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The Spanish Civil War took place in 1939 in Spain, part of Morocco, the Sahara, and Guinea. The war ended with the nationalists as the winners. How were the nationalists prepared for the Spanish Civil War compared to the Republicans? What factors facilitated their success? Nationalists advocated for a new revolutionary; therefore, after their success, the Second Spanish Republic ended, and the Spanish State was founded with Franco as their overall leader. This essay analyses the factors that lead to the nationalists’ victory over the republican. The analysis involves comparing the characteristics in terms of the Republican’s weaknesses versus the Nationalists’ strengths. One of the main factors was the support the two teams got from foreign assistance. The Republicans got unreliable support from the Soviets, USSR, and the International Brigades.
On the other hand, the nationalists were from Italy, German, and the United States. Other differences discussed include the military division among the Republicans while the Nationalists were strong and united. The Republicans had economic problems while the Nationalists had economic advantages. Therefore the nationalists were better prepared for the war. The nationalist emerged as the Spanish war winners because they were more organized, skilled, experienced, and united for the action than the notorious republican group. The last section of the essay is the conclusion of the paper. Here the main idea of factors that made the nationalists win the Spanish civil war is summarised. Also, the recommendation can be drawn from the nationalists’ discussion and the Spanish Civil War.
Reasons Why the Nationalists Won the Spanish War
Political Unity of the Nationalists
Unity among the nationalists was the primary contributor to their victory over the Republicans. The Republicans were united politically while the Nationalists were disunited. The Republicans worked together towards a common goal which was to overthrow the government. Initially, the nationalists had several Generals such as the Goded, Mola, and Franco. Later, the nationalists decide that they need one joint leader. They steeled for Franco, who controlled the military and the political issues. As a result, they had been able to achieve a unified command ( García, 2020). Franco was not only in charge of the government but also the head of the state. The Republicans settled for Franco as their leader because he was one of the African Army commanders. Again, any support that came from the Germans to the nationalist came through Franco. However, their counterparts, the nationalists, had weak political leadership. From September 1936, when Caballero headed the Republicans coalition government, the Republicans had political divisions, making his rule weak. The Republicans supported different ideologies. Some subscribed to communism and socialism, while the other group was the anarchists. The socialists maintained that the revolution should be postponed until the war was won ( ¡¯¶¿Â, 2018). The anarchist believed that the war could only be won through revolutionary mechanisms. They controlled areas such as Catalonia, Andalusia, and Aragon and encouraged the revolution in these areas. The socialists, on the other hand, were dominant in Valencia and Madrid. However, regions like Asturias remained independent. This political disunity created a hurdle for the Republicans; the historians suggested they need to have a common goal to control. Thus, having a joint leader unified and strengthened the nationalists, enabling them to form a strong army that would quickly conquer the United Republicans army.
Another factor contributing to the military unit of the Republicans was the merger of the Carlist and the Falange. This was a crucial strategy that prompted the unity of the nationalist. Franco was a competent leader who worked towards the unity of the two groups. In 1937, the Carlists were 70,000, while the Falange was one million. These numbers were very significant to the victory of the Republicans because they meant a large and strong team for the war. Franco managed to merge the two groups in April, and it was under his common control. Franco managed to unite the nationalists into one team that directed its energy to one side. This implies that the Carlists and the Falanges team’s merger provided a stronger team to win the war. The Republican populace increased during the war and also continued to support different ideologies. There were about 40,000 members of the communists group in July 1996. The number increased ten times by October of the following year to 400 000 members. Although the Republicans had the foreign support of the USSR, the communists faced resistance due to the terror tactics. The anarchists wanted a completely new revolutionary regime while the socialists and communists wanted to win the Second Republic’s war (Manrique, 2019). These political divisions weakened the Republicans further.
The church also offered support to Franco and his ideologies. The church leader condemned communism that was practiced by the atheists. There were crusades that supported Christianity. Franco’s ideas in the Spanish Civil War were supported by the community that the nationalists occupied. Franco was a clear leader whose leadership received support from foreigners in countries like Italy and Germany.
It can be concluded unity among the nationalists made them win the war. The nationalists were more organized and united than the Republicans. The political disunity of the Republicans provided a winning ground for the United nationalists
The military organization of the Nationalists
The nationalists senior army officers were selected effectively from the regular army. The army officials were more experienced than those of the Republicans. Some troops were sourced from the notorious Army of Africa which was skilled and experienced. The Army of Africa was very significant to the victory of the nationalists. The Army of Africa was made up of the best military units in Spain. The troops underwent regular training and were equipped continuously to boost their skills and effectiveness in the war. The Army of Africa was the most effective on the battlefields, thus increasing the nationalists’ chances of winning the war.
It was easy for the nationalists to conquer the republican because the Republicans had several military challenges during the war. For instance, the Republicans lacked robust military leadership because they were not experienced and well-equipped. The communists and the anarchists did work together because each group had their command. Each group pursued different goals and concentrated on its goals. There was no unity among the Republican troops. The anarchist and the Basques refused to follow the central command structure.
Moreover, the Republicans did not trust the loyal army officers known to have experience in military tactics ( White, 2019). Also, the Basques only defended their territory and not what was outside their region. Therefore lack of a central and unified command added problems for the Republicans.
Besides, the fact that the nationalist had a unified command meant that the military was united too. All the other generals accepted Franco to be their overall leader. Again, the Italians were also under the command of Franco. The nationalists’ military troops were very successful in winning and pushing on offensives. The units’ defense mechanisms were beneficial. The nationalists repeatedly provided equipment to their army and maintained excellent communication among the entire group ( }ikrait, 2019). The Nationalists held a large team of junior military units called upon to offer back to the main troop. The nationalists’ army was continuously active and full of energy to win the war over the Republicans. The strong, well-trained, motivated, and fully equipped troops used by the nationalists contributed to the group’s success.
Franco was an excellent team leader. He pushed for an obedient and strong military and political team. He was concerned about his troops to make sure that it was united and obedient. Therefore, Franco’s efforts to maintain unity within the military made the Nationalists emerge victorious in the Spanish war. In summary, military unity was a very significant factor in winning the Spanish War.
However, the Republicans had problems that made them lose the war. The Republicans were dependent on militia units that were ineffective and weak militia units. The troop was composed of moderate liberals and radical socialists. There was a troop made up of communists loyal to Stalin and those loyal to Trotsky. The military was further weakened because these units were formed hazards ( Jump, 2020). Due to the division among the Republicans, they fought several local conflicts instead of concentrating on the overall war campaign. The two groups held different territories, and they only operated in their regions. The troops had other ideas and tensions. Also, many of the battlefields were not within the range of their territory. Such disunities in the military made the Republicans unable to conquer the nationalists. The nationalists organized and continuously prepared their army better than the Republicans made and then emerged victorious.
Economic Advantage of the Nationalists
Another reason that made the nationalists win the war was the favorable economic environment that they had. The business community in the area supported the nationalists. The support they gained enabled them to acquire credit to finance the war equipment supply. The cost of the equipment was to be paid using long-term credit terms. Nationalists also gained control over the primary food supply sources in Spain. Nationalists took control of the leading industrial areas following their success in the other in 1937. The defense counsel organized the food distribution system into a centralized one. There was smooth coordination between the production, transportation, and supply of food to the nationalists’ army.
However, the Republicans faced a tough economy during the war, putting the nationalist in a better position to win the war. For instance, the workers’ committees started managing the industries, transport, and public utilities in the anarchist territories. This resulted in a lack of enough supply to sustain the needs of Republicans during the war. For instance, there were shortages in the foodstuffs and raw material supply in the republic ( Volkova, 2020). The scarcity of foods was contributed by the fall in production level by two-thirds in Catalan. Again, the Republicans had over 250 food collectives that operated independently. The collectives were also hostile to the government; they subscribed to different ideologies and were unwilling to supply food to the army. Again, the transportation of food to the military was also challenging and difficult. For instance, Madrid was under the control of the nationalist during the war. This meant that the Republican army had food shortages. Therefore, the troops were weak and lost morale to fight, making it easier for them to lose the nationalists’ war.
In addition to food shortage, the Republicans had a shortage of credit from the Non-Intervention Committee (NIC). The Non-Intervention Committee was founded by Britain and France to prevent a foreign influx of support to Spain’s war. Only USSR agreed to trade with Sapin during the war. The USSR provides war equipment and demanded pay immediately. These strict payment terms constrained the number and ability of the Republicans to purchase the equipment. The equipment that was supplied was paid for using all the available gold reserves in Spain.
Favorable economic conditions experienced by the nationalist made them win the war. The leadership of the army and the militants had the time and motivation to concentrate on the war. The longer credit terms also enabled the nationalists to purchase more equipment to support the war. Thus, the nationalists won the war because of the economic advantage they had.
Foreign Assistance
Foreign aid was very vital in the success of the nationalists in the Spanish War. The support to the nationalists was constant and of better quality compared to that of the Republicans ( Faber, 2016). For example, Franco’s army was airlifted from Morrocco to the Mainland by the Germans. The Italian government committed 750 planes, at least 70,000 army officers, and 150 tanks to the nationalists. On the other hand, the Germans directed 800 aircraft, 10,000 troops, and 20 tanks. The equipment that was received was current and of high quality. This support meant that the nationalist army had time to concentrate on the war; they get airlifted back to their territories. Also, airlifting enabled the nationalists to gain control over that airspace from 1937.
Unlike their counterparts, the Republicans received limited foreign assistance. Only the USSR continued to offer support to the Republicans. The USSR equipment, mainly the machine guns and rifles, were of lower quality than the Nationalists. The equipment was also obsolete. The Soviets initially provided 1,000 aircraft and 750 tanks. However, the Soviets did not send any army to the Spanish war in support of the Republicans. The Soviets maintained that this equipment was to be paid immediately in the form of gold. Also, the republican’s ability to pay the USSR for its support sent every gold reserve to Moscow.
International trade and credit provide economic assistance to the nationalists. The international support was not as limited as that of the republications. A good example is the $700 million that the nationalists received from the United States. Therefore, the Republicans could get oil and rubber from the United States vendor companies. These foreigners’ economic favors strengthened the nationalists because they had strong and available resources to fight in the war. On the Republicans side, The International Brigades supported the Republicans but for a short period during the war. Although only 35,000 foreigners volunteered to fight in the Spain war, their support was concentrated only around the Madrid region. In 1963, the Soviets, followed by the International Brigades, withdrew their support and left Spain ( Hooton, 2019). France ended its support to the republican when it joined the non-intervention policy together with Britain. Therefore, the republican’s partial and limited support from the foreign forces contributed to its failure in the war.
The support from the foreigners was essential in determining who will win the Spanish War.
Conclusion
The nationalist emerged victorious because they were more organized and prepared than the Republicans. The nationalists were more united under one clear leader, Franco, who had his team’s interest in his heart. However, the Republicans were not united, and each division exploited its interests in the war. Moreover, the nationalists’ military group was experienced, skilled, and motivated to fight since they were well-equipped and continuously trained. Economic control that the nationalists had allowed them to focus on the war, unlike the Republicans, who had challenging and unfavorable financial circumstances.
The other factor was foreign assistance. This contributed to the loss or victory of the war by the highest probability. The Republicans got weak and unreliable support from the Soviets and the USSR.
On the other hand, the nationalists received support from German, Italy, and the United States. The support these foreigners offered to the nationalists was constant and equipped the troops with new equipment. This illustrates the importance of unity in society. National unity is essential for a team to win in any area of interest. Furthermore, the community should be very keen when choosing its leaders. Those in charge of the state should be clear and have society’s interest as their number one priority, like Franco of the nationalists.
References
- Faber, S. (2016). Spain’s Foreign Fighters: The Lincoln Brigade and the Legacy of the Spanish Civil War. Foreign
- García Sanjuán, A. (2020). Weaponizing Historical Knowledge: the Notion of Reconquista in Spanish Nationalism. Imago temporis: medium Aevum, 2020, núm. 14, p. 133-162. Aff., 95, 155.
- Hooton, E. R. (2019). Spain in Arms: A Military History of the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939. Casemate Publishers.
- Jump, J. (2020). Spanish Republican exile. Theory & Struggle, 121(1), 134-144.
- Manrique, J. (2019). Art and War: Republican Propaganda of The Spanish Civil War.
- ¡¯¶¿Â, ’. (2018). Spanish civil war: its origins and its atrocities.
- Volkova, I. (2020). Spanish Republicans’ Struggle and Its Impact on the Soviet Wartime Generation. Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History, 21(2), 327-346.
- White, H. (2019). A War of Rebellion: Radical Politics in the Spanish Civil War. In The Forum: Journal of History (Vol. 11, No. 1, p. 10).
- }ikrait, V. (2019). Nationalism in the Context of Politics of Change in Spain.
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