The Spanish Civil War lasted three years, from January 17, 1936 to April 1, 1939. One of the many reasons that caused the war was a group of Spanish army generals tried to overthrow the Second Spanish Republic. The nation was left divided, between a Republican and a Nationalist government. The Republicans controlled most of the eastern region of Spain, including the area surrounding Madrid and much of the east coast. On the contrary, the Nationalist government controlled the north and northwest regions of the country.
Both parties had allies with other countries. The Republicans were supported by Mexico, the Soviet Union, and International Brigades. The Nationalists also had help. Portugal, Italy, and Germany gave their aid. The Spanish Civil War contained new warfare, and most of these supplies came from ally countries. The Soviet Union provided the Republicans with 806 planes, 362 tanks, and 1,555 artillery pieces. By doing this, Joseph Stalin violated the League of Nations agreement. A year before the war ended, he withdrew his troops from Spain and also took all the tanks back. After doing so, the Republican Spain was left with a $500 million dollar debt owed to the Soviet Union. The Nationalist party had similar aid from Germany. Led by Adolf Hitler, three major military operations took place in Spain. Germany lent Spain with 600 planes, 200 tanks, 1,000 artillery pieces, and nearly 19,000 German soldiers fought.
The first area to be captured in the war was by the Nationalists, and it was the main Spanish Naval Base at Ferrol in northwestern Spain on July 21, 1936. The first year of battle ended with a failed attack from the Nationalists on the city of Madrid. However, the Republicans had a strong defense, and along with the help of International Brigades, the city wasn’t captured. However, Madrid still remained under attack for the following two years by Franco. The second year, 1937 contained another failed attack by Franco on Madrid. However, one very successful mission was completed. The German brigade bombed the city of Guernica, killing hundreds and leaving the city in nearly complete ruins. Two days later, the city belonged to the nationalists. After this, the Republicans finally started to fight back with the Battle of Brunete, which was another attack on Madrid. The third year marked a fast-paced turn of events. Perhaps considered one of the most important confrontations of the war, was the Battle of Teruel. The city was conquered and the Republicans took over in January of 1938. It was a short-lived victory, for the Nationalists soon fired back with Aragon Offensive, in which Franco demanded unconditional surrender. The Republicans fell fast as the last year of the war drug on. During the first two months, Franco captured nearly every city under Republican forces, including Barcelona. After this, Madrid was close to being that last one standing. On March 28, Valencia surrendered, and over a radio broadcast on April 1, 1939 the Republicans officially surrendered.
Remaining Republicans in Spain fled the country, some 500,000 went to France. But a majority of them were captured and imprisoned. Nearly 30,000 were even executed. Some who went to France were encouraged to go back to Spain, and upon doing so, they were captured and put in Nazi Germany internment camps. After the official end of the war, nearly 300,000 deaths occurred, and nearly 120,000 of them were Spanish civilians.
1. Sanjurjo
2. Fernando probably thought that Rosaria died because the city was basically left in ruins after the bombing, and after it was bombed it was captured. So even if Rosaria hadn’t been killed by the bomb, she would have been a prisoner of war. Rosaria’s chances of surviving that bombing were little to none to Fernando.
3. Painting by Picasso is very confusing, and it looks very chaotic, so there was probably lots of confusion and chaos at the time of the bombing. There is also many deaths.
4. Drawing.
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