The Spanish Civil War: Factions, Fault Lines, and Civil War Flashcards
Define civil war
a war between rival factions within a country
Who made up the political right in Spain?
The traditional triad of landowners, church, and army
Where did anarcho-syndicalism develop in Spain?
Barcelona
Define anarcho-syndicalism
a political doctrine that advocates replacing central government with decentralized worker control based on a trade union model. • Also advocated shorter working weeks, higher wages and better working conditions
Who was Manuel Azaña?
o In 1931, Manuel Azaña became prime minister with a centre-left ideology
Introduced sweeping agricultural, labor, and anti-clerical legislation
Separated church and state
Extreme left and right parties didn’t like while left and center did
Define comintern or Communist International
an organization (originated in Bolshevik Russia) whose mission was to coordinate and promote the spread of revolutionary Marxist-Leninism
Define Popular Front
a political strategy of electoral cooperation of left-wing parties designed to prevent vote-splitting and thus defeat right-wing parties
Who was Francisco Franco?
• Francisco Franco was one of these generals and his conservative views made him an enemy of the Popular Front
o He led the General’s Uprising (as the leader of the Nationalists forces) which started the war
o Became dictator after victory
Who were the rebels in the Spanish Civil War?
were these members of the army and their supporters, who attempted to overthrow the elected government in 1936
Who were the loyalists in the Spanish Civil War?
were those who supported the elected government of Spain against the rebels during the Spanish Civil War
Who were the republicans in the Spanish Civil War?
Comprised of the military that remained loyal to the government, as well as various militias associated with the working-class organizations
Who were the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War?
Comprised of military units that rebelled, augmented by volunteers from right-wing organizations
Supported by Catholic Church
How did the US and UK help during the Spanish Civil War?
US and UK had non-intervention policies, but unofficially hoped Nationalists would win due to fear of communism spreading
However some smuggled in to fight alongside Nationalists as members of the brigade
How did Germany help during the Spanish Civil War?
Germans (Hitler) provided Nationalists mainly with air support (an advantage) to help stop communism spread even though it could’ve helped Germany
How did Italy help during the Spanish Civil War?
Mussolini reached agreement with Franco that he would aid Nationalist army if they would send support in case of a Italian war with France
How did the Soviet Union help during the Spanish Civil War?
Stalin supported and aided the Republican forces to help spread world socialism despite a distrust of the socialist and anarchist elements in Spain
Define Neutrality Acts
• The Neutrality Acts were a number of laws passed by the US Congress which sought to establish the US as a formally neutral country
o 1935- prevented from trading war materials with warring parties
o 1937 and 1939- include credit and loans to warring parties
What were the patterns of violent retribution in the Spanish Civil War?
Republican target Falange members and Catholic clergy
Nationalists sought out anarchists, communists and trade union members
o Republican mainly defensive, Nationalists offensive
o Nationalists committed civilian atrocities to create terror and break their will to resist
Who was Dolores Ibárruri (“La Pasionaria)?
A communist leader and member of the Spanish Communist Party (PCE)
Elected member of Spanish Parliament
Championed better working and living conditions for Spain’s working class
Why did the Republicans lose?
Lack of effective central command and control, political infighting, and insufficient arms and material
What was the war to the intelligents of the West?
o To the intelligents of the West, the war was a struggle between the forces of repression on the one side and freedom on the other
What was the war to the working class of the world?
o To the working class of the world, it was about landed/industrial interests versus workers and unions
Who was Buenaventura Durruti?
Anarchist leader who led a number of uprisings and strikes before the war
Urged cooperation amongst left-wing organizations
Who was Francisco Largo Caballero?
Leader of both the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) and the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT)
Became prime minister of the Republic in 1936 and brought together a left-wing coalition
Took steps to centralize both military and social control
Who was Juan Negrín?
Spanish socialist who became prime minister in 1937
Favored communists in his government