Spanish Second Republic and Civil War

  • Period: 1936 BCE to 1939 BCE

    Evolution of war

    The war lasted nearly three years (1936–1939). There were three phases:
    The Campaign Around Madrid (July 1936 – March 1937)
    The North Front (April – October 1937)
    The End of the War (October 1937 – April 1939)
  • 1933 BCE

    Bienio conservador

    Bienio conservador
    The “center–right” political parties won the elections in 1933. The new government from the Radical party of Lerroux, with the support of CEDA, stopped the reforms that the previous government had started.
    In 1934, there were new ministers from the CEDA, the left-wing parties did not accept
    them and they decided to get the power in a non-democratic way so there was the October
    revolution:
    1. The revolution succeeded in Asturias
    2. In Catalonia: the autonomous government supported the revolt
  • Period: 1931 BCE to 1933 BCE

    Bienio Reformista

    Between 1931 and 1933, Azaña was the president of the government. There were severalreforms during these years.
    Agrarian reform
    Catalonia got its autonomy
    Military reform
    Labour reforms
    Education reform
    Civil marriages and divorce were regulated
  • Opposition to these reforms

    Wealthy landowners, high Church hierarchy and Army officers were against the reforms. They considered them radical.
    Anarchists and trade unions were also against them, but because they considered them too light.
    In August 1932, there was a coup d'etat led by General Sanjurjo in Seville, but it failed.
  • There were local elections

    There were local elections
    On the 12th April 1931, there were local elections. In general,
    supporters of the monarchy won the elections but Republicans
    won in most of the provincial capitals, less dominated by local
    caciques, so they considered themselves the real winners.
  • Spanish Civil War

    Spanish Civil War
    The army rebelled in the Peninsula on the 18th July 1936. The coup was accepted by the church and followed by part of the army, carlistas political parties, monarchists, conservatives and falanxistas, these called themselves Nationalists. The coup divided Spain in two parts. Nationalists controlled most part of both Castelas, Galicia, Cáceres, part of western Andalucía, Navarra, Baleares (except Menorca) and the Canary Islands.
  • Spanish Civil War outside Spain

    Spanish Civil War outside Spain
    The Spanish Civil War divided public opinion everywhere. Britain and France convened a conference and afterwards they signed an agreement not to interfere. They were afraid that this war could become an international conflict.
    But both sides had foreign help:
    • The USSR supported the Republic
    • The Nationalists received arms and soldiers from the fascist Italy and the Nazi Germany.