Year of the start of the Spanish Civil War. Republic against fascism. The fate of the Spanish "children of war"

(1936-1939) - an armed conflict based on socio-political contradictions between the left-socialist (republican) government of the country, supported by the communists, and the right-monarchist forces, which raised an armed rebellion, sided with most of the Spanish army, led by Generalissimo Francisco Franco .

The latter were supported by fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, the USSR and anti-fascist volunteers from many countries of the world took the side of the Republicans. The war ended with the establishment of Franco's military dictatorship.

In the spring of 1931, after the victory of the anti-monarchist forces in the municipal elections in all major cities, King Alphonse XIII emigrated and Spain was proclaimed a republic.

The liberal socialist government embarked on reforms that resulted in an increase in social tension and radicalism. Progressive labor legislation was torpedoed by entrepreneurs, the reduction of officers by 40% provoked a protest in the military environment, and secularization public life- traditionally influential in Spain, the Catholic Church. The agrarian reform, which involved the transfer of surplus land to small owners, frightened the latifundists, and its slippage and insufficiency disappointed the peasants.

In 1933, a center-right coalition came to power, curtailing the reforms. This led to a general strike and an uprising by the miners of Asturias. New elections in February 1936 were won by a narrow margin by the Popular Front (socialists, communists, anarchists and left liberals), whose victory consolidated the right flank (generals, clerics, bourgeois and monarchists). An open confrontation between them was provoked by the death on July 12 of a Republican officer, who was shot dead on the threshold of his house, and the retaliatory murder of a Conservative MP the next day.

On the evening of July 17, 1936, a group of military men in Spanish Morocco and canary islands. On the morning of July 18, the mutiny swept the garrisons throughout the country. 14,000 officers and 150,000 lower ranks took the side of the putschists.

Several cities in the south immediately fell under their control (Cadiz, Seville, Cordoba), the north of Extremadura, Galicia, a significant part of Castile and Aragon. About 10 million people lived in this territory, 70% of all agricultural products of the country were produced and only 20% - industrial.

In large cities (Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Bilbao, Valencia, etc.), the rebellion was suppressed. The fleet, most of the air force and a number of army garrisons remained loyal to the republic (in total - about eight and a half thousand officers and 160 thousand soldiers). On the territory controlled by the Republicans, 14 million people lived, there were the main industrial centers and military factories.

Initially, the leader of the rebels was General José Sanjurjo, who was expelled to Portugal in 1932, but almost immediately after the putsch, he died in a plane crash, and on September 29, the top of the putschists elected General Francisco Franco (1892-1975) commander-in-chief and head of the so-called "national" government. He was given the title of caudillo ("leader").

Back in August, the rebel troops captured the city of Badajoz, establishing a land connection between their disparate forces, and launched an offensive against Madrid from the south and north, the main events around which took place in October.

By that time, England, France and the United States announced "non-intervention" in the conflict, imposing a ban on the supply of weapons to Spain, and Germany and Italy sent to the aid of Franco, respectively, the Condor Air Legion and the Infantry Volunteer Corps. Under these conditions, on October 23, the USSR declared that it could not consider itself neutral, starting to supply the Republicans with weapons and ammunition, and also sending military advisers and volunteers (primarily pilots and tankers) to Spain. Earlier, at the call of the Comintern, the formation of seven volunteer international brigades began, the first of which arrived in Spain in mid-October.

With the participation of Soviet volunteers and fighters of the International Brigades, the Franco attack on Madrid was thwarted. The slogan "¡No pasaran!" sounded at that time is widely known. ("They won't get through!").

However, in February 1937, the Francoists occupied Malaga and launched an offensive on the Jarama River south of Madrid, and in March they attacked the capital from the north, but the Italian corps in the Guadalajara region was defeated. After that, Franco shifted his main efforts to the northern provinces, occupying them by autumn.

In parallel, the Francoists went to the sea at Vinaris, cutting off Catalonia. The Republican counter-offensive in June pinned down the enemy forces on the Ebro River, but ended in defeat in November. In March 1938, Franco's troops entered Catalonia, but they were able to fully occupy it only in January 1939.

On February 27, 1939, the Franco regime with a temporary capital in Burgos was officially recognized by France and England. At the end of March, Guadalajara, Madrid, Valencia and Cartagena fell, and on April 1, 1939, Franco announced the end of the war by radio. On the same day he was recognized by the United States. Francisco Franco was proclaimed head of state for life, but promised that after his death, Spain would again become a monarchy. The caudillo named his successor the grandson of King Alfonso XIII, Prince Juan Carlos de Bourbon, who, after the death of Franco on November 20, 1975, ascended the throne.

It is estimated that up to half a million people died during the Spanish Civil War (with Republican casualties predominating), with one in five deaths being the victim of political repression on both sides of the front. More than 600,000 Spaniards left the country. 34 thousand "children of war" were taken to different countries. About three thousand (mainly from Asturias, the Basque Country and Cantabria) ended up in the USSR in 1937.

Spain became a place to test new types of weapons and test new methods of warfare in the run-up to World War II. One of the first examples of total war is the bombardment of the Basque city of Guernica by the Condor Legion on April 26, 1937.

30,000 Wehrmacht soldiers and officers, 150,000 Italians, about 3,000 Soviet military advisers and volunteers passed through Spain. Among them is the creator of the Soviet military intelligence Yan Berzin, future marshals, generals and admirals Nikolai Voronov, Rodion Malinovsky, Kirill Meretskov, Pavel Batov, Alexander Rodimtsev. 59 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. 170 people died or went missing.

A distinctive feature of the war in Spain was the international brigades, which were based on anti-fascists from 54 countries of the world. According to various estimates, from 35 to 60 thousand people passed through the international brigades.

The future Yugoslav leader Josip Bros Tito, the Mexican artist David Siqueiros fought in the international brigades, English writer George Orwell.

Ernest Hemingway, Antoine de Saint-Exupery, future German Chancellor Willy Brandt illuminated their lives and shared their positions.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

By its destructiveness, the Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 can be compared with the war of liberation against France in 1808-1814. Military losses are comparable to the First Carlist War, the largest civil war in Spain in the 19th century. Just over 150,000 uniformed Spaniards died. In addition, 25 thousand foreigners died. 56 thousand people were repressed only by the Republicans, the Nazis killed the same number or more. At least 12 thousand civilians died in the course of hostilities (mainly in the republican zone). Much more people died from the indirect consequences of the war - from hunger, disease, as a result of refugees.

The war of 1936-1939 was the first major war in Spain, where most of the military died in battle. By comparison, the Cuban War of 1895-1898 cost Spain 55,000 military dead, of which only 3,000 died in combat and 52,000 from disease. More than two million people were mobilized on both sides. In the battles, 175 thousand people died, or 6% of those mobilized (of which about 25 thousand were not Spaniards). The fascist militia consisted of 150 thousand people. An important base for Franco was Spanish Morocco. Muslim soldiers played important role during the first seven months of the rebellion. Muslim volunteers were also from Algeria and French Morocco. In general, there were 80 thousand Muslims in the fascist army, or 7% of the total number for the entire war. 11,000 Muslims died. 16,000 Germans and 70,000 Italians fought on Franco's side. Thus, there were 166,000 non-Spaniards in the nationalist troops, at least 15% of the total. About 41 thousand volunteers fought on the side of the republic, mainly from the USSR and Europe, three thousand volunteers were from the USA. In the autumn of 1936, they began to form international brigades. The Volunteers suffered heavy casualties, especially during the first nine months of the war, when they fought particularly hard. Several thousand of them were captured, more than 500 of them were executed. Three thousand people from the USSR fought in Spain, 200 people or 6.67% died. Among the Soviet volunteers there were about 800 pilots, several hundred tankers, about 600 officers of various ranks. On average, the international brigades lost 15% of their composition killed, the American battalion named after Lincoln - 30%. On the side of the Spanish Republic, 7,000 foreign volunteers died.

According to the 1930 census, 23,564,000 people lived in Spain. 1.1% of the population of the Spanish Republic died in the battles. Total The death toll, including the civilian population, reaches 344 thousand people, or 1.4% of the country's population. This is without a drop in the birth rate in the country between 1936 and 1940. In addition, several hundred thousand people were convicted during the year after the war. At the end of 1939, there were 270,000 Spaniards in prisons; two years later, 160,000 remained. In 1944 there were 54,000 prisoners. The pre-war prisoner level was reached only in the 1950s. Hard labor was widely used. 51,000 death sentences were handed down, of which 28,000 were executed. Another 200-300 thousand people died prematurely from the economic and economic consequences of the war. Even in 1941, the death rate was 124 thousand people above the norm. One and a half million people from the republican zone left Spain, although pretty soon the majority returned. Net emigration amounted to 170 thousand people. The 1940 census showed the population of Spain at 25,878,000.

The civil war destroyed 10% of Spain's national wealth. Total production in 1939 was 21% less than pre-war agriculture and 31% in industry. GDP fell by 26%. GDP per capita decreased by 28%. Many workers from the city returned to the countryside, and the number work force increased by 50% in rural areas. A third of the Spanish merchant fleet, 40% of locomotives and rolling stock perished. Franco went into debt, 570 million US dollars, 355 million Italy and 215 million Germany. Mussolini wrote off a quarter of the debt, the rest was paid in 1942-1962. Germany repaid the loan through exports in 1939-1944. Second World War 1939-1945 did not contribute to the economic recovery of Spain. Growth began only after 1945. The pre-war per capita income was reached only in 1951.

During World War II, Spain leaned towards the Axis, providing Germany and Italy with raw materials, intelligence, repairs and supplies. submarines. The volunteer Blue Division of 20 thousand people fought against the USSR for two years. In the summer of 1940, the question of Spain's entry into the war on the side of the Axis was decided. Franco requested significant economic assistance and part of the French colonies in northwestern Africa. Germany did not agree to this, and when the loss of the first became obvious, Franco sharply weakened ties with Berlin from October 1943. Franco established relations with the United States and Great Britain, which improved his position. In 1953, Spain entered into a military alliance with the United States. In 1947, a referendum returned the monarchy to Spain, Franco became regent for life. In 1969, Prince Juan Carlos de Borbón was declared the future King of Spain.

Thousands of Spanish Republicans fought in the Resistance Movement in France. In the Mauthausen camp alone, five thousand people died. In October 1944, communist detachments invaded Spain from France. Anarchist partisans operated inside the country. The invasion failed to spark a civil war in Spain and failed. But armed resistance to the Franco regime lasted until 1952.

Sources:

Payne Stanley G. The Spanish Civil War, Cambridge University Press, 2012

The period before the Second World War throughout the world cannot be called calm. The tension grew every day. At the same time, the 1930s were characterized by a number of military conflicts, which became a full-fledged "reconnaissance in force" for the opposing sides. Among these conflicts Soviet-Finnish War, the war in China and, of course, the civil war in Spain.

Background of the conflict

The first half of the 20th century was a very stressful period for Spain. The country entered the 20th century as a backward agrarian state, in which progressive reforms were hampered in every possible way. At the same time, the discontent of the people grew. Things were also deplorable in the army: soldiers and commanders were trained according to outdated programs and had outdated weapons.

In 1923, a military coup took place in Spain, led by General Miguel Primo de Rivera. Thanks to his energetic efforts, a number of reforms were carried out in the country, which allowed it to begin to develop. At the same time, the reforms were modeled on those carried out by the Nazis in Italy. However, already at the end of the 20s, Spain was covered by a wave of the global crisis, as a result of which the government of Primo de Rivera fell.

Already in 1931, the socialists and liberals won the parliamentary elections in the country, which led to the quick and natural abolition of the monarchy. Reforms began, which, however, were not always consistent and successful. Representatives of the clergy and just people of right-wing political views were persecuted, which by 1936 split Spanish society and the army into two camps. The situation gradually worsened, and by July 1936 the country was actually in chaos. It was provoked by an inconsistent agrarian reform and became the cause of riots and the killing of priests and aristocrats.

Beginning of the war (July 1936)

On July 16, 1936, a rebellion broke out in the Moroccan colonies of Spain, and by the 20th, Spanish Morocco was completely in the hands of the rebels. At the same time, uprisings broke out in other colonies: Western Sahara, Spanish Guinea and the Canary Islands. Two days later, the rebellion began in the continental part of the country. So, on July 18, fighting began in Seville, which was soon taken by the rebels. Also in the south, Cadiz and a number of other cities were occupied, which allowed the rebels to supply troops here, as well as to have a powerful foothold in southern Spain.

In the north, an uprising broke out in Oviedo, Burgos and other cities. At the same time, during the first week, the areas under the control of the rebels were enclaves, which gradually united with each other, creating a continuous front. The bulk of the army took the side of the rebels, putting the republican government in a difficult position from the very first days of the rebellion. At the same time, the majority among the rebels were nationalists and other right-wing forces.

In addition to a number of failed uprisings in major cities of Spain, the rebels in the very first days of the war also lost their leader, José Sanjurjo, who died in a plane crash. As a result of complex political processes In October 1936, General Francis Franco Baamonde became the leader of the rebels.

The war breaks out (July 1936 - March 1938)

Having successfully suppressed a number of rebellions in major Spanish cities, the republic faced a lot of difficulties. The main one was the almost complete absence of an army, which forced the formation Armed forces again. At the same time, at the end of July, Great Britain and France, which had previously treated the republic with distrust, imposed an embargo on arms supplies to it. However, help for the nationalists came from Portugal, Germany and Italy. Weapons, military equipment and even squadrons were supplied along with crews.

The leadership of the USSR also decided to provide assistance to the Spanish Republic, since in the future it was possible to get an ally with a very advantageous strategic position. The Soviet Union also began to send to Spain, ammunition, weapons, medicines, military equipment, aircraft, and even volunteers and military personnel, who became the backbone of the "international" brigades, recruited from citizens of many countries. Thus, the conflict in Spain became truly multinational. Spain became a testing ground for doctrines and military equipment for Italy, Germany and the Soviet Union.

During fierce fighting in August-September 1936, the nationalists managed to establish a land connection between their bridgeheads in Andalusia (in southern Spain) and Old Castile (north of the country). At the same time, part of the territory in the north was in the hands of the Republicans.

On October 15, 1936, the nationalists launched an offensive against Madrid, which they had been preparing since August. Here the troops under the command of General Mola and the Army of Africa under the command of General Franco advanced. It was planned to capture the city with a powerful throw and then "cut" the territory of the Republicans into two parts, completely disorganizing their resistance.

However, the offensive, which began very successfully, soon bogged down, not least due to Soviet tank power. A stubborn defense of Madrid began, which continued until the very end of the war. However, the Republican government of Spain left the city and moved to Valencia. The defense of the capital was entrusted to the Defense Junta of Madrid.

After the battles for Madrid, the 1936/37 winter campaign began, during which both sides attempted an offensive. In particular, the Republicans tried to advance on the Central Front, but, having suffered serious losses, failed. At the same time, the nationalists managed to take over the whole of Andalusia, which was held by poorly trained and poorly armed detachments of the republican militia. In general, the result of the winter campaign can be called a draw, since the front line has stabilized, and its significant changes given period Did not happen.

However, at the same time, the position of countries was changing, and in different directions. Anarchy actually reigned in the republic, and Spanish industry, the main part of which was in the hands of the republicans, gave practically nothing to the front, being controlled by trade union organizations and cells. The heavy losses suffered in the battles for Madrid caused a decrease in the scale of the actions of the Republican troops in subsequent campaigns.

The nationalists, on the other hand, quickly managed to recover from the defeat near Madrid. Having mobilized, they managed to replenish the ranks of their army and by the spring of 1937 they were again ready for active hostilities.

The goal of the 1937 campaign was the north of Spain, namely the Basque Country, Cantabria and Asturias, which by that time were actually separate states, nominally allied to the republican government. Quite serious industrial capacities were concentrated on the territory of these countries, which made this region very, very attractive for the strike of nationalists.

The defense of the republican and allied forces here was very small, since the Northern Front was considered secondary. Nevertheless, a line of fortifications was located here, equipped in the winter of 1936/37.

The nationalists had not only a numerical superiority - about 50 thousand people against 30 - but also complete air superiority, which already in the first days of the operation caused many barbaric destruction of the Basque cities. So, on April 26, 1937, the Spanish city of Guernica was wiped off the face of the earth, which became a symbol of barbarism and fanaticism of the Francoists and German pilots, who stopped at nothing to achieve military goals.

At the same time, on April 28, an uprising of the Trotskyists began in Catalonia, who planned to take power in the country in the conditions of a protracted war. As a result, the republic was shaken by a powerful political crisis, which resulted in street fighting in Barcelona, ​​Lleida and other cities and actually thwarted the Republican offensive that was being prepared for Zaragoza. In addition to aggravating the situation inside the republic, the uprising finally put an end to the holding of the Basque Country, which was defeated and captured by the nationalists by June 20.

The result of the spring battles was not only the defeat of the Republican army, but also a partial change in the government of the Spanish Republic: instead of Largo Caballero, Juan Negrin became the chairman of the Spanish government. Many ministers have also changed. The main consequence of the political crisis, which lasted until July 1937, was the fall fighting spirit among international brigades; at the same time, many fighters became disillusioned with the ideas for which they went to fight. Among the nationalists, Franco finally strengthened his dictatorship by liquidating his main political opponents.

In July 1937, the republican leadership planned an attack on the town of Brunete, near Madrid. It was planned to defeat the nationalist forces and drive them away from the capital.

The beginning of the offensive was very successful for the Republicans. They managed to capture the town of Brunete and push back the nationalists by 10-15 km. However, then the nationalists, having received reinforcements, launched a counteroffensive, which was unexpected for the republican forces. As a result, the Francoists pushed the enemy back to their original lines, inflicting huge losses on him.

In mid-August 1937, the nationalists launched an offensive in Cantabria. Here, the Republican forces held a small bridgehead with a center in Santander, surrounded on all sides by the enemy. Already on the first day of the offensive, the position of the Republicans became hopeless, and already on August 26 Santander was taken, and by the end of the month all of Cantabria was captured by the Francoists.

Simultaneously with the fighting in Cantabria, the republican forces launched a long-planned and long-prepared offensive in Aragon. The goal of the offensive was to be Zaragoza, a major administrative and industrial center. The Republicans outnumbered the enemy more than twice here, and there were also concentrated soviet tanks BT-5, which had superiority over the tanks of the nationalists.

In the first days of the offensive, the troops of the Spanish Republic advanced a distance of 10 to 30 kilometers, and it seemed that Zaragoza would soon fall. However, soon the vanguard of the advancing troops encountered serious and stubborn resistance from the villages of Quinto and Belchite, which did not have any strategic value. However, the defense organized here delayed the republican troops for a long time, thus frustrating their offensive. A new attempt to capture Zaragoza was made in October 1937, but it was also unsuccessful. The Republicans bogged down in the defense of the Nationalists and suffered serious losses.

On October 1, 1937, the Francoists launched an offensive in Asturias in order to eliminate the bridgehead of the republican forces in northern Spain and free up forces for operations in the center of the country. However, here they faced almost total resistance: almost the entire male population of Asturias stood up to defend their land. Only after heavy and exhausting battles did the nationalists manage to break the resistance of the Republicans, who were essentially in a hopeless situation, and eliminate their foothold.

The Francoist victories in 1937 sealed the general turning point in the Spanish Civil War in their favor. The nationalist government of the country managed to create a single army, very combat-ready and disciplined. In the rear, everything was also calm, in contrast to the republic, which was shaken by political crises.

In December 1937, the republican leadership made another offensive attempt to raise the spirit of the army. This time, the Republicans attacked the small town of Teruel, which was taken already in early January 1938. However, this short-term victory played a cruel joke on the victors a month later, when the Francoists suddenly launched a counterattack and recaptured the city, while inflicting heavy losses on the republican forces. After that, it became clear that the republic would not be able to win the war.

The final stage of the war (March 1938 - April 1939)

Already in the spring of 1938, the nationalists took advantage of the fact that the initiative passed to them, launching a grandiose offensive in Aragon. The result was a major military disaster for the Republicans and their complete loss of Aragon. The territory of Republican Spain was divided into two parts: in central Spain and in Catalonia. The situation was becoming critical.

Only in the summer did the Republicans manage to recover somewhat from their defeats and launch a series of counterattacks on enemy troops on the Ebro River. These events are known as the Battle of the Ebro and lasted over 100 days. The result was heavy losses on both sides, which was extremely critical for the republic and not very painful for the Francoists. However, the battle delayed the demise of the republic, albeit not for long.

The next major offensive of the nationalists began in November 1938 and led to their occupation of Catalonia, which was practically not defended by the republican units. By this time, the morale of the republican troops had significantly decreased, the international brigades and a number of other units were disbanded. Combat vehicles Republic also almost completely collapsed. The result of the offensive of the nationalists was the capture of Barcelona, ​​the temporary capital of Republican Spain.

Simultaneously with military victories, successes awaited the nationalists in the diplomatic field. In February 1939, the nationalists were recognized as the legitimate government of Great Britain and France. This was done, most likely, in order to improve difficult relations with Hitler and force the Republican government of Spain, which had lost their illusory support, to capitulate. However, the agony of the republic dragged on for another month and a half.

The unrest in the republic reached its peak in March 1939, when the generals overthrew the government of Juan Negrin and made contact with the Francoists. Many parts of the Republicans capitulated or went over to the side of the Nationalists. Only in a number of cities and districts did the nationalist troops have to carry out military operations to completely capture them.

In the end, already on March 28, Madrid was occupied without a fight, and by April 1, 1939, the entire territory of Spain was in the hands of the nationalists, which F. Franco announced on the radio.

The results of the war

The Spanish Civil War was the largest European conflict since World War I and the wars of the Russian Civil War period. Over a fairly large area, two armies, the total number of which by the end of the conflict was about 800 thousand people, used the latest means of struggle and new tactics. Both sides - the USSR and Germany with Italy - perceived this war as a training ground for practicing the actions of their troops and equipment. In addition, not only citizens of these countries, but also citizens of France, the USA, Great Britain and others became participants in the civil war in Spain.

The losses of both sides in the war amounted to approximately 450 thousand people; at the same time, the republican losses were approximately two and a half times higher than the losses of the nationalists. The higher losses, as well as the largely unsuccessful conduct of the war for the Republic, are due to the fact that almost all of the professional military in Spain took the side of the Francoists. Also here it is necessary to include various political hardships in the rear of the Republicans.

After the civil war, Spain became a friendly country for the states of the Steel Pact. However, this political course during the Second World War fluctuated significantly, becoming completely pro-American at its end. Thus, General Franco (who received the title of "caudillo" among the Spanish people) kept the country from even greater destruction and military defeat. Nevertheless, Franco retained a negative attitude towards the USSR by sending a “blue” division against the Soviet Union during the Second World War.

The Spanish Civil War finally formalized the country's transition, first from a semi-feudal and stagnant, and then from a socialist and semi-anarchist way of life to capitalism, allowing the country to develop in the bosom of market economy.

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According to the Historical Dictionary, a civil war is an organized armed struggle behind state power between classes social groups and groupings. The following types and forms of civil war are distinguished: slave uprisings, peasant and guerrilla wars, armed war of the people against a totalitarian or exploitative regime, 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 going on in Spain at that time, it is necessary to analyze the influence of the political and economic events of the interwar period.

The First World War had significant and special consequences for different countries. 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 - the Spanish industry flourished. So, for example, if in 1918 the positive balance 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 the activation of the strike movement. Obviously, with the onset of the crisis in the economy, it was difficult for the Spanish government to avoid a political crisis.

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

Despite Taken measures, the government of Spain 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 the direction of the working class, since the big bourgeoisie and big feudal lords were the backbone of the state.

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

King Alphonse 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 the "directorate" headed by the military governor of Catalonia, General Primo de Rivera. Who was introduced to the Italian king Victor Emmanuel by the general as "my Mussolini". Broadcast political power into the hands of the military governor says that the king can no longer control the situation in the country - the threat of revolution looms. In turn, Primo de Rivera, as well as the monarchical government, represented the interests of the landowners and the bourgeoisie, who, this time, were the support for the military-fascist dictatorship, therefore, the working class continued to be the most oppressed. It is also known that the big bourgeoisie and feudal lords represented by Primo de River were closely connected with foreign capital - this led to Spain's economic dependence on foreign monopoly.

Monopolies formed in industry. In 1924, Primo de Rivera created an economic national committee through which the monopolies received subsidies from the government. As a result, the state began to support large enterprises, while small ones 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 declined, many firms and banks went bankrupt, unemployment increased (in 1930 - 40% of the population were left without work), the number of strikes in 1929 reached 800, the 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, a bourgeois-democratic revolution was approaching the country. The situation was exacerbated by a massive republican movement in 1930. The inevitability of the collapse of the dictatorship gradually began to be recognized by everyone. Being in a hopeless situation, Primo de rivera was forced to submit on December 31 to the King and the Council of Ministers a draft in which it was proposed to prepare the conditions for the replacement of the dictatorship by a new government by September 13, 1930.

Further, until the end of the year, there were strikes of workers, anti-monarchist actions, the population of Spain by all possible methods tried to call on the government to overthrow the dictatorship, the power of the feudal lords and the big bourgeoisie. However, the authorities were limited only to the formation of a new government. The king resolutely did not want to admit that the problem of the state lies 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 proclaim a republic without authorization. At 3 p.m., the Republican flag was raised in Madrid at the Communications Palace and at the Ateneo Club. And in the evening of the same day, the king left the country, arguing his departure with the words: "To prevent the disasters of civil war." .

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

However, in two years (from 1931 to 1933) the Provisional Government could not decide main problem- settling of feudal remnants that hindered the economic development of the country. Perhaps the government did not want to aggravate social relations 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 explorer Hugh Thomas explains given fact because the Republic had enfranchised women, who were mostly zealous Catholics, and therefore voted for the Catholic party. Subsequently, a more moderate government was formed, but this led to a series of uprisings, which are called the "October Revolution of 1934". From this it follows 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, however, as Gil Robles noted at a meeting of the Cortes on June 16, 1936: “The government was endowed with exclusive rights, but in the four months of the republic’s rule, 160 churches were burned, 260 political assassinations were committed , 69 political centers were destroyed, 113 general strikes and 288 local strikes took place, 10 editorial offices were destroyed. He called the existing system anarchy.

As a result, a heated discussion broke out at the meeting of the Cortes about the current situation in the country and its causes, the party leaders blamed each other and did not want to compromise, everyone was sure 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 the countries of the League of Nations for Spain.

During this period, the fascist states, not 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 the policy of "non-resistance". They silently watched the actions of the countries of the Nazi bloc, as they were afraid of aggression in their direction and hoped to direct it to the USSR. The Soviet Union remained, perhaps, the only staunch defender of the system of collective security, which France and Britain had abandoned.

They also, together with the United States, financed the creation of a powerful military machine Germany and Italy, which in turn "tried to drag Spain into the fascist orbit." The ruling circles of Spain agreed with Mussolini in March 1934, according to which the head of fascist Italy took upon himself the duty of helping to overthrow the republic in Spain and even, if necessary, unleash a civil war. The imperialist circles of the USA, Britain and France supported the feudal lords of the Spanish state. They did it for their own interests, there were many foreign monopolies in Spain that took advantage of the oppressed position of the Spanish workers, and a republican constitution would give them greater rights and forbid their exploitation. America was interested in introducing equity in Spain with the aim of influencing its political life. That's it a prime example: When Admiral Aznar formed the government, New York's Morgan Bank tried to save the dying Bourbon monarchy by lending Spain $60 million.

The United States repeatedly 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, her 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, the following conclusion can be drawn: 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 a strike movement in industry (1919-1923) and a constant struggle for power and influence in the country, this did not contribute to the rise of the economy and the prosperity of the state. Spain needed a strong ruler who would bring order to the country, but since the struggle for power for some party leaders was more important than the fight against the crisis, Spain gradually became mired in its political and political economic problems. The position of the state was also worsened by failures in foreign policy. And the countries of the West, in this case, were only trying to protect their own interests, thereby exacerbating the multi-vector contradictions in the country, which resulted in a civil war.

Spanish Civil War 1936 - 1939, began as a result of a rebellion raised by Generals E. Mola and F. Franco. Although the origins of the conflict were rooted in the dispute hundred years ago between traditionalists and supporters of modernization, in Europe in the 1930s. It took the form of a clash between fascism and the anti-fascist bloc popular front. This was facilitated by the internationalization of the conflict, the involvement of other countries in it.

Prime Minister J. Hiral appealed to the French government for help, Franco appealed to A. Hitler and B. Mussolini. Berlin and Rome were the first to respond to the call for help, sending 20 transport aircraft, 12 bombers and the Osamo transport ship to Morocco (where Franco was then located).

By the beginning of August, the African army of the rebels was transferred to the Iberian Peninsula. On August 6, the southwestern grouping under the command of Franco began to march on Madrid. At the same time, the northern group under the command of Mola moved to Caceres.

started Civil War, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives and left ruins behind.

The decision to provide assistance from the USSR in response to the request of the head of the government of the Popular Front F. Largo Caballero was made Soviet leadership in September 1936. But back in August, along with the Soviet embassy, ​​military advisers arrived. In 1936-39 there were about 600 military advisers in Spain; the number of Soviet citizens who took part in the Spanish events did not exceed 3.5 thousand people.

On the other hand, Germany and Italy sent Franco a large contingent of military instructors, the German Condor Legion, and a 125,000-strong Italian expeditionary force. In October 1936, the Comintern initiated the creation international brigades who gathered anti-fascists from many countries under their banners. September 9, 1936 in London began work " non-intervention committee”, the purpose of which was to prevent the Spanish conflict from escalating into a general European war.

The Soviet Union was represented by the Ambassador in London, I.M. May. On August 7, 1936, the US government ordered all its diplomatic missions to be guided in the Spanish situation by the "Act of Neutrality" of 1935, which prohibited the supply of weapons to the warring countries. The military conflict was aggravated by the creation of two various types statehood: republics where from September 1936 to March 1939 the government of the popular front, headed by the socialists F. Largo Caballero and J. Negrin, and the authoritarian regime in the so-called. the national zone, where Franco concentrated all the legislative, executive and judicial powers in his hands.

Traditional establishments prevailed in the national zone. In the republican zone, the land was nationalized, and large industrial enterprises and banks confiscated and turned over to unions. In the national zone, all the parties that supported the regime were merged in April 1937 into " Spanish traditionalist phalanx y”, led by Franco. In the republican zone, the rivalry between socialists, communists, and anarchists resulted in open clashes, right up to the armed putsch in May 1937 in Catalonia.

The fate of Spain was decided on the battlefields. Franco was unable to capture Madrid until the end of the war; the Italian corps was defeated in the battles of Jarama and Guadalajara. Unfavorable outcome 113-day " battles on the ebro” in November 1938 predetermined the outcome of the civil war.