Background and Significance
The Spanish Civil War was a political conflict that began in 1936 within a time-honored
nation trying to find its place in the modern world. It was fought between the Nationalists- a fascist party led by Francisco Franco- and the Republicans- a diverse group of politicians with the goal of granting power to the people. It reflected the unrest in Europe at the time as many nations began experimenting with Fascism, Communism, and Democracy. Its outcome would hinder Spain’s economic development and movement towards democracy for many years, leading to longstanding political division and laying the groundwork for its role entering WWII. The effects of the war can still be felt in Spain to this day, with many erecting memorials to honor the victims of tragedies that transpired during the war. The most famous is the Guernica created by renowned painter Pablo Picasso. It depicts a significant event during the war in which the titular city was bombed by the nationalists, leading to many civilian deaths. The lasting impact of the Spanish Civil War is evident in its economy, cultural memory, and political evolutions, with powerful paintings like the Guernica serving as a reminder of the war’s tragedy and significance in modern Spain.

Growing Tensions
Spain’s political division reflected a pattern ubiquitous throughout the other European countries during the aftermath of WWI; their neutrality in the war did not excuse them from the myriad of economic and social problems faced by nations during this time. During these trying times, people looked to their democratic governments for support, who struggled to manage the growing issues. This would lead to a rapid decline in the faith of the people and would turn desperate souls towards extremism. Spain was not spared from this fate, and substantial political division began to take root in the nation. It started with the foundation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931, in which the king, Alfonso the XIII, was forced to leave, and a new democratic government led by Niceto Alcalá-Zamora was established. It sought to give more power to the people by calling for general elections and drafting a constitution. This development upset right-wing conservatives, especially its policies that significantly reduced the power of the Catholic church and prevented its teachings in state schools. Moreover, despite its promise to bring power to the people, in the early days of the republic the role of the president was largely ceremonial. The Constitutional Cortes, a group of officials elected by the previous dictatorship who drafted the Constitution, continued to exert considerable political control over Spain long after the document’s completion. It was during these elections that tensions began spiraling out of control. There was a great number of political parties in Spain all vying for power, and none of them could find a way to get along with each other. The republic began with left-wing Republican Manuel Azaña in power who began to carry out liberal reforms including land redistribution, expanding franchisement to women, and granting greater autonomy to local regions like Catalonia and Basque. However, public unrest remained, which called for a new election where a right-wing politician took power and sought to undo these reforms. This transition of power upset the left-wing socialist party, which called for an uprising and combined with the Republicans to form the Popular Front that took back power in 1936. However, at this point, it was too late to return to civil order, and uprisings and unrest throughout the nation tarnished the presidency. Meanwhile, the Spanish Army was upset with the new presidency granting various regions more autonomy and believed the country would disintegrate. Both sides began assassinating political leaders until finally, the death of Monarchist José Calvo Sotelo proved to be the last straw for the Spanish Elite African Army, who started a revolt and seized Spanish Morroco for future dictator Fransisco Franco. The Spanish Civil War had begun.

During the War
The rebel army began referring to themselves as the “Nationalists,” while the defenders called themselves the “Republicans.” The original assumption of Franco was that the Republicans would surrender, having the entire military turned against them, but this was not the case. Instead, they began arming union workers to help fight against the army. Their inferior numbers and training put them at an inherent disadvantage, but they still had the full backing of the Spanish Navy. Additionally, they still possessed Spain’s complete resources and industry and were backed by the foreign powers of The Soviet Union, Mexico, and, to an extent, France. Meanwhile, the Nationalists had the entire Spanish military and were backed by Portugal and fascist Italy and Germany. Moreover, they were much more unified than the Republicans despite their role as the rebel group. The Republicans, including Anarchists, Socialists, Communists, and Liberals, had different goals and thus fought amongst themselves, making it more difficult for them to win the war. By August 1936, the Nationalist Party controlled about a third of the land in Spain, and Franco had declared himself the new head of state and the Falange party, which had recently lost all its major leaders. The Nationalists then began moving on northern Spain, causing one of the most significant events of the war on April 26th, 1937: the bombing of the town of Guernica. On this tragic day, a volunteer group from Germany bombed the town for the Nationalists, and countless civilians lost their lives. The bombing was only one of the many atrocities that resulted from this war, including massacres and executions by both sides and the use of concentration camps and forced labor by the Nationalists. By February 1939, Franco had conquered all but a small portion of Spain, and Britain and France had officially recognized him as the new leader of Spain. Madrid, the capital of Spain, fell the following month, and on April 1st, Franco declared himself the winner of the Spanish Civil War.

Effects and Aftermath
After Franco’s rise to power, Spain was formally declared a one-party state with him as its leader. Spain entered the rapidly approaching WWII as neutral under Franco’s rule despite his close ties with Hitler. Their unwillingness to fight was primarily a result of the devastation caused by the Civil War. This isn’t to say Spain had no impact on the war; they offered volunteers to the Eastern Front to fight with the Germans against communism and gave passive support to the Allies in the latter half. However, it is clear that the devastating effects of the Civil War forced Spain to take a backseat. While it is true that Spain has had a history of neutrality, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility to imagine their pre-war Republic siding with the Allies if they possessed the stability and power. After the end of WWII, Spain suffered a great economic decline largely due to Franco’s Autarky policy, which stated that Spain would be isolationist with their economy. Moreover, they were left out of post-war international policies such as the Marshall Plan for not picking a side in the war. Realizing Spain’s condition, Franco relaxed his regime, emphasized industrial development, and opened up Spain to foreign investors. Spain joined the United Nations and attempted to join N.A.T.O. and the E.E.C. but was rejected. Despite this, the increase in foreign investment and trade still provided an economic boom for Spain between 1959 and 1974, nicknamed the Spanish Miracle. These economic liberties did not extend to politics; Franco’s dictatorship would continue to suppress Spain’s reforms for democracy, stunting its transition and making it one of the last Western European countries to accept democratic principles. It wasn’t until Franco’s death in 1975 that the new king, Juan Carlos I, started making moves to dissolve the long-standing dictatorship, and Spain began a new democracy. Juan Carlos I masterfully and peacefully dismantled the Francoist regime and ushered Spain into a new age; a new constitution was drafted, Catalonia and Basque were given autonomy, and Spain was welcomed back into the international community. Culturally, Spain still suffers from persisting cultural division as a result of the war, with sympathetic conservatives honoring the Francoist Regime and liberals working to undermine it. In 2007, The Law of Historical Memory was passed, which sought to honor the victims of Franco’s repression and remove Francoist symbols. Furthermore, in 2019, his remains were exhumed from the memorial site Valley of the Fallen. The Civil War was also responsible for the arrival of Spanish intellectual culture in Latin America as they fled from the fighting to continue to pursue their craft. Ultimately, the Spanish Civil War and the long shadow of Franco’s regime continue to shape Spain’s economic, cultural, and social landscape. The significance of this event to the history of Spain, which continues to shape Spain’s legacy to this day, cannot be overstated.

Works Cited

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Spanish Civil War”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 20
Dec. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/event/Spanish-Civil-War. Accessed 31
January 2025.

“Ten Minute History- The Spanish Civil War and Francisco Franco (Short Documentary).”

YouTube, uploaded by History Matters, 28 Jul. 2018,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw-OxbtF1iY