Spanish Civil War: Causes of War Notes

Key Questions

1. What were the long term and short term causes of the Spanish Civil War?
2. How can these be categorized into economic, political, ideological, and territorial causes?

Long Term Causes

1. Regional and Local Divisions

1. Spain in the early 20th century was deeply fragmented, with loyalty to regions or local communities often outweighing loyalty to the nation as a whole.
2. Distinct cultural, linguistic, and historical identities — particularly among Basques, Catalans, and Galicians — created strong separatist tendencies.
3. Economic disparities were stark: some areas like Catalonia and the Basque Country had advanced industry and trade networks.
   1. Others, especially in rural interior regions, lagged behind with outdated farming techniques.
4. Agricultural structures varied widely:
   1. In some areas, land was worked by smallholder peasants.
   2. In others, vast estates (latifundia) were owned by a handful of wealthy families, leaving many landless labourers in poverty.
5. These regional inequalities and differing economic systems often stood in the way of unified reform or national development.

2. Political Power and Conservatism

1. The political right in Spain was dominated by a traditional alliance between landowners, the Catholic Church, and the army.
2. Land ownership was highly concentrated: roughly half of all land was controlled by just 50,000 individuals.
3. The Catholic Church, despite losing some influence during the 19th century due to secular reforms, retained enormous sway in education, social services, and political life.
4. The Spanish army was not only a military institution but also a political actor, often intervening in governance and aligned with conservative causes.

3. Rise of Regional Political Movements

1. Regionalism influenced the growth of distinct political and ideological movements across Spain.
2. In industrial hubs like Barcelona, anarcho-syndicalism, a form of anarchism rooted in trade union activism, became influential.
3. Anarcho-syndicalists called for:
   1. Worker control of industry and factories.
   2. Shorter working hours, better wages, and improved conditions.
   3. Decentralised political authority, avoiding a centralised state.
4. Rural areas, particularly poor regions like Andalusia, fostered a more traditional form of anarchism:
   1. Advocated land redistribution to peasants.
   2. Called for reduced taxes and the dismantling of large estates.
   3. Sought local autonomy free from central government interference.

4. Revolutionary Thinking and Anarchism

1. Many anarchists believed revolution would emerge organically through spontaneous action and the creative energy of ordinary people rather than through strict planning.
2. Their vision was deliberately vague, emphasising social transformation over detailed policy blueprints.
   1. This made anarchism adaptable and appealing to varied groups, but also difficult to unify into a single movement.

5. Left-Wing Ideological Diversity

1. Anarchism was only one of several leftist currents shaping Spanish politics in the 1930s.
2. Marxism and socialism had been active since the late 19th century, but were divided into competing strands.
3. Tensions between leftist groups weakened their collective strength:
   1. Stalinists (aligned with Soviet-style centralism) clashed with Trotskyites (advocating permanent revolution).
   2. Socialists often disagreed with trade unionists over political strategy and relations with anarchists.

6. Political Fragmentation on the Left

1. By the eve of the Spanish Civil War, Spain’s left-wing political scene was highly fractured, with a bewildering number of parties, unions, and militant groups.
2. Rivalries between factions led to a lack of coordinated leadership, making it difficult to present a united front against conservative and fascist forces.
3. This fragmentation would play a significant role in the eventual outcome of the Civil War, as divisions often proved as damaging as external opposition.

Short Term Causes

1. Collapse of the Monarchy and Rise of the Second Republic

1. By April 1931, public confidence in King Alfonso XIII had completely eroded due to political corruption, economic hardship, and his association with dictatorship under Miguel Primo de Rivera.
2. When the army withdrew its support, a critical blow in a country where military backing was essential for monarchic survival. Alfonso XIII went into exile.
3. General elections in June 1931 brought a centre-left coalition, led by Manuel Azaña, to power.
4. The Republic was greeted with optimism by reformists, but also with suspicion and hostility from conservatives, monarchists, and radical revolutionaries.

2. Early Reforms of the Azaña Government

1. The new government quickly implemented wide-ranging reforms in agriculture, labour rights, and church-state relations.
2. Key measures included:
   1. Protection for tenant farmers against eviction.
   2. Support for agricultural collectives and cooperatives.
   3. Legal separation of church and state, reducing the Catholic Church’s influence over education and civil life.
   4. Recognition of civil marriages and the right to divorce.
   5. Military reforms, including the forced retirement of many officers on full pensions to weaken the army’s political role.
3. While these changes pleased some moderates, they fell short of radical left demands and enraged the conservative right, who saw them as an attack on traditional Spanish society.
4. Despite the reforms, rural poverty remained largely unchanged, leaving many ordinary people disillusioned.

Political Opposition and the Sanjurjo Rebellion