Spanish Civil War: Uprising, Key Figures, and International Impact

Spanish Civil War: Uprising and Outbreak (1936)

The Spanish Civil War began with an uprising in Melilla in 1936. It quickly spread throughout the Protectorate of Morocco, and subsequently to the Peninsula and archipelagos. The government of Casares Quiroga reacted slowly. The main architects of the uprising were Generals Mola, Franco, and Sanjurjo. Franco moved from the Canary Islands to Morocco to take command of the Legion. After a plane crash that killed Sanjurjo, the National Defense Council was formed to direct the military operations of the Nationalist side.

Nationalist Successes and Failures

The coup succeeded in:

• Galicia
• Castilla-León
• Navarra (with General Mola in Pamplona)
• Western Andalusia (with Queipo de Llano in Seville)
• Balearic Islands (except Menorca, with General Goded who later moved to Barcelona to lead the insurrection there)
• Canary Islands (where Franco, after securing victory, traveled to Morocco on July 19th to head the Army of Africa)
• Isolated enclaves like Oviedo (with General Aranda), Granada (site of the murder of García Lorca), and Zaragoza (with General Cabanellas)

The coup failed in:

• Asturias
• Cantabria
• Part of the Basque Country (the PNV eventually collaborated with the Republic)
• Catalonia
• Valencia
• Madrid
• Castilla la Mancha
• Murcia
• Eastern Andalusia

The most significant failures took place in Madrid, where the new president, Giral, gave weapons to the workers' militia, and in Barcelona, where an unusual collaboration between the workers of the CNT, the Civil Guard, and the Assault Guard thwarted the insurrection.

Except in Navarra and Castilla-León, the uprising lacked popular support and relied heavily on insurgent military forces.

Resources of Each Side

• Nationalist Zone: Had a much more prepared army, including integrated divisions in Castile, Galicia, and Andalusia, along with the Legion and the regular troops.
• Republican Zone: Included industrial areas and had access to the gold reserves of the Bank of Spain. However, army units were practically dismantled, although the navy and air force remained largely in Republican hands.

Repression and Internationalization

The coup unleashed a massive wave of repression. In the Nationalist zone, it targeted militant workers, peasants, and intellectuals. In the Republican zone, it targeted priests and the wealthy. Primo de Rivera, imprisoned at the start of the war, was tried and executed. After the initial chaos, the Republican government gradually controlled and mitigated the repression.

The conflict had a significant international impact, intersecting the strategic interests of major powers and the ideological commitments of fascism and communism. The major democracies, unwilling to risk another war, remained neutral and pursued a policy of conciliation with Hitler, leading to the creation of the Non-Intervention Committee.

The committee's stated goal was to prevent the supply of men or war material to either side. However, it was largely ineffective, as fascist powers provided substantial aid to Franco, seeking strategic benefits for their expansionist policies in the Mediterranean. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, supported the Republic from the outset. The U.S. government declared neutrality, despite American oil companies selling fuel to Franco on favorable terms.

Foreign Aid and the International Brigades

Foreign aid was crucial to the Nationalist victory. They received air support, troops, equipment, and the Condor Legion, significantly increasing their air superiority. Portugal's collaboration allowed the free passage of weapons through its territory.

The Republican side initially received weapons from France, but after the Non-Intervention Pact, Soviet aid became crucial, particularly in the defense of Madrid. This aid was more dispersed and of lower quality. The Republic also received support from the International Brigades.

The International Brigades were composed of volunteer groups, not all communists, recruited by the Communist International from various countries. Approximately forty thousand strong, they played a significant role in the defense of Madrid and in the battles of Jarama and Teruel.