The Spanish Civil War: Origins and the 1936 Coup
The Origins of the Spanish Civil War
It was in vain to call elections in 1936 after the two phases of the Republic resulted in the triumph of the left; the Popular Front won as the left joined in a coalition to compete in these elections. With this victory, several changes took place: Manuel Azaña was declared President, replacing Alcalá-Zamora, and Santiago Casares Quiroga was appointed Prime Minister. Their objective was to return to the Constitution of 1931 and implement a new reform agenda.
Economic and Political Reforms
The first priority was the economic issue regarding the agrarian problem. The government reintroduced the Institute of Agrarian Reform (IRA), focusing on the expropriation and settlement of farmers by adopting a faster policy to speed up the process. In the political arena, they reintroduced the Statutes of Autonomy, speeding up the autonomy and independence processes for the Basque Country and Galicia.
Social Unrest and Political Violence
The government faced massive social unrest, including a movement of strikes and demonstrations against the government. Social tension increased with the burning of convents and the assassination of emerging leaders from both the Left and the Right by gunmen. This led to great social insecurity.
The Path to the Military Coup
The new leftist government was aware that the army would not accept this administration. Thus, great military leaders were considering a coup, such as Sanjurjo, who was exiled in Lisbon, and Franco, who was preparing a coup from the Canary Islands.
The Assassinations of July 1936
In July, José Calvo Sotelo, a prominent leader of the right, was assassinated. However, two days prior, Lieutenant Castillo of the Assault Guard was also found murdered. Since Lieutenant Castillo was a progressive Republican, his murder led his associates to retaliate by killing one of the great leaders of the right: José Calvo Sotelo. This event had great political significance and was the immediate trigger for the coup.
The Outbreak of the Civil War
Following the burial of Sotelo, on July 17, the army in North Africa rebelled, controlled by Franco from the Canaries. Franco took a plane from the Canary Islands and traveled to Morocco to recruit the Army of Africa. With the help of German aircraft, he managed to transport the troops across the Strait of Gibraltar to reach Seville. He led an uprising, getting support from one sector of the Spanish population, but ran into another area which remained faithful to the Republic. This failure of Franco's initial coup was the factor that triggered the Spanish Civil War: Fascists vs. Republicans.
The Contestants and Strategic Territories
On one side were those called Nationalists (Franco's forces). On the other side were the Republicans (referred to as the 'Reds'). Regarding geographical areas: the part of Spain that remained Republican included the northern territories (Cantabria and the Basque Country), which held the traditional industry. This allowed the Republicans to keep the siderurgical industry, which would help produce military goods. Additionally, they remained with the Mediterranean coast, taking over the industry in Catalonia and citrus farming. Around Madrid, in the center, they also held power over cereal agriculture. As for Madrid, it held the central treasury belonging to the Republic, and that money was used to buy weapons.