The Spanish Civil War in the Canary Islands

The 1936 Elections and the Rise of the Right

The 1936 election campaign showed that support for the right grew in the Canary Islands over the previous three years. But in reality, the left had won in seven out of twenty-two municipalities and secured victories in six island capitals (all except Puerto del Rosario).

The February elections were the last chance for the right-wing parties. They concluded that their ideology should prevail in the midst of a democratic leftist government. After the coup, more affluent groups automatically supported the military officers, some of whom had previously supported the establishment of the Republic.

Franco and the Anti-Republican Conspiracy

In April 1936, General Francisco Franco was the commanding general of the Canary Islands, turning the archipelago into the nucleus of the anti-Republican conspiracy. The general surveyed former chiefs and right-wing political leaders to see the support they could obtain.

The crime carried out against Calvo Sotelo served to win the support of members who were previously reluctant to enter into a civil war.

The Military Uprising and Occupation

Once the coup began, Franco moved to Tetuan and gave the command of the archipelago to General Luis Orgaz to continue the rebellion in the Canaries. Although the military uprising initially seemed to have failed in Madrid, the Army was advancing along the north and south of the larger islands to complete the occupation. Subsequently, from Tenerife and Gran Canaria, the revolt spread throughout the archipelago.

Post-Coup Governance and Economic Control

After the coup, the main posts in Canary institutions were held by ideological military supporters. They took command immediately after the Nationalist Uprising.

In addition, between 1936 and 1939, the local agrarian bourgeoisie, supported by the New State, controlled the banana business.

The Harsh Reality of Francoist Repression

The procedures carried out by the regime of General Francisco Franco were very harsh:

• Daily Bloody Repression: The population was severely punished. In parallel, supporters of the Popular Front party remained under constant monitoring, receiving beatings, arrests, harassment, and fines.
• Economic Repression: Leftists were fired from their jobs, and thousands of people lost their positions, from teachers to officials of different ministries.
• The Prison System: Political prisoners were treated with forceful repression. The leaders and members of the left who survived disappearance and murder convictions were subjected to harsh physical and psychological punishment.

Social Control and Military Mobilization

On the other hand, the Disciplinary Board granted conduct qualifications for parole if prisoners participated in "religion" courses, which included mandatory attendance at Mass and the daily chanting of Falangist hymns. Thus, they were forced to live with the traditional values of a conservative society in order to eliminate or suppress leftist ideas.

Finally, the Canary Islands supplied the Falange faction. According to General Carlos Martinez de Campos, about sixty thousand men were called. These Canary quotas suffered about 1,000 casualties during the Civil Strife.