Spain and World War II: From Dictatorship to Global Conflict

Inter-War Years and WWII

Spain: Dictatorship and Democracy (1923-1939)

Miguel Primo de Rivera Dictatorship (1923-1930)

• Came to power in Barcelona in 1923, approved by the King.
• Implemented authoritarian rule, banning political parties and establishing a one-party system (Unión Patriótica).
• Created a National Consultative Assembly, but censored the press and suppressed freedoms.
• Achieved a military victory in Morocco (Alhucemas, 1925).
• Focused on public works, infrastructure, and state monopolies (Compañía Telefónica, CAMPSA).
• Economic crisis and social unrest led to his resignation in January 1930.

The End of Alfonso XIII and the Second Republic

Primo de Rivera resigned, and Alfonso XIII called municipal elections for April 1931. A republican victory led to the proclamation of the Second Republic on April 14, 1931.

• The Constitution of 1931 established Spain as an integral state with autonomous regional governments.
• Guaranteed universal suffrage, freedom of religion, and civil marriage.

Left-wing Government or Reformist Biennium (1931-1933)

Elected Niceto Alcalá-Zamora as President and Manuel Azaña as Prime Minister. They implemented reforms in the military, territory, religion, education, and labor.

• Military reforms: Reduced officer numbers and removed certain military leaders.
• Territorial reforms: Granted autonomy to Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia.
• Religious reforms: Expelled Jesuits and legalized divorce.
• Agrarian reforms: Redistributed land to landless peasants, causing discontent among landowners.
• Education reforms: Created thousands of teaching posts.
• Labor reforms: Introduced labor contracts and regulated working conditions.
• The "Sanjurjada" (August 1932) was an unsuccessful coup attempt.

Right-wing Government or Conservative Biennium (1933-1935)

• Won by the CEDA (Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas).
• Reversed some reforms of the previous government.
• Major revolts occurred in October 1934 in Asturias and Catalonia.

The Popular Front and the End of the Republic (1936)

• Left-wing parties (Socialists, Communists, Republicans) formed the Popular Front.
• Won the February 1936 elections.
• Agricultural reforms resumed, and Catalan autonomy was re-established.
• Political tensions and violence escalated between right-wing and left-wing groups.

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)

Causes and Outbreak

Preceded by political disorder and violent clashes between extremist groups. The military coup began in Melilla on July 17, 1936, spreading to mainland Spain.

• The Nationalists: Military rebels, monarchists, and fascists led by Franco, Mola, and Sanjurjo.
• The Republicans: Government forces, socialists, communists, and anarchists.

Development of the War

The war lasted almost three years with significant international involvement.

• March to Madrid (1936): Nationalists attempted to capture the capital but were defeated.
• Northern Campaign: Objective to take Asturias, Cantabria, and the Basque Country.
• Battle of the Ebro (1938): Decisive battle resulting in a Republican defeat.
• Franco's Victory (1939): Barcelona fell and the war ended.

International Intervention

• Republicans: Received limited aid from the Soviet Union and the International Brigades (volunteers).
• Nationalists: Received significant support from Nazi Germany (Condor Legion) and Fascist Italy (Volunteer Troops). Portugal also provided aid.

Consequences of the Civil War

• Political: Establishment of a personal dictatorship under General Franco.
• Economic: Severe losses due to destruction, decline in production, and widespread poverty.
• Demographic: Half a million people died; many were exiled.
• Cultural: Ideological repression and the persecution of intellectuals and artists.

WWII and Decolonization

The Second World War (1939-1945)

Countdown to War (1936-1939)

Hitler's expansionist aims included the annexation of Austria (Anschluss) and demands on Czechoslovakia (Sudetenland). The Munich Agreement (1938) saw Britain and France appease Hitler. This was followed by the occupation of the rest of Czechoslovakia and demands on the Polish Corridor. The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (1939) divided Eastern Europe into spheres of influence.

Outbreak: Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Britain and France declared war on September 3, 1939.

First Stage (1939-1941): Axis Powers Ascendant

• Blitzkrieg: Rapid invasions of Poland, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
• Fall of France (1940): Germany occupied the north; the Vichy regime was established in the south.
• Battle of Britain: The RAF defended against Luftwaffe attacks, preventing invasion.
• Operation Barbarossa (1941): German invasion of the Soviet Union, which stalled by winter.

Second Stage (1941-1945): The Tide Turns

• Pacific War: Japan attacked Pearl Harbor (December 1941), bringing the US into the war.
• Battle of Midway (1942): A turning point in the Pacific.
• Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943): A turning point on the Eastern Front.
• El Alamein: British forces under Montgomery defeated the Axis in North Africa.
• D-Day (June 6, 1944): Allied invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord).
• Battle of the Bulge: The last major German offensive on the Western Front.

The End of the War

• V-E Day: May 8, 1945, following Germany's surrender and Hitler's suicide.
• V-J Day: August 15, 1945, after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki led to Japan's surrender.

The Yalta and Potsdam Conferences

Consequences of the War

• Demographic: 55 to 60 million deaths.
• Social: Rise of resistance movements like the French Resistance.
• Economic: Infrastructure destroyed; rebuilding required American or Soviet aid.
• Political: The division of Germany and the rise of two opposing blocs.

Key Decisions

• Yalta (February 1945): Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin agreed on spheres of influence and the division of Germany.
• Potsdam (July 1945): Attlee, Truman, and Stalin created the UN and established the Nuremberg Tribunals to judge war criminals.