Causes of the Spanish Civil War

•  Long term
• Weakness of gov: Cortes the official parliament – corrupt politicians and elections = landowning classes. Parties a sham.
• Economic causes: Rural Spain: severe poverty among rural Spaniards. Land owned by the Grandees in the south and very small plots in the north. No support of change from church. Many peasants conservative and resistant to socialist ideas – exploited
• Spanish army: “protector of the Spanish people”. Very conservative, ineffective, brutal = unpopular among the people but protected by upper middle class and upper classes due to ranks in army. Army traditionally intervenes in politics with coup d’etats. 
• The church: Very conservative, very rich. Social and political influence in education, economically. Aristocracy tied to the church – senior clergy. Unpopular among urban people, more popular in the country.
• by the CAF (federation which supports farmers in return for rejection of socialism). Farmers later support Franco.
• Workers. Low wages, long hours, unregulated working conditions – growth in trade unionism (UGT) (CNT) – however, internal competition so little progress.  --- Violence seems appealing!
• Regions: Catalonia and the Basque want independence. Primo de Rivera repeals self-gov in Catalonia – Catalonian forces support republican movement.
• Political opposition: Liberal movement, socialist party, anarchists.
• Fall of the monarchy 1931: Primo de Rivera has ruled Spain as a dictator – fascist model. Tried to address Spain’s problems by creating better infrastructure, irrigation schemes, industrial production. At the same time: takes away Catalonian self-gov, censorship of press. Wall Street Crash: Massive debt as a result of reforms leads Spain into huge debts. Loses support of army and landowners and steps down.  Republicans win the municipal elections and king steps down = Second Republic.
• Preston: social instability underneath due to static political system with limited number of voters – forces population to resort to violence.
• Short term
• Preston: In 1931, only the ‘lunatics’ on the extreme right and left believed that war was inevitable.
• Second Republic: The Left Republic (1931-1933)
• Spanish army: reduces officer numbers by 50 percent on full wage , Saragossa academy closed. CONSEQUENCE:  army radicalized /even more conservative as only hardliners are left (conservatives and nationalists)
• Church: loss of control of education,  state payment to clergy to be stopped . CONSEQUENCE: alienates the church and the landowning classes.
• Economy: Very poor due to Depression. Fall in industrial and farming production , unemployment on the rise. Reform: Land redistribution programme 1932. Estates taken by state and redistributed to peasants. CONSEQUENCE: Expensive! Due to lack of money for the change, only 7,000 families benefit: Angers the peasants: change happens too slowly. Landowning classes threatened – fear Soviet system is coming to Spain!
• The regions: Catalonia given its own parliament and some control of education. CONSEQUENCE: Right wing parties angered – break up of Spain???
• Political opposition:  Civil unrest dealt with brutally.  (1932, 1933. Repressed by loyal army) CEDA established (right wing party resembling nazi party) to protect landowners  = Spain is becoming increasingly politically divided.
• Why did it fail
• Historians A: Failure of land reforms
• Historian B (Preston): Right wing never gave republic a chance.
• Azana lost support of workers when he cracked down on anarchists and killed 25 people.
•  “Spain’s underlying conflicts are simply transmitted into politics”.
•  Right Republic: 1933-36
• Why a Right Republic? – Due to disunity on the left!
• CEDA gets government posts. Right wing gov. rules Spain for two years (1933-36).
• Rolls back all the reforms of the previous gov.
• Church: Control of education restored, church paid by state.
• Economy: land reforms halted.
• The regions: Catalonia declares itself independent, miners’ uprising 1934. Crushed by army.  Consequence:  Violent suppression increases likelihood of war (historians!), Basques no longer support the right.
• The Popular Front: Feb-Jul 1936         
• A political response to the right (Center /left)
• What is the Popular Front: Anti-fascist pact, including both socialist and communist.
• Some saw it as final attempt to uphold democracy, others associated it with Stalin
• Azana: tries to restore pre 1933 reforms. However, socialists do not join gov & right does not accept reforms. Anarchists encourage peasants to seize land – conflict between Falange movement , CEDA and FAI (anarchists)à increased violence in the countryside (organized bombings and assassination)
• Several strikes: The right feared a left wing revolution!
• Immediate
• The victory of the Popular Front in 36 threw CEDA into turmoil
• Gil Robles (CEDA) supports a military coup
• Coup Created by extreme nationalist group of junior officers (Mola and Franco)
• The Catalysts: the murder of a popular CEDA leader.
• Falange and ‘Carlist’ group joins in
• Spain divided between two groups :
• Group 1: inspired by the Soviet
• Group 2: inspired by Hitler and Mussolini
• à Both fearing each other