Several of these perspectives have been included in previous sections but they have been repeated here for ease of access.
Causes
Paul Preston
This is discussed on this page.
Paul Preston – Values and Limitations
- Preston’s value is that he has written extensively about the Spanish Civil War. He is cited by many other authors on the topic, has won awards in the UK and Spain for his services to history and, importantly, accesses the Spanish archives as he is fluent in the language.
- The limitations of Preston are that he is left-leaning in his politics, perhaps this has an influence on how he sees the war. However, the fact that he admitted this in a podcast means that he is aware of it and, as a professional historian, tries to overcome this potential bias.
Anthony Beevor
This is shown on this page.
Anthony Beevor – Values and Limitations
- Beevor is a highly respected military historian. This give him value as other historians praise his work, especially the extent to which he carries out research. The ‘Battle of Spain’ book was a revised edition from Beevor, he had previously published it in 1982. But the 2006 version contained research into Soviet archives, he was unable to do this for the first piece. This gives further value.
- However, a possible limitation of Beevor is that his expertise may not cover the causes of the Spanish Civil War, owing to the fact that he has published books predominantly about the warfare (List of Beevor’s publications).
- Furthermore, the Spanish archives were not accessed in his 2006 book, ‘Battle for Spain’ and there is no analysis of the recent historiography of the subject.
Helen Graham
Helen Graham – Values and Limitations
- As with Preston, Graham is an expert on the Spanish Civil War, having published several books on the topic. She also teaches a university course on European civil wars of from 1917 to 47.
- The limitations are similar to Preston in that perhaps Graham’s political beliefs lead her to be less critical of the left, even praising the communists within the International Brigade. However, she may also be aware of her own biases and aim to overcome them.
- There were three key factors affecting Spain in the 1930’s:
- Social, political, cultural and economic divisions. For example, the urban cosmopolitan lifestyles versus the rural tradition.
- Urban cities such as Valencia, Zaragoza, Sevilla and Catalonia expanded economically in the early 20th century. This brought improved infrastructure and attracted more people too. With a growing population, ideas flourished and a burgeoning middle-class began to question the political and economic structure of the country.
- Catholicism dominated parts of Spain.
- Rural Spain was conservative, held together by the common tie of the Catholic Church. It played a crucial role in pastoral care, with rural credit banks which offered financial help when times were bad. The monarchy was also seen as the best form of government.
- However, in southern Spain the Catholic Church had far less influence. It was seen as the ally of the powerful landowners, who ensured that agricultural workers were kept as virtual slaves (like a feudal system). Even when these workers or peasants revolted, they were violently stopped by the hated civil guard.
- The military officers were intolerant towards change.
- Spain lost its empire in the 19th century and the officer corps believed in the myth that it was the civilian governments were responsible. Moreover, as they were now not required to defend their empire, they needed a new role in Spain – this became to protect the country from change, maintaining the traditions such as the monarchy and Catholic Church. As part of this protection, groups which advocated change were challenged by the military.
- The senior officers generally had close relations with the large landowners, who were also reluctant to change.
- Social, political, cultural and economic divisions. For example, the urban cosmopolitan lifestyles versus the rural tradition.
Practices
Paul Preston
- Preston argues that foreign powers had a decisive impact on the result of the Spanish Civil War. Britain and France did not intervene on the side of the Republicans (1936 Non-Intervention Pact) whereas Italy and Germany did so on behalf of the Nationalists. Moreover, Soviet aid did not compare to that given to the two fascist powers.
- General Franco was eventually in charge of the Nationalist forces. According to Paul Preston, he had his own press officer even before he was the leader, putting out propaganda that he was directing the war. He was very ambitious and ensured there was only one leader. This alienated some on the right, Gil Robles for example, but it ensured stability and efficiency.
- Paul Preston argues that had Britain entered into the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Republicans, and Winston Churchill the future prime minister argued they should, it would have had a huge impact on how much Italy and Germany were prepared to fight (the British Royal Navy could stop many Italian supplies for example) and may have prevented the Second World War.
Anthony Beevor
- A deciding factor about the Nationalists, although admits this label is an oversimplification, is that they were more united than the Republicans. The former had a combination of monarchists, Carlists, the Church, the Falange and conservatives. The latter had anarchists, communists, republicans, regionalists, socialists etc – a wider variety of philosophies.
- With regards to the influence of foreign powers,
and Beevor also argues that the Soviet influence on the republicans had a detrimental effect on their fighting ability and eventual defeat.
For the Nationalists, Beevor argues that it was the German military quality that was decisive.
- He also argues that the Condor Legion was devastating in the battles of 1937 and 1938, countering the republican offensives.
- However, Beevor differs from Preston and Graham slightly, arguing that,
- Yet he agrees with Preston in criticising Britain for her lack of involvement in the war. The two prime ministers, Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain, both were wary of Spain becoming another Sarajevo (the spark of the First World War) but Beevor argues that they were wrong. Britain could hardly play the role of the world policeman when it was prepared to sacrifice the Spanish people and later the Czechs.
Helen Graham
- According to Helen Graham, albeit looking back on the war, it can be argued that it was inevitable that the Nationalists would win the war. They had the support of Italy, Germany and Portugal and had the guarantee that Britain and France would not help the Republicans. the only surprise was that the Left were able to sustain the war for so long.
- However, this could have been very different if Italy and Germany had not intervened.
- Professors Helen Graham and Mary Vincent argue that there is a religious crusade for the Nationalists. They fight to protect the Catholic Church (it had been attacked by some Leftist forces since 1931) and this helps create a degree of unity amongst their forces.
- From the beginning of the war, the people who represented the Catholic Church were targeted and killed (up to 7000 during the war). Even benevolent priests were murdered because they represented the an organisation that supported the military coup.
- Elsewhere in occupied rebel areas, the absence of the police
- The violence from the rebels reflected the ideology of their leaders. They, such as the Falange’, wanted to purge Spain of ‘alien’ influences.
and…
Effects
Paul Preston
- Perhaps the biggest impact on Spain were the casualties, approximately 500 000 from the war. But the deaths caused by politics did not end in 1939. Under Franco, tens of thousands of ‘opponents’ were killed in order to consolidate his position as dictator of Spain.
- Franco ruled as dictator until 1976. He maintained his position by ‘saving’ Spain from communism.
- The Latifundia returned to influence in Spain, and trade unions such as the UGT and CNT were abolished. The Catholic Church regained its power too, arguably more so than before the civil war. However, the army lost a lot of its influence in Spanish politics, especially after 1956 when Morocco established its independence.
- But all power became centralised in Madrid, no longer did Catalonia and the Basques have a chance of independence and only Spanish was the legal language.
- The country’s economy fell by up to 15% due to the war. Industry suffered and inflation was still high because too much money was printed off to pay for the war.
- Franco reversed the land reforms which earlier governments had passed.
Anthony Beevor
- Beevor explains that one of the major effects of the Spanish Civil War was the development of military strategy from the foreign powers who were involved.
- Beevor also explains the difficulties the hundreds of thousands of republican refugees faced at the end of the war. Many went to France, 450 000 in February 1939 alone, and were interned in camps. The French were unprepared for such numbers so the conditions were poor.
- Some of these returned to Spain but the majority remained outside of the country, settling in France, one of their colonies or Latin America.
Helen Graham
Helen Graham’s explanation of peacemaking is here.