Topic 2 - The use of political terror

Question 1

How was political terror used in the Republican zone?

Answer 1

• Known as the red terror
• The victims of the terror were usually; falangists, priests, landlords, CEDA supporters
• People and building closely associated with conservatism were targeted - In Barcelona, 1/58 churches survived the war
• The use of terror began to diminish with Republican government taking control of its zones
• The terror was never a deliberate policy of the government

Question 2

How was political terror used in the Nationalist zone?

Answer 2

Known as the white terror
- Franco supported the killings of trade unionists, socialists and communists
- The falange executed Republican supporters - socialists and Republicans joining the party to avoid execution
- Gay men and lesbians were killed or sent to punishments to cure them
- Women who didn’t conform to gender roles were persecuted by the Falange

Question 3

What events of terror happened in the Nationalist zone?

Answer 3

• In Extremadura, 1800 peasants were executed and land was returned to landowners; the bodies were left to rot in fields as a warning
• When Malaga was taken by Nationalists, 4000 Republicans were killed in the city, those who fled were shot at and bombed whilst fleeing
• There were also mass executions in the bullring of Badajoz