Practices of the Spanish Civil WarCauses, practices and effects of wars

Republican Weaknesses

• Political disunity• Military problems• Economic problems• Foreign assistance

Hitler connection

• General Franco is able to lift 24,000 experienced troops from Army of Africa to Spain to help with the revolution.

• Franco uses policy of terror• General Mola helps Franco take land in the North• Why would Hitler (Nazi Germany) want to help

Franco?

The sides

• Loyalists- supported the regime of 1936 (socialists/communists)

• Nationalists- supported the rebels (church, army, wealthy landowners)

• Basques and Catalans supported the loyalists because they promised them autonomy

The Republic had the advantages, why did they lose?

Republic (loyalists)

• Controlled major cities• Controlled key industrial

areas• Gold reserves• Air force and navy

Nationalists

• Church

Republican (loyalists) weaknesses

Political Disunity• Sept. 1936 Caballero head of coalition government, but

government is divided• Communists and socialists believed the revolution should

stop and they should fight the war; anarchists believe only can win if they keep revolutionary tactics.

• Analyze the differences between the tactics desired by these groups.

Political disunity

Communists became very popular- membership grew 40,000 to 400,000 in one year. They have foreign support-USSR. They want to restore the Second Republic.

They use terror tactics that make people sympathize with the enemy.

May Days- May 1937

• Barcelona- 4 days of street fighting

• Communists/socialists v. anarchists and POUM

(Catalan Marxists party, critical of Soviets, opposed comm/soc)• Caballero replaced by Marxist Juan Negrin- communists

chose him to lead• Negrin attacked the POUM and anarchist leaders-

imprisoned or executed. His authoritarian regime stays until 1939

Political disunity

• How does political disunity lead to a weakened Republican government?

Military Problems

• Lacked strong military leadership• Communists and anarchists would not work together• Even loyal army officials were not trusted• They fought a series of local conflicts rather than an

overall war campaign• Many battlefields not accessible by the air force• How does this hurt the Republic (loyalists)?

Economic Problems

• Anarchists took over all industries, public utilities and transports in their areas.

• In the countryside, collectives were set up• Because of this, production fell by 2/3 between 1936-39• Republic had food and supply shortages• Inflation reached 300% and wages only increased 15%

Economic problems

• Britain and France gave NO credit to the Republic• USSR only country that would trade• Republic spent most of gold reserve to trade

• What could have been done differently to improve the situation economically?

Foreign Assistance-critical

• USSR- aircraft and tanks, but no troops.• Had to pay USSR for help (this drains gold reserve)• International Brigades- 35,000 foreign volunteers fought

in Spain. Helped in Madrid.• 1938 Soviets withdraw Brigades• Britain and France- policy of non-intervention• How does this effect the outcome of the war?