Revolution in Spain 1936 1939. Spanish Civil War: the triumph of General Franco. Course of events during the war

WORLD CIVIL WAR The longer the Comintern worked, the more obvious it became - there would be no World Revolution. It will not be possible to organize it even with Moscow’s money. But experience has shown: it is always possible to organize a civil war in the country. Only in 1989, the CPSU

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Course work

Topic: Spanish Civil War 1936-1939.

Introduction

2.1. Political situation

2.2. Progress in the Spanish Civil War

2.3. Francisco Franco's rise to power

Conclusion

Introduction

One of the leading problems of the 20th century was the problem of war and peace. Humanity has just survived the First World War, and now main task was to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. However, in the interwar period, we can observe how fascist parties, which are very aggressive, come to power in European countries. In addition, in the 20th century, Western countries became fully characterized by such a feature as internationalization, or intervention in the conflict by third forces in support of the warring parties.

The causes of the Civil War in Spain were formed both because of the internal problems of the state, namely the economic crisis that began after the First World War and the reluctance of the ruling circles to move away from dictatorship to a republican system, and under the influence of the policies of leading European countries that wanted to continue to exploit in their monopolies of the workers of Spain. The big bourgeoisie and feudal lords also opposed the republican reforms; they did not want to give their power and money into the hands of the proletariat. The working class, in turn, fought for their political rights and freedom. He admired the liberal path of development of France and England. As for the political and party leaders, they did not want to compromise; rather, they were more interested in the opportunity to gain a foothold in power than in trying to restore order in the country.

In this context, it is important to pay attention to the extent to which the interests of other countries and what is happening in the world influence what is happening in Spain. And also, pay attention to how the attitude of leading countries towards the Spanish Civil War influences the policies of other countries regarding Spain.

Purpose of the work: to consider the period of the civil war in Spain 1936 - 1939.

In connection with this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:

Describe the situation in Spain on the eve of the Civil War.

Identify the causes of the Spanish Civil War.

Consider the course of military operations.

The influence of European policies on the outcome of the Spanish Civil War.

Results and results of the Spanish Civil War.

Currently, there is a fairly extensive and diverse domestic and foreign literature devoted to the problem of the civil war in Spain. In addition, a sufficient number of documents that took place during the civil war have been preserved.

Basic sources are:

“The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939. and Europe” edited by V.V. Malay. In this work, for the first time in Russian historiography, she undertook a comprehensive study of the Spanish confrontation as a system-forming factor in international relations of the pre-war period, analyzing the geopolitical and military aspects of the Spanish Civil War. V.V. Malay examined the Spanish Civil War through the prism of internationalization problems local conflicts and intertwining interests of leading European states. The course of non-intervention in Spanish events initiated by France and Great Britain was studied, which, instead of ending the conflict, contributed to its escalation.

Also, the source of the events of the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. The collection of studies “The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939” can serve as a guide. edited by Goncharov. The work examines in detail the events of the civil war. They are divided into parts and periods are highlighted. However, no attention is paid to studying the causes of the civil war; The book is mainly devoted to military operations, with an emphasis on military assistance to Spain from Germany and Italy.

Hugh Thomson's The Spanish Civil War, 1931-1939 gives an idea of ​​the point of view of Western researchers on the Spanish Civil War and its background. The book is more descriptive than analytical. The work makes extensive use of the resources of Spanish archives.

Quite complete and detailed this problem discussed in the work “War and Revolution in Spain 1936 - 1939” edited by V.V. Pertsova. The Spanish Civil War is examined from the point of view of Marxism, a large role is given to class contradictions, and this work also raises the problem of Western intervention in the Spanish conflict. This book deserves great attention because it was written under the chairmanship of a number of Spanish researchers.

There are many more valuable works on the chosen issues. This topic turned out to be interesting for many researchers, such as: S. Yu. Danilov, G. I. Volkova. A. Naumov’s work “Fascist International: The Conquest of Europe” is interesting because the researcher considers the civil war in Spain not as a separate case, but precisely as part of the fascist conquest of Europe. The military memoirs of A.I. also attract attention for their depth. Gusev "The Angry Sky of Spain".

If we compare domestic and foreign literature, we can see that scientists of the Soviet Union attached great importance to class contradictions; they sharply criticized the policies of Primo de Rivera and the entire capitalist system. As for foreign researchers, they see the root of the problem mainly in differences of political views and the desire of party leaders for power.

Chapter 1. Causes of the Spanish Civil War

According to the Historical Dictionary, a civil war is an organized armed struggle for state power between classes, social groups and factions. The following types and forms of civil war are distinguished: slave uprisings, peasant and partisan wars, an armed war of the people against a totalitarian or exploitative regime, a war of one part of the army against another under the slogans of various political parties.

The reasons that led to the civil war in Spain were formed under the influence of the international situation of the 20-30s. XX century and were the result of the First World War. To understand what was happening in Spain at this time, it is necessary to analyze the impact of political and economic events of the interwar period.

First World War for different countries had significant and unique consequences. In particular, for Spain it was the cause of the economic crisis of the post-war years, since during the war Spain adhered to a policy of “non-intervention”, the warring countries were interested in its raw materials - Spanish industry flourished. So, for example, if in 1918 the positive trade balance exceeded 385 million pesetas, then in 1920 the foreign trade balance became sharply negative and the deficit reached 380 million pesetas. Spain faced economic difficulties. There was an oversupply of workers and a lack of jobs. This led to an intensification of the strike movement. Obviously, with the onset of the economic crisis, it was difficult for the Spanish government to avoid a political crisis.

To pacify the people, King Alfonso XIII abolished all constitutional guarantees. Not only revolutionary workers were persecuted, but also representatives of the petty bourgeoisie and intelligentsia. For one and a half goals, there were about 500 victims in Catalonia alone white terror. Class contradictions intensified in the country, and a political crisis began.

Despite the measures taken, the Spanish government failed to stop the movement of workers, whose labor continued to be exploited by the feudal lords, in whose hands most of the land was concentrated. Then the king had to restore some constitutional guarantees, because he could not solve the agrarian question in favor of the working class, since the support of the state was the big bourgeoisie and large feudal lords.

In 1923, there were 411 strikes, involving 210,568 workers. The unrest in the army intensified, peasant uprisings became more frequent, and there was a further rise in the national liberation struggle in Morocco. The working class continued to fight to reform Spain's political system. In this regard, the Republicans won the elections in June 1923.

King Alfonso XIII, in agreement with the Catholic Church, the generals and the landlord-financial oligarchy, on September 14, 1923, transferred all political power in the country into the hands of a “directory” led by the military governor of Catalonia, General Primo de Rivera. Whom he introduced the general to the Italian king Victor Emmanuel as “my Mussolini.” The transfer of political power into the hands of the military governor suggests that the king can no longer control the situation in the country - the threat of revolution is looming. In turn, Primo de Rivera, as well as the monarchical government, represented the interests of the landowners and bourgeoisie, who, this time, were the support for the military-fascist dictatorship, therefore, the working class continued to remain the most oppressed. It is also known that the big bourgeoisie and feudal lords represented by Primo de River were closely associated with foreign capital - this led to Spain's economic dependence on a foreign monopoly.

Monopolies were formed in industry. In 1924, Primo de Rivera created an economic national committee through which monopolies received subsidies from the government. As a result, the state began to support large enterprises, while small businesses went bankrupt, people lost their jobs, and there was no competition in the market, which led to a decrease in the quality of goods.

Due to Spain's dependence on foreign capital, it was natural that it was not spared by the economic crisis of 1929-1932. Namely: the country's industrial output decreased, many firms and banks went bankrupt, unemployment increased (in 1930 - 40% of the population remained unemployed), the number of strikes in 1929 reached 800, peasants continued to suffer from unbearable dues.

In March 1929, there were a number of anti-government protests by students and professors. They were successfully suppressed. However, the students continued to fight, and a bourgeois-democratic revolution was approaching the country. The situation was aggravated by the mass republican movement in 1930. Everyone gradually began to recognize the inevitability of the collapse of the dictatorship. Finding himself in a hopeless situation, Primo de Rivera was forced to present to the king and the council of ministers on December 31 a project in which it was proposed to prepare the conditions for replacing the dictatorship with a new government by September 13, 1930.

Then, until the end of the year, there were strikes of workers, anti-monarchist protests, the population of Spain tried with all possible methods to call on the government to overthrow the dictatorship, the power of the feudal lords and the big bourgeoisie. However, the authorities limited themselves to only forming a new government. The king resolutely did not want to admit that the problem of the state lay not in the composition of the government, but in the established state system. Then the people decided to take the situation into their own hands and on the morning of April 14, 1931, excited crowds of people began to seize municipal buildings and arbitrarily proclaim a republic. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon the Republican flag was raised in Madrid at the Palace of Communications and at the Ateneo Club. And already in the evening of the same day, the king left the country, arguing for his departure with the words: “To prevent the disaster of civil war.” .

A provisional government was formed headed by N. Alcala Zamora, as soon as the King of Spain left the throne, on the same day the Provisional Government issued an amnesty decree and released all political prisoners from prison. With the overthrow of the monarchy, relief was immediately felt in the country, the feeling of fear disappeared, and censorship became more loyal. Political emigrants began to return to the country. A Constitution was adopted, which contained a number of sharply anticlerical provisions aimed against the claims of religious organizations and the clergy to dominance or influence in the political, economic and cultural fields, as well as in the fields of science and education.

However, in two years (from 1931 to 1933), the Provisional Government was unable to solve the main problem - the settlement of feudal remnants that interfered economic development countries. Perhaps the government did not want to aggravate social relations by decisions in favor of any of the classes.

In 1933, elections were held in which the new Catholic party CEDA won the majority of votes. English researcher Hugh Thomas explains this fact by the fact that the republic gave voting rights to women, and they were mostly zealous Catholics, and therefore voted for the Catholic Party. A more moderate government was subsequently formed, but this led to a series of uprisings called the October Revolution of 1934. It follows from this that there were many disagreements in the country, a second political crisis began, and the parties, not wanting to come to a compromise, pulled the blanket over themselves.

Elections were held again on February 16, 1936, the Popular Front won, but as Gil Robles noted at a meeting of the Cortes on June 16, 1936: “The government was endowed with exclusive rights, but during the four months of the republic’s rule, 160 churches were burned, 260 political murders were committed , 69 political centers were destroyed, 113 general strikes and 288 local strikes occurred, 10 editorial offices were destroyed.” He called the existing system anarchy.

As a result, at the meeting of the Cortes, a heated discussion broke out about the current situation in the country and its causes, the party leaders accused each other and did not want to compromise, everyone was confident only that they were right.

It is also worth noting that failures in foreign policy Spain, during the period under review, did not at all contribute to strengthening the position of the government: the national liberation uprisings in Morocco (1921, 1923), the non-recognition of the Tangier zone by Spain by the League of Nations countries.

During this period, the fascist states, without encountering any resistance on their way from the victorious countries of the First World War, violated the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty - they launched preparations for war and aggression. Leading European countries, in particular France and England, adhered to a policy of “non-resistance.” They silently observed the actions of the countries of the Nazi bloc, because they were afraid of aggression in their direction and hoped to direct it towards the USSR. The Soviet Union remained, perhaps, the only staunch defender of the collective security system, which France and England abandoned.

They also, together with the United States, financed the creation of a powerful military machine in Germany and Italy, which in turn “tried to drag Spain into the fascist orbit.” The ruling circles of Spain reached an agreement with Mussolini in March 1934, according to which the head of fascist Italy took upon himself the responsibility of helping to overthrow the republic in Spain and even, if necessary, start a civil war. The imperialist circles of the USA, England and France supported the feudal lords of the Spanish state. They did this out of their own interests, in Spain there were many foreign monopolies that took advantage of the oppressed position of Spanish workers, and a republican constitution would have given them greater rights and prohibited their exploitation. America was interested in introducing its own capital into Spain with the aim of: influencing its political life. Here is a striking example of this: when Admiral Aznar formed the government, the New York Morgan Bank tried to save the dying Bourbon monarchy by providing Spain with a loan of $60 million.

The United States more than once tried to influence the political situation in Spain; after a new financial attack in June 1931, the Spanish government exported most of the gold reserves to France, but the French government froze Spain's accounts.

As for England, its conservative circles contributed to the reactionary movement in the Spanish state, because both of them fought for the restoration of the monarchy and opposed the republican system.

Thus, we can draw the following conclusion: after the First World War, the state of the Spanish economy began to deteriorate. The state of the country was approaching a period of general economic crisis, which was combined with the strike movement in industry (1919-1923) and the constant struggle for power and influence in the country; this did not in any way contribute to the rise of the economy and the prosperity of the state. Spain needed a strong ruler who would restore order to the country, but since the struggle for power was more important for some party leaders than the fight against the crisis, Spain gradually became mired in its political and economic problems. The state's position was worsened by failures in foreign policy. And Western countries, in this case, only tried to protect their own interests, thereby exacerbating multi-vector contradictions in the country, which resulted in a civil war.

Chapter 2. Spain in 1936-1939.

.1 Political situation

civil war spain politics

From the very beginning, the war in Spain attracted the attention of the whole world. All countries pursued one common goal - to localize the conflict and prevent this war from developing into a world war. On the side of the republic were countries with liberal and republican structures of state; the phalangists were supported by countries that supported totalitarian and authoritarian regimes; Germany, Italy and Portugal, which took part in the military conflict from the very beginning, provided especially great assistance to the nationalists in the war. In the first days of the rebellion, over 14 thousand soldiers and a huge amount of military materials were transferred from Morocco to the peninsula on German and Italian planes. And Portugal opened the border for the transport of military aid and sent separate detachments of its troops to Spain.

Military assistance from Italy and Germany saved Francisco Franco from a quick and shameful defeat, since the Republic had enough strength to suppress the rebellion in a very short time.

Over time, the balance of power changed, this was facilitated by the policy of “non-intervention” adhered to by the USA, France, and England. They deprived the Spanish Republic of weapons. On August 2, the French government of Léon Blum came up with a proposal for "non-intervention" in Spanish affairs, although the very idea of ​​​​a non-intervention agreement was English. As a result, a committee began working in London on September 9, and included 27 European countries. The United States was not included in the London Committee, but fully supported the policy of “non-intervention” and imposed a ban on the export of weapons to Spain. The Soviet Union also joined the agreement on August 23. As a consequence of this policy, the Spanish Republic lost the right to buy weapons abroad. However, this policy did not prevent Italy and Germany from intervening in the conflict. A striking example of this is the following fact: on September 15, Spanish Foreign Minister Alvarez del Vayo sent a decisive note to the ambassadors of the states that had signed the “non-intervention” agreement, in which he cited evidence of German and Italian intervention in Spain’s internal conflict and demanded an end to neutrality. This line was stated in more categorical form before the General Assembly of the League of Nations, which opened in Geneva on September 24. But at this meeting the spirit of the Anglo-French policy of capitulation to Nazi Germany and Italy prevailed.

A special “W” headquarters operated in Berlin to assist the rebels. In Italy in August 1936. A government commission for intervention in Spain was created. In general, Spain was considered by the fascist states as a convenient strategic springboard, a source of raw materials and a military training ground for military equipment. And the goal was also to strangle the bourgeois-democratic revolution.

As for the countries adhering to neutrality, England supplied the rebels with oil and airplanes, the French company Renault secretly sold them cars and airplanes, although it prohibited the sale of weapons to the Spanish Republicans. In addition, the government of Leon Blum froze the transported gold reserves from Spain and gave them only to F. Franco. US monopolies provided the rebels with 75% of their oil. And almost all of the nationalists’ equipment ran on American fuel. Initially, the Soviet Union took a position of neutrality, but when it saw that the policy of “non-intervention” was not being observed, it began to help Republican Spain. Already on October 13, the first Soviet ship with weapons arrived in Republican Spain. Soviet workers collected over 47 million rubles to help Spanish workers.

The international proletariat, democratic forces and anti-fascists from all over the world came out on the side of the Spanish Republic. Societies of friends of the Spanish Republic arose everywhere. The international solidarity movement never stopped growing. To coordinate it, the International Committee for Assistance to the Spanish Republic was created in Paris.

The intervention of Germany and Italy literally created and armed an army of rebels. The help of fascist countries ultimately played a decisive role in the victory of the Spanish Nazis. It was in the national interests of England and France to try to maintain neutrality for as long as possible, and for the fascist countries to have formal cover for their actions and to bind the Soviet Union with an agreement on non-intervention. The policy of “non-intervention” contributed to the defeat of the Spanish Republic, which lost the opportunity to purchase weapons abroad, resulting in a shortage of weapons. All countries sought to localize the conflict and strengthen their authority in the international arena. France, the USSR and Great Britain, up to a certain point, adhered to a policy of “non-intervention”. Italy and Germany took the side of the National Front from the very beginning of the civil war. This allowed F. Franco to gain a foothold in power.

2.2 Progress of military operations of the Spanish Civil War

The civil war began with a rebellion in Morocco on July 17, when encrypted telegrams were sent throughout the country indicating the date and time of the start of the protest. In the main cities of Spain, the rebellion began on July 18. 80% were on the side of the rebels armed forces- 120 thousand officers and soldiers and a significant part of the civil guard. However, the republicans were defended by ordinary working people who created voluntary detachments and battalions; the republic was also supported by aviation and Navy. At this time, even women came to collection points with the hope of getting a rifle. Thanks to the dedication of ordinary citizens, the uprising in Madrid was suppressed on July 19. The fascist rebels were helped by troops from Morocco, thanks to whom they managed to occupy Seville and La Coruña. But the plans of the rebels failed in a number of cities, including: Malaga, Valencia, Bilbao, Santander. Thus, the main industrial centers remained in the hands of the people. And on July 19, the government of Jose Giral, who was one of the leaders of the left-wing Republican Party, was formed. He was later replaced in this post by Largo Caballero, then by Juan Negrin.

The reason for the inability of the Popular Front to suppress the rebellion in a short period of time was that it did not have a single military command center, and as a result there was no agreement and coordination of military actions between various military units. In addition, great damage was caused by the low discipline and leadership methods of the Catalan anarchists, who joined the fight against the rebels very slowly and were not distinguished by diligent discipline.

Due to the lack of cohesion of the Republican bloc, the Nazis were able to gain time to receive military assistance from Italy and Germany. Thanks to which, by the end of September, the Francoists had captured more than half of the territory of Spain and were already approaching Madrid.

Frontal attacks on Madrid continued from November until the end of December 1936. To enter the capital, the nationalists attempted to take control of the bridges over the Manzanares River, but their plans failed - the Republicans heroically defended the city. The only thing the rebels were able to achieve was to penetrate the University Campus in the northwestern part of the city.

By the beginning of 1937, all fronts had stabilized, and the war became protracted. By this time, Italy and Germany were already neglecting international obligations and openly organizing the intervention of their troops in Spain.

During January and February, the fascists tried to cut off communications between Madrid and other cities, but the Republicans managed to carry out a number of successful counter-offensives and recapture lost territories. During the battles for the capital of Spain, the largest operation of the entire war was carried out - the Haram operation. We must give credit to the military assistance of the USSR in the defense of Madrid. It involved 50 Soviet tanks and 100 aircraft, whose crews included 50 tank crews and 100 pilots.

As a result of the unsuccessful Haram operation, the combat effectiveness of Franco's troops and their political and moral views began to crack: constant defections to the Republican side began. The Nazis sought to rectify the situation and launched an offensive with Italian troops in the direction of Guadalajara, but were defeated. Another attempt to restore the morale of the fascists was an offensive on the northern front in the Bilbao sector from March 31. But in two months they were not successful.

After the unsuccessful siege of Madrid, the fascists decided to unite the main military forces - monarchists, Carlists and Falangists - into a single party "Spanish Traditionalist Phalanx and HON" under the leadership of Francisco Franco, who became the caudillo (leader) of Spanish fascism.

As for the Republican camp, everything was much more complicated here. The Popular Front represented the interests of several political groups, including anarchists, caballerists, communists and representatives of the bourgeoisie. There were many contradictions between the parties, the plans of the anarchists did not coincide with the plans of the communists, and the bourgeoisie was completely frightened by their intentions. The caballerists did not want to unite with the Communist Party. L. Caballero, like the left Republicans with National Party Basques, resisted the creation of a popular regular army and shared the views of the anarchist leadership of the FAI, which advocated maintaining its complete fragmentation. When in May the Republican government took some measures aimed at increasing discipline in the army, the anarchists and Trotskyists from the POUM rebelled, which fortunately was suppressed. Largo Caballero rejected the communist demand to dissolve the POUM, and then two communist ministers resigned. The new government cabinet could not be formed without the communists. And then Juan Negrin formed a new government that began to eliminate the consequences of Largo Caballero's policies. The perpetrators of the May putsch were punished, the POUM was dissolved, and the Anarchist order was put an end to in Aragon. The goal of H. Negrin's policy was the final victory in the war.

Meanwhile, upset by a year of war without any special victories, Germany and Italy switched to open intervention: on May 31, Almeria was attacked, Italian ships sank ships arriving in Spain from the USSR, France and England. On this occasion, a conference on combating piracy in the Mediterranean was held in the Swiss city of Nyon from September 10 to 14, during which a number of decisions were made that led to the cessation of open actions by Italian submarines against the Spanish Republic in the Mediterranean Sea.

The rebels and interventionists came to the decision to put an end to the Northern Front. On June 20 they captured the capital of Basque Country - Bilbao, on August 26 they entered Santander, then in September they attacked Asturias and blocked the Gijon fleet. The rebel forces outnumbered the Republican forces. Their army consisted of 150 infantry battalions, 400 guns, 150 tanks, and over 200 aircraft. The Republicans had only 80 guns, a few tanks and planes.

The Republicans launched an operation in the Brunete region in June and on the Aragonese front in August to stop the Fascist advance. Although the operations were successful, the rebels completely occupied the entire industrial North of Spain on October 20. And by the end of 1937, 60% of the country’s territory was already in the hands of the Nazis. The Republicans found themselves in a difficult situation, then General V. Rojo developed a plan for an attack on Extremadura. This operation boiled down to dividing the rebel territory into two parts and attacking the weak rear. However, this grandiose plan was prevented by I. Prieto, who insisted on an offensive in the Teruel area. During this offensive, fierce fighting began, both sides suffered huge losses, the city capitulated in early January 1938, the civilian population was evacuated, but the Republicans remained in Teruel, and only on February 22, 1938, the Republicans left the city.

In March, the Italians began bombing Barcelona from the air. The entire city was on fire. The raids lasted until March 18. This raid brought absolutely no benefit to the Phalangists, and the wounded, when they were carried away on stretchers, called on those gathered to resist. During the military crisis, Barcelona was full of despondency, and even the Minister of National Defense, Don Indalecio Prieto, quite confidently told reporters: “We have lost!” .

While the Republicans were mired in despondency, on April 11, Italy sent 300 officers to help the Phalangists. In April, it seemed that the war was already coming to an end, and people were tired of continuous fighting. Only at the end of April did the nationalists launch a new offensive, with the goal of capturing the Levant district and the city of Valencia, which was used by the Republicans as a new capital; the Republican government moved there from besieged Madrid. After July 25, due to the fatigue of the troops, the offensive was suspended, and a little later Franco’s entire attention turned out to be focused on the war in a different direction: the Republicans launched a counter-offensive on the Ebro. The battle lasted until November 15 and was the largest during the war in Spain. During this battle, the fate of Catalonia was practically decided in favor of Franco.

After this grandiose battle, General V. Rojo and J. Negrin decided to ask the Soviet Union for a large batch of weapons. Military equipment worth 100 million dollars was requested. The weapons were delivered to the French-Catalan border, but the French government did not allow them to be transported to Catalonia, justifying their action with a policy of “non-intervention.”

Ideas about surrender began to spread in the Republican camp. In military units and in the navy, capitulators began to sabotage everything that was done to raise morale and was done to continue the war. This soon developed into a plot to organize an anti-republican insurrection.

The Frankists, in turn, were determined to win. On December 23 they attacked Catalonia. 300 thousand people took part in this battle on the side of the Nazis and only 120 thousand on the side of the Popular Front. For every republican plane there were 15-20 fascist planes. The ratio in tanks in favor of the Francoists was 1 to 35, in machine guns - 1 to 15, in artillery - 1 to 30. The anti-fascists simply had no chance of winning.

January rebels and interventionists occupied Barcelona. The Republic was left with a south-central zone of approximately ¼ territory of a country with a population of 10 million people. The Communist Party insisted on the need to strengthen defense and remove adherents of capitulation from posts. But by this time, even J. Negrin himself was not confident of victory; he became slow and passive. Only on March 2, 1939, he decided to meet the communists halfway. And then the capitulators raised anti-republican uprisings in a number of cities, because of which the fascists opened the way to Madrid. Already on March 28, the Francoists launched offensives on all fronts, entered Madrid, and on April 1, 1939, General F. Franco wrote in an official message: “The war is over.”

2.3 Francisco Franco's rise to power

Francisco Franco achieved unconditional power over the country. His comrades presented him with the title of Generalissimo. He was destined to rule Spain for another 40 years.

May, a grandiose military parade was held, stretching for 25 kilometers. Over 200,000 winners took part in it. What made the parade unique was its legal component. The trucks carried piles of criminal and court cases brought by the victors against the vanquished.

Monuments to Franco appeared in the center of several cities at once, starting with Madrid. A monument was erected to Mola in Valladolid.

The nationalists restored the ancient Catholic holidays abolished by the republic and established new ideological and political ones - Day of Courage, Day of Fortitude, Day of Sorrow, Day of Remembrance. And 1939 was officially declared the year of victory.

Caudillo awarded his comrades. He resumed the distribution of aristocratic titles, which had been stopped by the republic.

Nationalists also invented collective awards. Faithful to the “crusade,” Catholic and monarchical Navarre was awarded the Order of St. Ferdinand. Avila, Belchite, Oviedo, Zaragoza, Segovia, Teruel, and Toledo, which withstood a long siege, received the status of hero cities.

Domestic policy The Spaniards called the dictatorship “the policy of revenge.” The Republican Constitution was abolished, the Republican “Riego anthem” and the tricolor flag were banned. Basque and Catalan languages ​​suffered the same fate.

The draconian law on political responsibility has found wide application. Mass executions continued until 1941. At least 200,000 “red” Spaniards passed through prison and exile. Over 300,000 former soldiers of the Republic were sent to forced labor - road, construction, and work in mines. Their terms ranged from a year to 20 years. They were followed manual labor“to atone for guilt before the fatherland.”

Political parties and trade unions, secular schools, strikes, divorces, striptease and nudism were banned. The landowners received back most of the confiscated lands, political and property rights.

Nationalists instilled asceticism in the Spaniards. They restored preliminary censorship, drove prostitution underground, and restricted the import of foreign newspapers, books and films. Spanish women were forbidden to smoke, wear short dresses and open swimsuits, and men were forbidden to wear shorts.

Having abolished the 1931 constitution, the government did not adopt a new one. Spain was governed by separate organic laws and regulations. Instead of the old anthem, the Phalanx anthem “Face the Sun” and the monarchist march “Marcha Real” were now performed.

The church was reunited with the state. Schools came under the tutelage of the clergy, and universities found themselves under the dual authority of the clergy and the Phalangists.

Political democracy was completely dismantled. The legal acts of nationalist Spain until 1944 did not contain any mention of any rights and freedoms of citizens.

The National Movement, created in 1937 on the basis of the Phalanx, remained the only ruling movement in the country. The movement had an approved uniform: a blue shirt and a red beret. The motto and greeting remained the Falangist “Arise Spain!” .

Applicants for state and municipal positions were required to provide a baptismal certificate. An official holding a government post was required to swear allegiance to a religious authoritarian state, the oath beginning with the words “I swear by God, Spain and Franco.”

In foreign policy, the country broke off relations with the USSR, Mexico, Chile, and moved to strengthen relations with totalitarian states - Germany and Italy and with authoritarian Latin American regimes.

I would also like to note that, despite the regime that emerged in Spain after the civil war and Franco’s cooperation with Hitler, he did not support his anti-Semitic policies. Allowed entry into the country of Jews fleeing Nazi-occupied territories. During the Second World War, thanks to him, about 40,000 Jews were saved.

The first symptoms of the Spanish turn towards national reconciliation emerged during the Second World War. They matured extremely slowly and inconsistently.

The coming to power of F. Franco meant the transition of Spain from a republican system to a fascist regime. Many of the prohibitions and rules that existed under the monarchy were returned. The symbols of the state were also changed. Spain broke off relations with republican and liberal countries and began to focus its foreign policy on totalitarian and authoritarian regimes.

Conclusion

After World War I, the Spanish economy began to deteriorate. The state of the country was approaching a period of general economic crisis, which was combined with the strike movement in industry (1919-1923) and the constant struggle for power and influence in the country; this did not in any way contribute to the rise of the economy and the prosperity of the state. Spain needed a strong ruler who would restore order to the country, but since the struggle for power was more important for some party leaders than the fight against the crisis, Spain gradually became mired in its political and economic problems. The state's position was worsened by failures in foreign policy. And Western countries, in this case, only tried to protect their own interests, thereby aggravating the contradictions in the country, which resulted in a civil war.

The intervention of Germany and Italy literally created and armed an army of rebels. The help of fascist countries ultimately played a decisive role in the victory of the Spanish Nazis. It was in the national interests of England and France to try to maintain neutrality for as long as possible, and for the fascist countries to have formal cover for their actions and bind the Soviet Union to an agreement on non-intervention. The policy of “non-intervention” contributed to the defeat of the Spanish Republic, which lost the opportunity to purchase weapons abroad, resulting in a shortage of weapons. All countries sought to localize the conflict and strengthen their authority in the international arena. France, the USSR and Great Britain, up to a certain point, adhered to a policy of “non-intervention”. From the very beginning of the civil war, Italy and Germany took the side of the National Front, which allowed F. Franco to gain a foothold in power.

The Republicans carried out successful operations, but they were hampered by the disunity of the political parties that supported the Republic. The policy of L. Caballero, who resisted the formation of a unified republican army, also had a bad effect. With regard to strategic actions, it should be noted that I. Prieto prevented the implementation of the plan of General V. Rojo, subsequently which would have dealt a serious blow to the fascists. As for the rebels and interventionists, a number of correct strategic decisions were made here, the most important of which was the idea of ​​uniting the main forces under the command of F. Franco. The outcome of the war was certainly influenced by the intervention of Germany and Italy, and the policy of “non-intervention” adhered to by the USA, France and England. Since the fascists received military equipment and human resources from Germany and Italy, and the policy of “non-intervention” excluded assistance to the Republicans in the war, although the Popular Front really needed it.

With the coming to power of Francisco Franco, a fascist regime and order were established in the country. He achieved unconditional power over the country. His comrades presented him with the title of Generalissimo. F. Franco was destined to rule Spain for another 40 years. Many of the prohibitions and rules that existed under the monarchy were returned. The symbols of the state were also changed. Spain broke off relations with republican and liberal countries and began to focus its foreign policy on totalitarian and authoritarian regimes.

List of used literature

1.War and revolution in Spain 1936-1939 / translation from Spanish, edited by V.V. Pertsova. - Moscow: Progress Publishing House, 1968 - 614 p.

2.Civil War in Spain 1931 - 1939 / translation from English, Hugh Thomas. - Moscow: Tsentrpoligraf, 2003. - 571 p.

.Civil War in Spain 1936 - 1939 / Nikolai Platoshkin. - Moscow: Olma-press: Krasny Proletarsky, 2005 - 478 p. - (Series “Archive”).

.Civil War in Spain / edited by V. Goncharov - St. Petersburg University, 2006 - 494 p.

.Civil War in Spain 1936 - 1939 and Europe / collection of materials from an interuniversity scientific seminar edited by V. V. Malay. - Belgrade: BelSU Publishing House, 2007 - 85 p.

.Spain 1918-1972 / USSR Academy of Sciences, Institute general history. - Moscow: Nauka publishing house, 1975. - 495 p.

.Operation X : Soviet military assistance to the Republic of Spain (1936-1939) / edited by G.A. Bordyugova. - Moscow: research center "Airo - XX", 2000 - 149 p.

.Political history of Spain in the twentieth century. / G.I. Volkova, A.V. Dementyev. - Moscow: graduate School, 2005. - 190 p.

.Fascist vandals in Spain: articles and photo additions. / Compiler editors: T.I. Sorokin, A.V. February. - Moscow: Publishing House of the All-Union Academy of Architecture 1938. - 77 p.

.Fascist International: the conquest of Europe / A. Naumov (Mysteries of the 3rd Reich). - Moscow: Veche, 2005. - 443 p.

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In Europe, a large-scale armed conflict occurred in Spain. Then not only the indigenous inhabitants of the country were involved in the conflict, but also external forces in the form of such powerful states as the USSR, Germany, and Italy. The Spanish Civil War of 1936−1939 broke out based on conflicting views on the future of the country between the left-wing socialist (republican) government, supported by the Communist Party, and the rebel right-wing monarchist forces led by Generalissimo Francisco Franco.

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Preconditions for war

Until 1931 Spain was a monarchical state with a backward economy and a deep crisis, where there was inter-class hostility. The army had a special status in it. However, it did not develop in any way due to the conservatism of management structures.

In the spring of 1931, Spain was proclaimed a republic, and power in the country passed to the liberal socialist government, which immediately began to carry out reforms. However, stagnant Italy stalled them on all fronts. The established monarchical society was not ready for radical changes. As a result, all segments of the population were disappointed. Several times there were attempts to change government power.

The clergy were especially unhappy new government. Previously, under monarchism, it participated in all state processes, having enormous influence. With the establishment of the republic, the church was separated from the state, and power passed into the hands of professors and scientists.

In 1933, reforms were suspended. The far-right party, the Spanish Falange, won the elections. Riots and unrest began.

In 1936, leftist forces won the general elections in the country - Popular Front party, which included Republicans and Communists. They:

• resumed agrarian reform,
• amnestied political prisoners,
• encouraged the demands of the strikers,
• reduced taxes.

Their opponents began to cooperate around the pro-fascist nationalist organization the Spanish Phalanx, which was already struggling to power. Her support came from the military, financiers, landowners, and the church.

A party opposing the established government staged an uprising in 1936. It was supported by the troops of the Spanish colony - Morocco . At that time they were commanded by General Franco, supported by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.

Soon the rebels began to rule the Spanish colonies: the Canary Islands, Western Sahara, Equatorial Guinea.

Causes of the Spanish Civil War

The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War was influenced by several reasons:

Course of events during the war

Fascist rebellion and Spanish Civil War- simultaneous events. The revolution in Spain began in the summer of 1936. The mutiny of the fascist army led by Franco was supported by ground forces and the clergy. They are also supported by Italy and Germany, helping with the supply of weapons and military personnel. The Frankists immediately occupy most of the country and introduce their regime there.

State power created the Popular Front. He was helped by the USSR, the French and American governments, and international brigades.

From spring 1937 to autumn 1938. Military operations took place in the industrial areas of Northern Spain. The rebels managed to break through to the Mediterranean Sea and cut off Catalonia from the Republic. The Frankists had a clear advantage by the fall of 1938. As a result, they occupied the entire territory of the state and established an authoritarian fascist dictatorship there.

England and France officially recognized Franco's government with its fascist regime. The war turned out to be long with a huge number of casualties and destruction. These events were reflected in films about the revolution in Spain 1936−1939, shot by many directors. For example, the film “Hey, Carmela!”, directed by Carlos Saura.

The revolution in Spain ended with the establishment of fascism in the country for reasons: