Section 3: Life during the war

Question 1

which political group was Catalonia dominated by?

Answer 1

by the anarchists

Question 2

which group was Madrid controlled b, before Franco’s troops took over in 1939?

Answer 2

by the increasingly communist-dominated government

Question 3

when did the anarchist CNT take control of Barcelona and what did they implement?

Answer 3

they took control of Barcelona in 1936 and implemented an anarchist-inspired political, social and economic revolution
-the CNT abolished government. Instead, they emphasised that ordinary people should take control of their lives and create a society without government, big business or the traditional church

Question 4

how much of Barcelona’s industry and businesses were collectivised when the CNT took control in 1936? what did workers establish? what happened to many former business owners?

Answer 4

-about 70 percent of Barcelona’s industry and around 2,000 businesses were collectivised
-workers established democratically elected management committees which took responsibility for issues such as the setting of wages and working hours.
-many former business owners were executed and the anarchists reorganised factories to produce ammunition - for example, cosmetic factories, which had once produced lipstick, not produced bullets

Question 5

what happened to public services and transport systems when Barcelona was under the control of the CNT?

Answer 5

Public services and transport systems were also collectivised
-private cars were turned into community taxis and the CNT successfully managed the transport system

Question 6

what visible signs of previous rulers did the anarchists in Barcelona remove?

Answer 6

-churches were destroyed or converted into hospitals
-Statutes of Jesus were destroyed
-People were encouraged to dress in blue overalls as suites and ties were associated with the previous regime
-people were also encouraged to refer to each other as ‘comrade’ to emphasis the equality instead of ‘sir’ or ‘madam’ which had emphasised status

Question 7

in rural Aragon, what was collectivised?

Answer 7

agriculture was collectivised.
-peasants seized the land they worked, and production and defence were organised by democratic committees.
-the committees also organised food distribution, ensuring that each person received a free and equal share of what was produced. In 1936 this was usually 100g of sugar, meat and rice per day, as well as free coffee and cigarettes.

Question 8

what resulted in conflict with the CNT and POUM?

Answer 8

the growing influence of the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) within the Popular Front government and their desire to impose central control on revolutionary committees and militias resulted in conflict with the CNT and the POUM
-faction fighting in Barcelona and Catalonia, which broke out in May 1937, resulted in the victory of the PCE and therefore the destruction of the anarchist society created by the CNT in Catalonia

Question 9

by June 1937, Republican and communist forces had established control where? and what happened to many leading figures in the POUM?

Answer 9

-Republican and communist forces had established control in Barcelona and many leading figures in the POUM were executed
-on 4 August 1937 11,000 troops of the Popular Army were sent to Aragon and anarchist control of this region was brought to an end
-such divisions and fighting only weakened the Republican cause. The repression of the social revolution in Catalonia and Aragon caused many members of the working classes and peasants to lose faith in the republic. Therefore, many anarchists were no longer prepared to fight for the republic

Question 10

In Aragon, what did peasants began seizing and what did they establish?

Answer 10

they began seizing land and abolished central government. A council of peasants was established to organise defence against Nationalists. The council was democratic in nature and peasant representatives from across Aragon were given equal significance. Local committees were established and they also took responsibility for food distribution and rationing

Question 11

how much of Madrid’s industry was collectivised?

Answer 11

only 30percent

Question 12

what was life like for civilians in Madrid?

Answer 12

-bombing raids by the Nationalists became more frequent, which had an enormous impact on the lives of ordinary civilians
-food shortages became a part of daily life and prices became highly inflated
-the morale of the civilian population was undermined by such conditions

Question 13

in July 1936 what did the Nationalist army declare?

Answer 13

it declared martial law in Nationalist areas of Spain
-this gave the army almost complete power over the people living in Nationalist areas
-the Nationalists reversed reforms that had been passed by previous Republican governments such as the land reforms
-they also restored the power of the wealthy landowners

Question 14

what happened to parties and trade unions in Nationalist zones?

Answer 14

-the Nationalists banned all political parties that had originally opposed the military coup
-trade unions and strikes were banned
-in March 1938 Franco established a Labour Charter. This created the Spanish Syndical Organisation (SO), which replaced independent trade unions. The organisation removed workers’ rights and once again restored power to the industrialists and factory owners

Question 15

initially, what position did the church adopt in the civil war?

Answer 15

initially, the Church adopted a neutral position in the civil war, but by September 1936 leading members of the Catholic Church openly criticised the Republican government. The cardinal associated the Republican government with communism, which he decried as a moral evil

Question 16

how did Nationalist authorities try to raise morale?

Answer 16

they embraced religious festivals to raise morale

Question 17

was food more readily available in the Nationalist zones or Republican zones?

Answer 17

in the Nationalist zones because Francos forces controlled the major agricultural regions such as Extremadura. The military support from Italy and Germany also meant more money was available to spend on consumer goods

Question 18

In Nationalist Spain, what were women expected to follow?

Answer 18

they were expected to follow a traditional image, as wives and mothers

Question 19

when was divorce and civil marriage outlawed?

Answer 19

from September 1936

Question 20

what did the prominent position of the Catholic Church in Nationalist zones reinforce?

Answer 20

it reinforced traditional gender roles
-there were strict expectations about what women should wear. There was strong social pressure against clothing that the authorities considered ‘sexually alluring’ as well as make-up
-women wearing what was considered masculine attire was also scorned

Question 21

what did many women in the Nationalist zone resort to due to having lost their husbands in the civil war?

Answer 21

they resorted to prostitution
-despite the opposition of the Catholic Church, prostitution was extensive. Moreover, it was tacitly supported by the Nationalist army, as many of Francos soldiers paid for sex

Question 22

despite the increased need of labour support, what was women’s participation in the war effort largely confined to?

Answer 22

-to the traditional sphere
-women were encouraged, and from October 1937 required by decree, to enlist in the support of the way by participating in the running of social services such as youth centres, public canteens and health services
-Paid work for women, especially married women, was officially discouraged. The Labour Charter in March 1938 set out the Nationalist ambition to ‘liberate’ married women from work in workshops and factories. In this sense, the Nationalists wanted to exclude married women from paid industrial work

Question 23

what measures were introduced in the Republican zones to ensure equaity?

Answer 23

-a marriage code was introduced which gave women equal rights with men in terms of marriage and divorce

Question 24

did Republican Spain became the first country in Europe where a woman occupied a cabinet position in the national government?

Answer 24

yes
-Federica Montseny, a high profile anarchist, became minister for public health and assistance in 1936
-she introduced important changes that improved the lives of women - e.g. as minister of health she introduced clinics for women and measures to legalise abortion

Question 25

other than Federica Montseny, who was another women who was politically influential?

Answer 25

-Dolores Ibarruri, she was a high ranking Communist Party member
-she became famed for her speeches and leadership of organisations promoting welfare provision for victims of the war

Question 26

despite women having political influence in Republican zones, what can be argued about this?

Answer 26

that despite them having political roles, they were still confining to gender roles. Their roles were still very much linked to stereotypes and widely held beliefs about the caring role of women

Question 27

what did the POUM militia take very seriously?

Answer 27

-it took sexual equality seriously and introduced a policy that encouraged men and women to share tasks
-women were urged to take on a role that traditionally had been reserved for men, such as fighting
-at the same time, men were expected to do tasks such as washing clothes that traditionally had been assigned to women

Question 28

what was terror a means for?

Answer 28

it was a means to supress opposition within each zone

Question 29

what did Republicans use of terror become known as?

Answer 29

known as ‘Red Terror’

Question 30

what is the estimated number of people killed as a result of terror in the Republican zone? and Nationalist zone?

Answer 30

• republican: 55,000
• nationalist: 200,000

Question 31

what was the key focus of the Red Terror?

Answer 31

it was upon people who were closely associated with the traditional ruling elite and conservative forces of Spain
-many buildings that symbolised the old regime were also destroyed

Question 32

how many priests, nuns and monks were killed during the civil war by supporters of the Republic?

Answer 32

more than 6,000