from the Condor Legion, which outperformed Republican aircraft. Consequently, the Republican troops were subjected to strafing fire. In addition, the Republican communications broke down, making it difficult to co-ordinate a renewed offensive. This tactical failure was due to the inexperience of many of the more junior officers in the Popular Army. Instead, the Republicans dug in, a mistake that left them exposed to Nationalist aerial assault and allowed the Nationalists time to bring in reinforcements before their inevitable counter-attack, which succeeded in regaining Brunete.

Question 47

What was the second offensive the Republicans launched and when? why did the Republicans launch this offensive?

Answer 47

it was near the town of Teruel in December 1937 - January 1938
-with the Nationalist conquest of the north complete by the autumn of 1937, it was clear that Franco would relaunch his assault on Madrid. So, the Republicans responded by trying to divert Nationalist troops away from Madrid by launching another offensive some 320km east of Madrid near the town of Teruel.

Question 48

was the Republican assault on Teruel in Dec 1937 - Jan 1938 successful?

Answer 48

-as had become the pattern, an initially successful Republican assault, which succeeded in taking Teruel, quickly became bogged down and was then reversed.
-the Nationalist counter-attack effectively trapped the Republican forces inside the town where they were subjected to heavy artillery and aerial bombardment. After running short of essential supplies the Republicans abandoned the town to the Nationalists on 22 February 1938

Question 49

by the beginning of 1938 the majority of Spain was under what control?

Answer 49

the majority of Spain was under Nationalist control, with the exception of the south-east of the country and Catalonia.

Question 50

when was the Republican Ebro Offensive?

Answer 50

it was in July - November 1938

Question 51

what was the strategic aim of the Republican Ebro Offensive? did the gov know that this offensive would not be enough to win the war? However, what did prime minister Juan Negrin argue?

Answer 51

-with a Nationalist assault on Valencia imminent, the strategic aim of the Republican Ebro Offensive was to force Nationalist troops to divert their troops north and away from Valencia.
-yes, the gov knew that the offensive would never be enough to win the war. However, the gov had a new strategy.
-Prime minister Juan Negrin argued that the Republicans should focus on prolonging the war. He anticipated that Europe would soon be plunged into a large-scale war between fascism and democracy. He believed that once this broke out Britain and France would ally with the republic and send aid to help defeat Franco

Question 52

what was the Republican Ebro offensive like?

Answer 52

-the initial Republican advance across the Ebro River into Nationalist territory progressed rapidly and by the end of the week they had advanced nearly 40km. The advance demonstrated definite improvements in the organisation and discipline of the Popular Army, although the use of the tank units was again largely wasted due to poor tactical planning, with significant numbers of tanks forced back by anti-guns and the unsuitability of the terrain.
-however, it soon became apparent that the Republicans could not sustain the momentum of the advance. Republican troops were slowed by strong Nationalist resistance, aided enormously by the Nationalist’s continued air supremacy, subjecting Republican troops to bombing and strafing.
-the Republicans, dug into the hills, were unable to put up an effective resistance and were pushed back. Although it took the Nationalists three and a half months to retake what the Republicans had gained in one week, by 16 November the Republicans had lost all the territory that they had gained.

Question 53

what made Negrin’s hopes of prolonging the war look increasingly unrealistic?

Answer 53

-the Popular Army suffered a huge loss of manpower (20,000 Republican troops were killed, 55,000 wounded or missing) and material (particularly artillery, aircraft and tanks). This made Negrin’s hopes of prolonging the war look increasingly unrealistic.

Question 54

by the beginning of 1939 were Barcelona and Madrid still under Republican control?

Answer 54

yes they were

Question 55

when did the Nationalists occupy Barcelona

Answer 55

on 26 January 1939

Question 56

did the Nationalists encounter a lot of resistance in their assault on Barcelona?

Answer 56

no.
-the city and its 2 million population was isolated, cut off from the rest of Republican Spain, demoralised by food shortages and relentless aerial bombardment.

Question 57

after the fall of Barcelona, what happened to the Republican govs resistance?

Answer 57

it virtually vanished.
-president Azana resigned his position and went into exile on 6 February, while his designated successor, Martinez Barrio, refused to return to Spain.

Question 58

what was the more devastating blow that came on 27 February 1939?

Answer 58

it was when the British and French govs recognised Franco as the legitimate head of the Spanish government

Question 59

what did republican politicians and military leaders opposed to Negrin’s strategy and to the communist-dominated government do?

Answer 59

they staged a rebellion in Madrid on 5 March 1939
-they established a anti-communist junta, the National Defence Council, which attempted to open negotiations with Franco in order to agree a conditional surrender.
-Negrin made preparations to leave Spain as yet another internal civil war broke out within the Republican zones between supporters of Negrin and the National Defence Council.
-fighting between Republicans in the last phase of the war left almost 230 dead and nearly 600 wounded

Question 60

when did the Nationalist troops successfully occupy Madrid?

Answer 60

on 27 March 1939.
-it marked the Nationalist victory and Spain was Francos