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What were the Root Causes of the Spanish Civil War

causes of spanish civil war essay

The Spanish Civil War was one of the bloodiest wars in Twentieth Century in Europe. The war was not simply a Spanish affair, but drew in other several other nations, including Italy, Portugal, Germany and the Soviet Union. The war was a result of many factors, some of which will be discussed here. The main cause of the Spanish Civil War, was the failure of Spanish democracy. This was because there was a refusal by the Spanish parties and groups to compromise and respect democratic norms.

Spain was a very divided, unstable and weak country in the 19th century. Once a great power, Spain lost almost the last of its colonies after it defeat in the Spanish-American war. [1] It was technically a monarchy, but power had frequently been in the hands of military dictators. The country was bitterly divided. The acute poverty of the Spanish people meant that many were drawn to Communism, Anarchism and Socialism. [2] These ideologies call for popular governments and the re-distribution of resources, such as land and wealth.

Spanish anarchists, socialists and communists were secular and wanted to remove the influence of the Catholic Church from Spanish society. The elite and the middle class were especially conservative. They dominated the economy and feared that the Communists would confiscate their property. This is typified in the fact that much of the best land in Spain was owned by a relatively small proportion of the population. Furthermore, the wealthy and the middle class, especially in rural society was Catholics and resisted any idea that there should be a separation of Church in State in Spain. [3] The elite and the rich landowners, the ‘agrarian oligarchy’ were terrified of communism, especially after the Russian Revolution in 1917.

By 1930, Spain was bitterly divided on social and ideological lines. Spain was and is a diverse society. [4] There are many areas of the country with strong regional or national identities. Many of the regions in Spain, such as the Catalans, demanded more autonomy or even outright independence from Madrid, such as the Basques. The tensions between the regions and the central government meant that the country was inherently unstable, as compromise was impossibly, between the parties.

The Failure of Spanish Government

Spain had been neutral during the First World War. However, this had not made the country peaceful or prosperous. In the wake of the ending of the WWI, there was a major economic slump. [5] The working class and the rural poor suffered greatly at this time and they began to organize themselves and they were often led by Communists and Anarchists. At this time the Trade Unions in Spain became very strong and there were widespread strikes. In the countryside impoverished peasants began to seize land. To many in the elite it seemed as if the country was on the brink of Communist revolution. Miguel Primo de Rivera, with the support of the monarchy and army launched a coup and came to power in 1923, and he became dictator of Spain. He was a monarchists and conservative and did nothing to reform the country and especially to alleviate the plight of the poor. [6] De Rivera soon became very unpopular and tensions in the country increased and he was forced to resign. In 1931, The Spanish monarch resigned. It seemed that Spain had an opportunity to begin a new era and to become a true democracy, after elections were held.

Second Republic

A new constitution was introduced in 1931 ad it was a liberal document that guaranteed human rights and basic freedoms. The Constitution also separated the Church and State. Elections were again held in 1932. In the first elections under the Constitution in 1933, an alliance of right wing and center right parties came to power. Despite the establishment of democracy there was no stability. [7] This was partly a result of the economic consequences caused by the Great Depression. The left, including the Communists and the Trade Unions continued to press for their agendas. [8] They sought the nationalization of industry and the redistribution of land to the poor. The first democratically elected government was constantly undermined by General Strikes and local left wing revolts. In particular there was a revolt by miners in Asturias, which was suppressed by the army. The left could not simply abide by the outcome of the election and instead of achieving their goals by constitutional means, they opted for violent methods. [9]

causes of spanish civil war essay

A weakened government eventually collapsed and new elections were called for 1936. The General Election saw a victory for a left-wing alliance of parties, including Communists, Anarchists and Socialists. This government was also supported by regional parties. They immediately launched an ambitious program of reforms, especially land reform to meet the ‘expectations of the urban and rural poor’, that antagonize many in the Spanish elite. [10] Many Spaniards believed that a communist revolution was imminent.

“They eyed with mounting alarm the red flags and banners and portraits of Lenin, Stalin and Largo Caballero on huge placards, and listened to the chanting of the demonstrators, demanding the formation of a proletarian government and a people’s army’’. [11]

causes of spanish civil war essay

In response right-wing extremists such as the Falange militia began a violent campaign against the left-wing government. The right could not accept that the Left was the legitimate governments and believed that they were entitled to use violence means to secure their position and interests.

Countdown to Civil War

It was clear by 1936 that Spain was on the edge of a major confrontation between the left and the right and between the regions. There began a series of political assassinations. The right openly called for the military to stage a coup to oust the left wing government, which some saw as only the puppets of the Soviet Union. Much of the Spanish Army was stationed in the country’s last colonies in Morocco. [12]

The left-wing government believed that the military was too far away from Spain because the government was losing control of the situation and there was fighting between the Falange militia and the police on the streets of several cities, resulting in many deaths. Then the Spanish Army Generals, led by General Franco, launched a coup, they managed to fly their forces, with the assistance of the German government to Spain. The arrival of regular Spanish units from Morocco on the Spanish mainland was the trigger for an all-out war that was to ‘leave half-a-million people dead.’ [13]

The Spanish Civil War was caused by many factors, including major socio-economic problems, such as poverty and inequality. However, the main cause was all sides’ failure to compromise and to respect the rights and opinions of others. This meant that the Second Republic, could never provide a government that could bring stability and prosperity to the country. Political violence became endemic in the country as a consequence and it escalated until it became a full scale civil war.

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  • ↑ Vincent, Mary (2007). Spain, 1833–2002 . Oxford, UK; New York: Oxford University Press
  • ↑ Beevor, Antony (2006). The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939 . London, UK: Weidenfield and Nicolson
  • ↑ Lannon, Frances (1987). Privilege, Persecution, and Prophecy: The Catholic Church in Spain, 1875–1975 . Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press
  • ↑ Beevor, The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939
  • ↑ Beevor, Battle for Spain
  • ↑ Paul Preston (2012). The Spanish Holocaust: Inquisition and Extermination in Twentieth-Century Spain . London, UK: HarperCollins
  • ↑ Preston, 7.
  • ↑ Beevor, 124.

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The Causes of the Spanish Civil War

What were the causes of the Spanish Civil War ? Between 1936 and 1939 over 500,000 people were killed in the Spanish Civil War so this cannot be considered a ‘little’ war that was overshadowed by the problems that were occurring in Europe during these years.

In 1920, Spain was a constitutional monarchy. The king was Alfonso XIII.

However, the government was inefficient and corrupt. In 1921, an army was sent to Spanish Morocco to put down a rebellion. It was massacred but this defeat seemed to emphasise just how corrupt and incompetent Spain’s leadership was.

In 1923, Spain experienced a bloodless coup when Alfonso agreed that General Primo de Rivera should take control of Spain. He ruled as a military dictator until 1930. Rivera’s approach to leadership was fully supported by Alfonso.

However, Rivera did not display the classic features of a dictator. He introduced public works schemes building roads and irrigating the land. Industrial production increased by three times from 1923 to1930. Rivera also ended the rebellion in Morocco in 1925.

However, the Great Depression of the 1930’s hit Spain hard. Unemployment rose and Rivera did not have the ability to sort out Spain’s financial mess. The army withdrew its support and Rivera had to resign.

In April 1931, elections were held in Spain which resulted in republicans winning all the major cities in Spain. Alfonso decided to abdicate as he feared that if he stayed on, Spain would plummet into turmoil. Those victorious at the election then declared Spain a republic and monarchy was abolished.

The new republic immediately faced a number of major problems:

Two important regions in Spain wanted independence – Catalonia and the Basque region. Had their requests been successful, it would have lead to the break-up of Spain. The Roman Catholic Church was hostile to the republic and the republic was hostile to the highly influential Roman Catholic Church. The government believed that the army had too much say in politics and determined to reduce its influence. Spain was primarily an agricultural nation and the 1930’s Depression had hit prices for crops. Prime exports such as olive oil and wine fell in value and previously used agricultural land fell into disuse. The little industry that Spain had was also hit by the Depression. Iron and steel were especially hit as no-one had the money to pay for the products. Iron production fell by 33% and steel by 50%. Unemployment in both agriculture and industry rose and those in work had to put up with a cut in wages as the economy struggled to survive the Depression. The Republic faced losing the support of those whose support it desperately needed – the working class.

Those who governed Spain had differing views on what to do. The wishes of the left alarmed those on the right and vice versa. Political infighting was in danger of pushing Spain into social revolution.

The middle ground in Spain’s parliament – the socialists and middle-class radicals – did try to resolve outstanding problems.

Catalonia did receive some degree of self-government. The historic privileges of the Roman Catholic Church were attacked. Priests were no longer paid by the state. Their salaries now came out of the Roman Catholic Church’s purse. The government and the Roman Catholic Church were made two separate entities. Jesuits – seen as hard line Roman Catholics – were expelled from Spain – ironically the country that had founded the movement. Religious education in schools was stopped. Many army officers were made to retire early The huge estates in Spain were nationalised i.e. taken over by the government which would control what was done on them etc. The wages of those who worked in industry were increased but they were to be paid by the owners of those industries not by the government.

The government tried to attack those it deemed as having too many privileges in society. But by doing this it angered all those sectors in society that had the potential to fight back – the military, industrialists, land owners and the Roman Catholic Church. These four (potentially very powerful bodies) were unwilling to support the republican government in Madrid. They were also aware that there were countries in Europe that would be willing to give support to their plight as many nations in Europe were scared of communism and Stalin’s Russia. Fascist Italy under Mussolini would be an obvious ally as would Germany once Hitler had got power in January 1933.

In January 1932, a number of army officers tried to overthrow the government lead by Manuel Azana, the prime minister. The attempt was unsuccessful as the army, for now, was loyal to the government – after all, it had won the elections fairly and, therefore, had legitimacy. However, a new political party was formed called the Ceda. This was a right wing party dedicated to protecting the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and landlords.

The government of Azana, having lost support from the right, also lost support from the left. Two powerful left wing political parties, the anarchists and syndicalists (powerful trade union groups), felt that Azana’s government was too middle of the road. Both wanted a more communistic state and the overthrow of capitalism. Above all, Azana was despised for forming a political union with the middle ground in Spain’s political life. He was deemed to have betrayed the working class. The extreme left organised strikes and riots in an effort to destabilise the government of Azana.

Matters came to a head when in January 1933, 25 people were killed by government troops who were attempting to catch some anarchists near Cadiz. This lost the government a great deal of support among the working class and the socialists withdrew their support from the government. Azana resigned as prime minister and elections were called for November 1933.

In this election, the right wing won a majority of support and the largest party in the parliament (known as the Cortes), was the Ceda lead by Gil Robles.

The new right wing government immediately over-turned all of the changes brought in by the Azana government. This angered many but especially the Catalans who had their privileges withdrawn. This was a serious error of judgement as the Catalans and Basques had supported the government in the elections. The way ahead for Robles became clear to many – an attack on the left wing parties of Spain.

It forced the many parties of the left to come together to form the Popular Front. They organised strikes, riots and took part in acts of violence such as derailing main line trains. In 1934 there was a general strike. Coal miners in the Asturias went on strike but were ruthlessly put down by the army lead by General Franco . Spain appeared to be heading for all out chaos. In a last minute attempt to avoid serious trouble, a general election was called for February 1936. In this election, the Popular Front won and Azana, once again became prime minister.

However, the government of the Popular Front was a farce after the socialists withdrew their support from it; more and more public disturbances occurred and the government had clearly lost control of Spain. In July 1936, a leading right wing politician, Sotelo, was murdered and the right wing politicians and their supporters believed that they were now in serious danger. They wanted to put their faith in a military dictatorship.

The military had, in fact, already made preparations for a takeover of Spain. General Franco assumed control of the military. He took control of Spanish Morocco after overthrowing the civilian government there. His next target was to invade mainland Spain, establish a military government there and rid the country of all those involved in left wing politics. The left would have to fight for survival. The civil war started in July 1936.

causes of spanish civil war essay

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This unit on the causes of the Spanish Civil War can be followed with a study of the events of the Spanish Civil War .

causes of spanish civil war essay

Causes of the Spanish Civil War: Introduction and Overview Worksheet

This worksheet helps students understand the significance of the Spanish Civil War. It should be used in conjunction with this PowerPoint Presentation .

Causes of the Spanish Civil War: Interactive Newsfeed

Students complete a series of notes "against the clock" using this interactive newsfeed activity which gives them a detailed account of the main events in Spanish History leading up to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1936. They then use their completed notes to complete this timeline worksheet , organising their ideas into those which promoted stability, and those which promoted instability. Finally, events are colour coded according to whether they are social, religious, military, regional or political in nature. Follow-up questions help students to reach some provisional conclusions.

20 Question Factual Test

Designed to test and consolidate knowledge from the previous two activities.

Spain in 1923: Mapwork Task

Students are provided with essential information about the main locations relating to the economic, military, political, regional and social issues within Spain in the years immediately prior to the Spanish Civil War. This information is used to construct a labelled map or a Google Earth Tour designed to help students visually understand the issues.

Interactive Jigsaw Table Exercise: The Rule of Primo de Rivera

Students have to read each key event, then decide whether it represents success or failure and in what particular policy area. The computer gives a score at the end, writes up the information in the correct order, and provides follow-up questions.

Fling the Teacher Challenge: The Rule of Primo de Rivera

An interactive computer game to test factual knowledge. The first student to finish should be given 20 points; the second student 18; and so on. I build up a "Fling the Teacher Leaderboard" over the whole course to build up a bit of competition...!

The Spanish Second Republic

A worksheet in which students are given detailed information and then asked to analyse it in various ways.

Video Worksheet: Causes of the Spanish Civil War - Part 1, 1931-1935 | Completed Teacher Version

A structured worksheet based around a classic video documentary about the Spanish Civil War, which is available online.

Video Worksheet: Causes of the Spanish Civil War - Part 2, 1936 | Completed Teacher Version

Causes of spanish civil war: conclusion.

Students use this worksheet to summarise - and then crucially to connect - the various factors. They are then given advice on how to structure an essay.

Sourcework Exercise: The Causes of the Spanish Civil War

A selection of sources and questions designed to round off the unit.

KeyWord Challenge: The Causes of the Spanish Civil War

For instructions on how to play this game, click here .

Keyword Checker: The Causes of the Spanish Civil War

Students paste their essay into this interface and get a score based on how many keywords they have included. Excellent for ensuring topic coverage at first-draft phase.

Model Essay: "Analyse the causes of the Spanish Civil War"

A sample essay by RJ Tarr of www.activehistory.co.uk.

Interactive Essay Planning Tool: The Causes of the Spanish Civil War

Professor AJP Sailor takes 5 factors and connects them together in endless combinations to help students consider the Origins of Spanish Civil War and how to link factors in essays.

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Causes & Timeline of the Spanish Civil War

by World History Edu · November 20, 2019

Spanish Civil War Causes and Timeline

Causes and Timeline of the Spanish Civil War

Peace is not valued until war comes knocking at the door. The years between 1936 & 1939 were very bloody for Spanish citizens. During that time interval, the civil war in Spain killed more than 500,000 people. This huge loss signals how intense and bloody the Spanish Civil War was.

But what were the causes of this bloodbath in the Spanish lands? Here, we dig into the matters surrounding the ignition of this destructive Spanish Civil War and major events in its timeline.

Causes of the Spanish Civil War

Exploding in July 1936, the war in Spain soiled the 20th century; it was among the bloodiest wars ever to take place on the European continent. As the clock ticked further, humanity had to forcefully understand that the Spanish Civil War wasn’t only meant to be fought by Spanish citizens – foreign countries such as Soviet Union, Portugal, Italy, and Germany also got involved in the war.

On causes of the war, numerous factors came into play. But the most fundamental cause had a lot to do with the irresponsibility of the Spanish government. The country’s political factions had a problem with the operations of democracy.

At the turn of the 19th century, Spain wasn’t unified and stable. After its defeat during the 1898 Spanish-American War, Spain’s monarchy struggled with economic hardships. As a result of this, power occasionally lied in the hands of the military. Furthermore, various secular groups who supported anarchy and communism dreaded the growth of the Catholic Church. On the other hand, the elite populace was more economically sound than the other social classes, hence they saw communism as a threat to their wealth.

In the early 1930s, increased division and disparity among Spain’s social classes notched the country to a tipping point. In addition to the various political strife, the Catalan region in the northeast of the country wanted a complete breakaway from Spain; something that the central government wouldn’t raise a finger. The widespread division of Spain according to ideological and social lines, made possible the eruption of the bloody war that rocked the country to its core.

Here is a summary of the root causes of the Spanish Civil War:

Irresponsible Dictatorial Government

Spain maintained neutrality during World War I . But that didn’t give it peace nor prosperity. World War 1 ended with a major economic disaster. Both the poor and the employed class struggled to get their daily bread.

Poverty led people to group themselves along communist lines backed by anarchists. In rural communities, stronger peasants would do anything to succeed such as confiscating lands. The elite class could feel the bells of communism ringing close to their properties.

Meanwhile, monarchist leader and dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera couldn’t do anything to support the poor masses after coming into power in a 1923 coup. Rivera and his troops took power from King Alfonso XIII, but his failure to properly govern the people led to conflicts and divisions in Spain.

The Great Depression

In the 1930s, characterized by a catastrophe in every sector of the world, the Great Depression dealt a big blow to Spain which was already in ruins. Unemployment rose high to the skies. General Rivera did not have the slightest clue on how to manage Spain’s financial struggles. In the end, the army lost faith in him, forcing his resignation in the midst of troubles.

The New Republic Faced Challenges

A Spanish election in April 1931 ended with a resounding Republican victory. This victory saw Spain become a Republic, and the monarchy was discarded. However, the emergence of the new republic wasn’t a match for the myriads of problems that infected the nation.

The Spanish regions of Catalonia and Basque were interested in acquiring their own Independence. At that time, the Roman Catholic Church had a noticeable influence in Spain – this kept the Catholics at arm’s length from the Republican government.

To add fuel to fire, government realized that the military had way too much power which must be reduced immediately – army officers were forcefully retired from service.  The increased hardships also confused the new government, leaving them with dangerous options on their table.

Mistakenly, the government started targeting the comfort of the privileged classes, including Catholics, military men, industrialists, and landowners. By stepping on the wrong feet, resistances began to mount against the government. Political parties were formed with ulterior motives.

As early as 1932, military coup attempts led by Manuel Azana were made on the Republican government, but they were unsuccessful. In January 1933, tensions further escalated when government troops fatally shot 25 people in an attempt to arrest them. Additionally, the killing of Calvo Sotelo (of the right-wing) on July 13, 1936, wasn’t taken lightly.

Left parties united and founded the Popular Front party. More riots and protests occurred until the party won the 1936 elections; Azana became the Prime Minister. As more problems poured in, a full-blown Spanish Civil War ignited in July 1936 when General Francisco Franco’s army revolted against the Second Spanish Republic.

Spanish Civil War Timeline

Causes and timeline of the Spanish Civil War

Timeline of the Spanish Civil War

February: The Popular Front party won big time in the election ; Azana was made Prime Minister (president).

March-May: The Falange Party was halted. Riots, protests, and strike actions rocked Spain.

July : Uprisings in Spanish Morocco and other places, followed by the dissolution of the regular army. Adolf Hitler (Germany) supported the Nationalists (the rebels). The Soviets backed Republicans. Italy flew Franco’s army to Spain’s mainland.

August : Volunteers from International Brigade alighted in Spain to support Republicans.

February : Spanish Nationalists started attacking Republicans. The International Brigade resisted the attacks.

March: General Franco aborted Madrid invasion because Italian volunteers were defeated in the Battle of Guadalajara.

April : Bombs from the air left Guernica in tatters.

May: Barcelona weakened by the fallout of Republicans.

June: Bilbao city conquered by Nationalists.

August : General Franco’s regime got recognition from the Vatican.

April : The Nationalists divided Spain into two.

May : Franco called for a complete surrender of Republicans.

July : Republican army weakened following the Battle of the Ebro.

October : International Brigade departed Spain.

January : General Franco overpowered Barcelona.

February : France and the UK duly recognized Franco’s regime.

March : Madrid, the Spanish capital, bowed down to General Franco.

April: Republicans finally agreed that General Francisco Franco had won; they surrendered completely.

FACT CHECK : At worldhistoryedu.com, we strive for utmost accuracy and objectivity. But if you come across something that doesn’t look right, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below.

Tags: Civil Wars General Franco Military History Spain Spanish Civil War Era Spanish Civil War Timeline Timeline

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Home Lessons Modern History Spanish Civil War The Causes of the Spanish Civil War

The Causes of the Spanish Civil War Worksheet Lesson Plan

The Causes of the Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War was a complex and multifaceted conflict fought between 1936 and 1939 and had far-reaching political, social, and economic consequences for Spain and the wider world. The “Causes of the Spanish Civil War Worksheet” is a comprehensive and engaging lesson plan designed to provide students with a deep understanding of the underlying factors that led to the outbreak of this conflict. This lesson plan covers a wide range of topics, including the war’s political, regional, military, socio-economic and religious aspects. It is perfect for history teachers who want to engage their students with this historic event’s complex and nuanced nature.

Through a range of critical thinking exercises, essay plans, and a class debate, this lesson plan will help students to develop their analytical skills, hone their ability to think critically and gain a deeper appreciation of the causes and consequences of the Spanish Civil War. In addition, the interactive and engaging nature of the activities included in this lesson plan will help to foster a sense of curiosity and excitement in students about history and its relevance to their lives and the world around them.

“Causes of the Spanish Civil War Worksheet” is designed to be adaptable to various educational settings and can be used in multiple ways, depending on the needs and interests of individual students and classes. Whether you are teaching a unit on modern European history or want to give your students a deeper understanding of the Spanish Civil War, this lesson plan is the perfect tool to help you achieve your goals.

Overall, the “Causes of the Spanish Civil War Worksheet” is an essential tool for any history teacher who wants to inspire their students to engage with history in a meaningful and thought-provoking way and to help them develop the skills they need to become effective critical thinkers and engaged global citizens. With this lesson plan, your students will gain a deeper understanding of the complex and nuanced nature of history and be better equipped to make sense of the world around them.

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  • Case Study: Spanish Civil War
  • Topic 11: Causes and effects of 20th Century wars

causes of spanish civil war essay

More than half a million people would die in a war described by Antony Beevor in his book, The Battle for Spain, as ‘Spain’s tragedy’.

The Spanish Civil war is an example of a European civil war which whose outcome was determined largely by foreign intervention.

There are separate pages for ATL on the causes, practices and effects of this war

There is a student exemplar using the Spanish Civil War as a case study here: Causes and effects of 20th Century wars: Graded student examples  

1. Spanish Civil War: Causes (ATL)

After over a century of social, economic and political division, the Spanish Civil War broke out in July 1936 when an attempted military coup failed and the country descended into internal conflict

2. Spanish Civil War: Practices (ATL)

The Spanish Civil War was fought between the Republicans and The Nationalists. However it was protracted by, and possibly ultimately determined by, foreign interventions. The historian Beevor suggested...

3. Spanish Civil War: Effects (ATL)

This page contains ATL to get students thinking about both the domestic and international impact of the Spanish Civil War. Guiding questions:What was the human cost of the Spanish Civil War?

4. Spanish Civil War: Essay planning for Paper 2

The Spanish Civil War: essay planningThis page contains essay plans and essay writing activities on the Spanish Civil War. For comparative essays involving the Spanish Civil war please go to the comparative...

6. Spanish Civil War: Videos and activities

On this page you will find video links to documentaries on the Spanish Civil War and ideas for using these videos.This is a brief but entertaining and informative snapshot of life as one of the volunteers...

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Analyse the causes of the Spanish Civil War

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This essay will focus on the causes that led to the Spanish Civil war, concentrating on the political, social and economic problems. There will both be long and short term causes which created tensions that intensified over time. In the 19 th  century, Spain had struggled between periods of conservation and liberalism. There were many reasons that caused division and instability before and during the 1930's.

        

To begin with, the long-term causes all added up to each other to create the outbreak of the civil war. Politically, the fact that from 1871, Spain had been a constitutional monarchy meant that it was democratically ruled even though the Cortes was elected by male population. The real power was actually held by the wealthy oligarchs; the two main parties out of these were very similar and the elections were corrupted. Consequently, people were 'invited' to oppose the system without excluding violence.

Spain, once rich and powerful, had been in decline for centuries as it was a rural and pre-industrial country, and underdeveloped compared to the other major countries. They were experiencing growth in power and wealth. Ironically, the reason for its decline was actually too much wealth. This was because it allowed the country to buy rather than produce up until 1898, where during the Spanish-American war, Spain not only lost its importance but its American Empire and the Philippines. In fact, after having lost the main source of income, Spain was not immediately prepared to produce and export for itself as it was mainly rural. The economic power as well as the social position with the nearby countries declined.

The living standards of the agricultural workers were the key factor which led to a general discontent in the civil war. Spain's main source of employment, agriculture, was inefficient. It did not provide enough food and work; people had to migrate in search for a job and the gap between the rich and poor was immense. In the countryside rioting often broke out and no help from the Civil Guard was present. The Church also gave no support, making people look up to some groups, such as the anarchists. These argued for the redistribution of the land. Yet, many of the Catholic small landowners were conservative, and were exploited by the Catholic Agrarian Federation which provided support to Franco during the war. Industrially, there was also a need for change; modernization and reforms were vital. There had always been little Spanish industrialization in the 19 th  century. Workers in towns faced low wages, long hours and unregulated working conditions, poor housing and limited provision of health and welfare. This situation led to the growth of trade unionism, but these competed with each other and failed to achieve anything reasonable. The workers' political parties had no real power with no legal means of improving their situation. After WW1 Spain faced inflation and shortages, the living standards of the working class went down, there were also many violent conflicts between employers and employees, particularly in industrial cities.

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Political issues also rose in Spain, there were a number of groups which opposed the political status in the country. All the political groups had different ideas which led to the violent conflict in 1936. The liberal movement in Spain had achieved very little in opposing conservative forces. Although they still remained a political force and supported the revolution against the King in 1931. The PSOE (Partido Docialista Obrero Español) had a limited impact, whereas the UGT was more successful in organizing strikes and protests. The socialists and the liberals were important during the revolution of 1931, although these were divided because they argued over what reforms should take place. The other major political groups in Spain were the anarchists; they were the ones who demanded the redistribution of the land, which was popular within the peasants. Their trade union was the CNT and organized strikes and protests. The most extreme anarchists were called the FAI (Spanish Anarchist Federation), which came about with the ideas of bombing and assassinations.

Following the long term causes which were mentioned previously, the Spanish Army and the Church also played a significant role. Due to Spain's imperial past, the army had a great political power, which permitted it to interfere in politics during the crisis. The army intervened several times, but it's most important intervention was in 1936, aiming to lead to a civil war. The army was although unpopular for its reputation; it was brutal and very expensive to maintain. Also, it proved to be ineffective a couple of times, for example in 1921 when it was sent to put down a revolt in Morocco but was massacred by the rebellious Moors.

The Catholic Church was rich and powerful, even after long disputes, it also had control over education. The Church, over time, had used its wealth to gain not only social influence but political as well. The key role it played was its support of conservatism, meaning that it defended and encouraged the upper classes, leaving the poor full of resentment. This feeling was confined to the urban areas as the Church was popular in rural areas. Also disagreeable, the Church controlled most of the land.

Another important point is the fall of the monarchy, due to a coup, which was followed by the establishment of the second republic. Under King Alfonso XII, Spain was far from modernization, the war in Morocco ended unsuccessfully and, after a series of unsuccessful governments, no resistance was made in response to De Rivera's coup of 1923. De Rivera tried to establish a right wing regime to solve problems in a similar way to the Italian fascist model, even though he was not a fascist. He tried infrastructure programs and tried to develop the industrial production. He planned to give employment to people and enrich Spain. Another example to support this view is that he ended the war in Morocco, which was not only humiliating, but very expensive as well. His plans though were brought to an end by the massive debts that crippled Spain when the Wall Street Crash happened. As a consequence, financial problems and unemployment caused the army to withdraw support and General Primo De Rivera had to resign. The municipal election in April showed the preference, for the San Sebastian Pact, coalition of parties. This included republicans, liberals, socialists and Catalans, the King decided to go to exile and he was not saved by the Church or Army. The second republic was then established.

The period of the left republic between April 1931 and November 1933 helped to cause tension in Spain between the people. As soon as Azana came to power, his main aim was to modernize Spain, the reforms done angered the conservative right, that eventually rebelled. In the case of the clergy, Azana planned to amend the conservative policy, revolutionizing all the benefits of the church, such as the control of education and state economic support. Other evidence is the army that was also attacked. Azana offered an early retirement with full pay, accepted by fifty percent of the army. This meant that only the loyal army remained and the government had more payments. Each reform went against the right ideologies, causing tension to rise and the collapse of the left republic, which will rise again for the last time before the crisis to happen.  

The right republic came to power in November 1933, because of the bad reputation the left was getting, by smoking out anarchists and killing many opposition, causing the loss of support from the left republic working class. This lead to a complete revolt in Spain, that went completely against left modernizing policies, eventually causing damage to the citizens.  When Gil Robles came to power, with his CEDA( Confederacion Española de Derechas Autonomas), he took some cabinet posts and started reversing everything. The two years he remained in power where know as black years because the citizens became very poor. The policies he reversed included the state payments restored to the church, and their control of the education and the halting of the land distribution program. This led to Catalonia declaring itself independent, causing a rebellion that was put down, so now the Left was feeling threated of other strikes. The results were that Caballero, a person who thought that the CEDA could be considered the Nazi party and that the left should adopt a Soviet- style solution, articulated policies that angered Gil Robles and united more the left factions. Therefore, this period was fundamental for the beginning of the Spanish Civil War because it made tensions between the parties  increase and the rivalry between the opposing factions to rise.

The small period between the fall of the Right republic and the Spanish civil war break out was dominated by the Left, by the Popular Front. This period contains the most violent actions and shows how the tension was at the peak and the war could have been the only solution. This group was anti-fascist, collected left groups such as socialists and communists and was not popular as the name suggested. The name is also associated to Stalin because his party was called in the same way. This could mean that this party might have followed Caballero’s suggestions or to show Spain what their mentality was. Azana came back to power, he was liberal and wanted to restore the modern policies and release political prisoners, this angered the right. In addition anarchists increased violence, wanted peasants to seize land and had a severe conflict with fascism because of opposing ideologies. The disorder created severe strikes throughout June, and there was a feeling of revolution. This was the main cause why Spain started to be in a revolutionary  phase, helping the war to break out.

In this paragraph I am going to analyze the causes of the coup started in 17 th  July 1936 that involved Africa and was the last spark that gave an opportunity for the war to begin. The plan for the coup began as soon as the Popular front came to power in February 1936. Gil Robles, including Mola and Franco, supported it. The assassination of a popular CEDA leader in July 1936 was the catalyst for the coup. Indeed Azana tried to prevent the coup by moving key military figures. The coup was organized at the 18 th of July, but when the details were discovered it was moved to the 17 th . Overall it was a fail, they managed to take parts of north Spain and Andalusia, but not Madrid nor industrial areas. On the other hand, half of the army remained loyal to the republic. In conclusion, my belief is that without external support such as Gil Robles, Franco, Mola and Africanistas, the republicans would have won.

In conclusion, the causes of the Spanish Civil War were many, ranging from the military instability to the political inefficiency, involving even the peasants to desire a war for change. In the period of the war, Spain was divided in several political parties and ideas but people were grouped under two main names: the Nationalists and the Revolutionaries. Alliances were consolidated inside the groups but nevertheless there were internal fights as well (for example, communists and anarchists, with different objectives, were part of one group). The Spanish situation involved even other countries even though European heads had a pact which was meant to give no help to Spain. Germany was a major supplier  in army and armaments because, in preparation of the Second World War, he wanted to test his new equipment. Italy as well helped, following Germany in supplying men and equipment. On the opposition’s side instead Russia refurnished the country in exchange of gold and young men from around the world helped forming what was called the International Brigade. In the end though, Spain was so damaged and poor that it did not participate in the Second World War. If it had though, it would have probably been on Germany’s side; would have this changed the results of war?

Analyse the causes of the Spanish Civil War

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  • Author Type Student
  • Word Count 2071
  • Page Count 3
  • Level International Baccalaureate
  • Subject History
  • Type of work Homework assignment

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Sample essay: causes of the spanish civil war.

“To what extent did political factors lead to the outbreak of one 20th century civil war you have studied?”

The Spanish Civil War lasting from 1936 to 1939 was fought between the left-leaning Republicans and right-wing Nationalists. The civil war was a manifestation of political, economic, social and ideological rifts that existed within Spain from the late 19th century. Political instability exhibited through the long-term trend of polarisation within religion and wealth, and the short-term turnismo system exacerbated the tensions between the left and right wing, resulting in the Civil War. The following essay will evaluate the effects of political instability against other economic and ideological factors in causing the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War.

Long-term political instability created polarised conditions conducive to the outbreak of the civil war. The rise of independence movements by Catalonians, Basques and Galicians advocating “Home Rule” led to political instability on a national scale. These regions were neglected by central government with only 5% of Catalan contributions returned in public spending, fuelling separatist movements such as the Basque PNV and Catalan Lliga Regionalista. The regionalist phenomenon was significant in fuelling polarisation between left-leaning elements who were pro-independence, against the right-wing supporting a centralised Spain. Political violence of 200 protestors being killed in Barcelona shows rising political instability between separatists and right-wing establishment. Similarly on a local level, political divisions occurred due to the undemocratic political system. Local caciques rigged elections in favour of elite interests and the Civil Guard forcefully maintained order in the countryside. Thus despite peasants forming 69% of the population in 1900, they were denied political representation. The sustained neglect of political representation engendered anti-establishment sentiments, with peasants harbouring resentment towards the monarchy and other right-wing political entities. This long-term phenomenon created a polarised political climate with conflicting interests within society, setting the scene of political instability by creating ideological splits denoted by social class. The culmination of the compounded resentment was shown through the 1931 Election on Conuation of Monarchical Rule whereupon the dissatisfied majority of the population voted for a democratic republic. This triggering the trend of Turnismo politics throughout the 1930s between left and right-wing that would explode into civil war. The political instability in Spain was worsened by the frequent military interventions that weakened the power of the monarchy, with 43 military interventions between 1814 to 1923. The army was a conservative and powerful institution, exhibited in Primo de Rivera’s coup in 1923 which led to a two year dictatorship characterised by strong censorship and authoritarianism. The conservative power of the military opposed progressive reforms, polarising the divide between right and left. Thus the frequent military interventions evidence influence of military in the political sphere, having the long-term impact of making the right-wing dependent on military force to maintain power. This directly contributed to the military coup in 1936 by right-wing General Franco against the Republican government, triggering off the Spanish Civil War. Therefore the long-term trend of political divides and militarised politics resulted in the outbreak of civil war. 

The economic failures of the Spanish government worsened the divisions within Spanish society. Economic failures were prevalent in rural areas, with 2.5 million landless and poor braceros in the countryside, the average peasant only able to find work for 200 days a year. Latifundias who owned large agricultural estates contrasted with the Southwestern Spanish peasants working as agricultural labourers and tenants. Economic suffering in rural areas resulted in the rise of anarcho-syndicalism, resulting in the 1855 General strike and 1909 peasant General Strike. The physical violence evidences the impact of economic issues on awakening the political consciousness of the rural areas, creating a polarised political climate conducive to civil war. In urban contexts, inner city slums charged high rent and workers lacked legal protection. Unequal wealth distribution led to workers and peasants resenting the grandees wealthy Church. Urban left-wing grassroot movements and workers’ unions rose in popularity with UGT and CNT boasting 700 000 members by 1918. The rise of anarcho-syndicalism in the countryside and cities manifested in support for socialist Azana to become Prime Minister in 1931. The above long-term economic failures of the government were exacerbated by the onslaught of the Great Depression in 1930. Prime exports olive oil and wine fell in value and industrial production of steel fell by 50% and iron by 33% by 1935, with overall unemployment rising to 13% in 1934. The government’s failure to solve these immediate economic crises disproportionately hurt peasants and lower-middle class workers, intensifying public anger against the existing political system seen in the 1934 Asturian Miners’ Uprising which killed 34. Previously mentioned militarised politics resulted in use of violence being the de facto response to urban tensions. The economic failures intensified anger and violence to overthrow existing political system, priming Spain for civil war between the disenfranchised poor and wealthy elites. However, Historian Ben-Ami provides positive evidence of economic progress under Rivera’s dictatorship through building highway networks and stimulating industrial growth. This urbanisation led to the growth of the middle-class, paving the rise of Republicanism which aligned with the middle-class’ desires. In evaluation, Ben-Ami’s argumentation is more convincing as he shows the long-term effects of economic urbanisation in cultivating the rise of the working class, who became the target audience for the Socialist party that capitalised on the government’s failure in the Great Depression, resulting in them winning 115 seats in the 1931 elections against the right-wing’s 50 seats.

Ideological divisions within Spain further contributed to nationwide instability that would result in the civil war. The rise in anarcho-syndicalism in workers and peasants contradicted with the conservatism of right-wing parties and the church and army. The Catholic Church had great influence in Spain, controlling education as the state religion under the 1851 Concordat. To protect their power, they restricted education such that 64% of the population was illiterate and spread anti-left propaganda. The army which backed the conservative monarchy similarly faced weakened power due to the loss of the empire with colonies Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines lost during the war with America in 1898. The ideological split between the church-army-monarchy which opposed the welfare reforms supported by socialist movements fuelled the reactionary stance by the church and army. Anti-clerical attacks on religious buildings in Madrid and Andalucia in May 1931 and the 1931 anti-clerical Azana reforms nationalised church property and separated religion from state, reducing the church’s power. Similarly for the army, the December 1931 new Republic Constitution excluded the army and church from Presidential elections and Azana closed down military camps in Sarajosa. The two institutions faced rising hostility against their power and to preserve their control, the church and army firmly backed the right-wing Nationalists. Thus the fundamental ideological rift between religiously-affiliated power structure and popular consensus led to the outbreak of the civil war due to both sides asserting their own ideologies. 

A further cause of the Spanish Civil War was the short-term political instability seen in Turnismo politics with power swinging between the left and right-wing successively. The left-wing government under Azana instituted socialist reforms including the 1932 Agrarian Law and anti-clerical 1933 Association Law. However, the reforms failed to address rural problems with the Agrarian Law successfully resettling only 10% of 60 000 farming families, with 72% of unemployed still residing in rural areas. Azana’s unpopularity rose with the peasants and alienation of rich landowners resulted in the right-wing CEDA coalition winning the 1933 elections, catalysing the Bieno Negro from 1934-36 revised the left-wing reforms. The power swing was repeated again in the 1936 elections when the left-wing Popular Front won the elections. Thus the Turnismo politics created a hyper-polarised political climate between left and right-wing. The constant exchange of power made the political system unproductive as neither side in power could achieve concrete reforms, fuelling outrage from both left and right-wing and providing justification for conflict. This was exacerbated by the formation of blocs with umbrella movements like CEDA merging all the right-wing parties in 1933 and the Popular Front merging all left-wing parties in 1936. Thus the left became increasingly radical with the absorption of anarchists, socialists and communists under one bloc; the right became increasingly reactionary through the absorption of the facist Falange Party This eradicated the spectrum of moderate parties, instead making two giant conflicting radicalised movements, fuelling increased disorder with 339 murdered and 331 strikes. The short-term political polarisation escalated tensions on both sides, with CEDA, Falange, the Carlists and Alfonsists planning a right-wing coup against the Popular Front. Political polarisation directly catalysed the Monarchist military coup by General Franco in July 1936, officially starting the Spanish Civil War. Therefore the short-term political instability accelerated the outbreak of the civil war by igniting the deeply-rooted political tensions.

In conclusion, political factors to a large extent played a substantial role in causing the Spanish Civil War. The long-term political instability caused by conflicting interests of different social groups resulted in the rise of left-wing parties that appealed to disenfranchised groups, creating a polarised political climate. The outbreak of war in 1936 was a direct result of escalating polarisation between the left and right wing through the formation of political blocs that encouraged radicalism, political violence triggering the conflict.

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