The Origins of the Spanish Civil War
by Sue Wilkinson

The nature of the topic

The Spanish Civil War and its origins have proved to be one of the most emotive and contentious issues of twentieth-century History. Ever since pictures of the devastation of Guernica in 1937, allegedly by the German Condor Legion, impinged on the consciousness from cinema screens around the world, it has both fascinated and horrified to such an extent that many thousands of contemporaries made their way to Spain, often in very difficult circumstances, to fight ‘the Fascists’ and defend ‘democracy’ and their principles. Over time, as one would expect, assessments have become more objective, but the issues remain complex. Why did the Spanish Civil War happen? Was it primarily a domestic civil war? If so, what sort of domestic war was it? Or was it an international war? So why did the international community choose to involve itself - or not, in the case of Britain and France - in this conflict? The weight of opinion now favours the primacy of domestic factors, but the debate continues. ...

The vital first steps

As with all discussions on causation, the first question is where to start. This is far from clear, as longer-term ‘factors’ create the circumstances in which the shorter-term 'causes' become significant. A wide approach should be adopted. Start with a very basic and brief overview of Spanish History. This will familiarise you with issues that have been important in shaping the Spanish national identity and give you a picture of Spain on the eve of the Civil War. Try to find out about and consider the significance of the following:

ANTECEDENTS

Regional and religious divisions. How important have physical features, such as rivers and mountains been in creating distinct regional identities with widely differing cultures, traditions, languages and perspectives? How has the North African Moorish or Muslim control of Southern Spain until the seventeenth century impacted on its cultural development and made it distinct from the European Catholic influence in the North?

Social and economic divisions. Spain, by the beginning of the twentieth century, was a society of extreme wealth for the landowners, the Church and the army. It was also a society of abject poverty for the vast majority, most of whom still worked in agriculture . Late economic development meant that industry was largely confined to the northern provinces, for example Catalonia. Find out why the social and economic divisions were so great and think about how this might have contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.

Political divisions. Political power rested with those that dominated socially and economically, but as the twentieth century progressed they found themselves increasingly threatened by those - and there were many - with grievances. The braceros, the industrial workers, the peoples of the Basque region, Catalonia and Galicia, to name just a few, gave their support to an ever more confusing array of political groups, from the anarchists on the extreme left of the political spectrum to the Carlists, Alfonsine Monarchists and, by the mid-1930s, the Fascists on the extreme right, in an attempt to achieve redress. Find out about all the key political influences and remember that there were shades of opinion within political parties and groups, especially on the question of the form of government, whether it was Monarchy or Republic. Think about the relationship - if any - between political affiliation, social class, religious conviction and regional identity.

Primo de Rivera's rule, 1923-30. General Primo de Rivera effectively ruled Spain from 1923, when he staged a ‘pronunciamiento’ to safeguard the Monarchy after the humiliating defeat by the Moroccans in 1921 at Annual, until he lost the support of the army in 1930. He tried to introduce a number of social reforms. But did he genuinely want to unite society, or was he a self-seeking egotist? Did he move too fast, or too slow? Did he make civil war more or less likely?

The Second Republic. The Second Republic came to power amidst scenes of great popular jubilation and rejoicing in April 1931 when the King, Alfonso XIII, finally departed Spain. Despite this, the following five years saw three changes of government and a significant polarisation of both society and politics. You will need knowledge of the different governments to help you decide why the Second Republic did not succeed and a civil war ensued.

Fundamental issues

Now that you have familiarised yourself with key events and issues in Spain before the Civil War, you should be able to study the main interpretations of the causes of the Spanish Civil War. Focus on the following important analytical questions:

a) Why, despite its achievements, did the Second Republic prove so unstable? Could democracy have survived, or was it doomed from the start? Was a dictatorship the only form of government possible in a society so divided?

b) If the military rising of July 1936 had succeeded, would there have been a civil war, or just another ‘coup’ and shift of political direction?

c) Was it primarily a domestic civil war, or an international war? Would there have been a civil war without the 
international involvement?

d) If it was primarily a domestic civil war, what sort of war was it? Was it a class war, or one between the political left and right, or even more specifically between Communism and Fascism? Was it a war over the form of government, democracy or dictatorship, republic or monarchy? Perhaps it was a regionalists war, or a religious war? Or was it a combination of these, with people taking the opportunity to vent their own grievances - whatever they may be?

e) If it was primarily an international war, why did countries choose to involve themselves, or not, as the case may be? Were they ideological principles or national interests that determined their course of action? Was it a chance for the European Powers to rehearse their positions and test their weapons prior to the greater conflict to come?

High-grade Issues

If you feel you have begun to grapple with the above issues, here are some more questions to challenge you:

• Were Franco and the Nationalists Fascist? Were the Republicans Communists? Why has the Civil War sometimes been seen as a war between the Fascists and the Communists?
• How significant was the media in democratic nations in influencing the popular perception of the Spanish Civil War as one between Fascism and Communism? To what extent can the International Brigades be seen as a response to this? 
• Consider the relative importance of long and short term factors in explaining the origins of the Spanish Civil War.
• Think about how interpretations of the Civil War have changed over time. Why, until recently, was it seen as an international war, whereas now domestic factors are considered crucial?
• Is it possible to reach a definitive conclusion on the nature of the Spanish Civil War? Why is this?

Reading Suggestions

Coverage of this topic is very variable in general twentieth century texts. You really need to use specialist books and articles. Among the most accessible are Harry Browne’s Spain's Civil War, Patricia Knight’s The Spanish Civil War and Sheelagh M. Ellwood’s text of the same title. There are also some excellent articles and in-depth volumes by Paul Preston. Do remember to read widely, as the topic is so complex that no one book or historian can do it justice.

Exam Questions

• Why, by 1936, were Spaniards unable to live in peace with each other?
• Which was the more important in ensuring the victory of Franco and the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War: the support they enjoyed among Spaniards or the roles played in the course of the conflict by foreign powers?
• How far did the policies and actions of foreign powers decide the outcome of the Spanish Civil War?
• Why did the Monarchy fall in Spain in 1931?
• ‘The struggle was only incidentally one between Fascism and Communism.’ Discuss this view of the Spanish Civil War.