La guerra civil espaola (The Spanish civil war) 1936-1939
Slide 2
Leading up to the war 1923: General Miguel Primo de Rivera
became dictator of Spain; Alfonso XIII was King of Spain, but his
government was corrupt and inefficient. He agreed that General
Primo de Rivera should take control.
Slide 3
1930s: Economic depression in Spain. Primo de Rivera was unable
to fix the countrys financial problems. The army withdrew its
support for him and he was forced to resign. April 1931: Elections
in Spain the Republicans (so- called because they wanted Spain to
be a Republic, instead of a monarchy) won. Alfonso XIII abdicated
(left the throne) and the monarchy was abolished. However, the new
government faced many problems
Slide 4
Poor economy & high unemployment Hostility between the new
government and the influential Catholic Church Hostility between
the new government and the army The Pas Vasco and Catalua regions
of Spain wanted independence, threatening to break the country
apart.
Slide 5
War breaks out The Republicans were composed of different
factions (some more right- wing, some more left-wing) and had a
hard time uniting to confront the problems facing Spain as well as
political challenges. General Francisco Franco had been viewed as
politically dangerous and had been sent to the Canary Islands;
however, he took control of Spanish Morocco in 1936, then moved on
to mainland Spain, determined to throw the Republicans out of
government.
Slide 6
Franco was a fascist: he was able to get support from Nazi
Germany and Fascist Italy, as well as from neighboring Portugal
(under the authoritarian Salazar government). Those led by Franco
were known as Nationalists. The Republicans got help from the
Soviet Union, but this caused division among them, since some were
not communist. The Republicans also had support from international
volunteers, but not officially. Francos coup was only partially
successful, leading to bloody fighting over control over
Spain.
Slide 7
The Republicans viewed the struggle as democracy vs. tyranny.
The Nationalists viewed the struggle as Christian (Catholic)
civilization, law and order vs. communist/anarchist chaos.
Slide 8
Guernica Pablo Picasso This painting now stands as a symbol of
the horrors of war, especially for civilians
Slide 9
The famous painting Guernica was painted by Pablo Picasso in
response to the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica The town was
bombed by German planes at the request of Franco on April 26, 1937.
It was the first military bombing of civilians in history. The town
was considered a stronghold of Republican resistance, as well as a
Basque cultural center. However, it did not contain targets of
military importance, except for a factory that was not hit with
bombs. Most of the men were away, fighting with the Republicans,
leaving mostly women and children in the town.
Slide 10
Federico Garca Lorca Lorca was a poet, playwright and theater
director who gained international acclaim. He had liberal views and
was outspoken about them. He was killed in August, 1936 by
anti-communist death squads.
Slide 11
The end of the war In 1939, Madrid, Catalua and Valencia, the
last Republican strongholds, fell to Francos troops. On April 1,
Franco proclaimed victory. Irregular guerilla warfare continued
into the 1950s. It is estimated that approximately 500,000 people
died in the Spanish Civil War, most of the at the hands of Francos
forces. Franco remained head of state until his death in 1975.
Period of political, cultural and social oppression in Spain.
Slide 12
Life under Franco Franco outlawed anything not in line with
Catholic beliefs. So, for example, it was illegal to get divorced.
All forms of education were run through the Church. Franco outlawed
the use of any language except Spanish. Franco believed that Spain
should remain as isolated from the rest of the world as possible
tourism didnt really begin in Spain until the 1960s. Married women
had to have their husbands permission to work, own property, or
travel away from home.