Spanish Civil War Politics
Comintern
"Communist International" international organization advocating world communism; influenced the PCE, etc. by determining goals to promote Communism
quinta columna
"fifth column" a term referring to traitorous groups that undermine their comrades from within. comes from the statement of a Nationalist general that four columns of troops marched toward Madrid intending to take the city in 1936, and that a "fifth column" of Nationalist supporters already within the city would help them conquer it.
señoritos
1.) general: son of someone important/wealthy (un señor) who lives fabulously and doesn't work 2.) war:
Anarcho-syndicalism
Anarchist classification focused on the labor movement, whose principles include workers' solidarity, direct action, and workers' self-management. Anti religion.
Buenaventura Durruti
Anarchist leader of the CNT
Timeline
April 1931: Republic declared Feb 1936: Popular Front government elected July 1936: Military Coup and war Nov 1936: Nationalists outside Madrid' April 1937: Guernica Dec 1938: Nationalists move into Catalonia March 1939: Civil war in Madrid between communists and anticommunists March 1939: Republican factions fracture; nationalists take Madrid
seige
Asedio
Fascism
Belief in a one-party dictatorship in a totalitarian state led by a strong dictator and martial government. Against liberal democracy. Tends to be militaristic and racist. May be an oligarchy. Liberals tend to think fascism and communism are both totalitarian ideologies seeking to control everything.
International Column
Brigade of foreign volunteers fighting for the Republican side Set up by the Comintern to help the Popular Front Generally, anti-stalin volunteers joined POUM and pro-stalin volunteers joined the International Column
Republican side
CNT, POUM, PSUC, etc... Marxists, Communists, Anarchists, Republicans, Socialists
Nationalist side
Carlists, Falange, Monarchists, Catholic Church
Anarchist Groups
Composed of CNT and FAI
CEDA
Confederación Española de Derechas Autonomas
CNT
Confederación Nacional del Trabajo Leader/hero: José Buenaventura Durruti Confederation of anarcho-syndicalist labor unions that significantly expanded anarchist influence in Spain. Legalized in 1936. Republican side. Managed Barcelona (praised by Orwell as a classless society), established successful collectives in Teruel and Huesca
Fascist side
Falange was the main fascist group ???
FAI
Federación Anarquista Iberica federation of militant anarchist groups that worked in secret and formed the backbone of the anarchist militias in the beginning of the war.
Popular Front
Included PSOE, PCE, POUM, Izquierda Republicana, CNT means of allaying Communist parties with other anti-fascist groups Created before the civil war and won the 1936 election before Franco's coup d'etat Basically the same as "the republican side"
Falange
Leader: Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera (founder, el Ausente), later Manuel Hedilla and Franco under "27 puntos" ideology. small fascist party founded during second republic. Later joined with Juntos de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista, . Republican, avant-gardist, modernist. Consolidated with Carlists by Franco, who adopted its ideology. group of arrows symbol
slogan
Lema
Guernica (event)
Nationalists wanted to take industrial Bilbao, and Guernica was an obstacle Nazi and Italian air forces combined to bomb the town first example of mindless violence towards civilians
Communist Party
PCE: Partido Communista Española Leaders: José Díaz and Dolores Ibárruri (La Pasionaria) Small but highly efficient and supported by the Stalinist Soviet Union (thus able to exert inordinate power through armed forces). Fought with Republic / Popular front; eventually eliminated other groups like POUM that threatened its influence. sickle symbol
PSUC
Partida Socialista Unida de Catalonia represented the Communist party of Spain in Catalonia
POUM
Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista Leaders: Andreu Nin and Joaquin Maurin Communist (technically) and Trotskyist (anti-Stalin) party, formed in opposition to the Soviet-style Communism in Spain. Grew larger than the actual Communist party, especially in Catalonia and Valencia, and ended up fighting with the other communists and having to go underground. Critical of Popular Front and Comintern but participated in popular front
PSOE
Partido Socialista de Trabajadores Españoles Leader: included Juan Negrín Had 3 sections: Marxist revolutionary leftist wing (Caballero), moderate social-democratic wing, reformist wing Part of Spanish republic
Francisco Largo Caballero
Socialist Prime Minister of the second phase of Republican leadership in the Civil War (collaboration of political and trade union forces, unification of the army, control of the revolution) Leader of the UGT labor union that was associated with PSOE
Juan Negrín
Socialist Prime Minister of the third phase of Republican leadership in the Civil War who wanted to change non-intervention policies of other powers
Falangism
Spanish form of fascism. Emphasized need for authority and hierarchical order. Anti-communist, antidemocratic, anti-capitalist, anti-liberal, though Franco convinced them to abandon anti-capitalist tendencies. Supported unity of Spain and elimination of regional separatism, one-party State, direct action, syndicalist economy. Catholic though believes in state power over church power.
Carlists
Supported claim of Don Carlos and descendants to the Spanish throne. Belief in ultra-Catholic traditional monarchy (reaction against Enlightenment) and thus loathed anticlerical republicans. Support from Requetes (militia), Pelayos (youth movement) and Margaritas (womens movement). Dios, Patrias, Fueros, Rey. Consolidated with Falange by Franco.
Monarchists
Supported claims of Isabella and descendants to Spanish throne. Focus of opposition to the Republic after the abdication of Alfonso XIII. Included many conservative military officers.
The Church in the war
The 2nd Republic was already anticlerical so there was religious division before the war this was manifested w legalization of civil marriage, divorce, universal secular schools, and nationalization of church properties, and the ban on public religious displays When the war broke out, church officials as well as Catholic laity supported the Nationalist cause and rejected peace. Only the Basques remained loyal to the Republic. The church was a valuable source of legitimacy for the Fascists since it made the war a holy war; it concealed the classist and political aims of the Fascists with religion The church then overwhelmingly supported Franco's administration.
UGT
Unión General de Trabajadores Leader: Francisco Largo Caballero (of Marxist wing of PSOE) Large trade union affiliated with PSOE
Women in the Civil War
Very patriarchal society before the first republic figure of the (republican) militia woman became popular, illustrating the new involvement of women in military activities La Pasionaria became a popular and famous figure as a wife, mother, and Communist party leader later, defending the home and family against Fascism became a more mobilizing image Images of women as goddesses of liberty from the 2nd Republic (reminiscent of French revolution): la niña bonita
Resolution of the war
When the Fascists took Madrid, it was basically over Franco instituted effectively a Fascist monarchy, dividing out positions among the Carlists, Monarchists, and Falangists and taking the head of government position for himself absolute government control of media Restoration of public worship and crucifixes in schools Continued "terror" and persecution of Republican supporters
outskirts
a las fueras
although
a pesar de aunque
at the same time...
al mismo tiempo por otro lado en paralelo
grieve
apenarse
Anarchism
belief that government is both harmful and unnecessary, and that no one should force participation: disbelief in consent of the governed. Not a belief in chaos, but a belief in a flowing philosophy and that interactions will fall into place without government.
Socialism
belief that society should exist with popular collectives controlling the means of production and power. Related to the establishment of an organized working class, with the purpose of building a classless society. Encompasses Marxism and Communism.
el mono azul
blue suit that workers wore
to bomb
bombear, los bombeos
bourgeoisie
burguesía
collective
colectivo
trade
comercio
with regards to
con respecto a
consent
consentimiento
Francisco Franco
conservative monarchist general in the 2nd Republic who led the coup that led to the Civil War and became the face of the Nationalist side After the war and the deaths of many other nationalist leaders, he declared a monarchy with himself as regent
contradict
contradecir
contrarily
contrariamente al contrario
Segunda República
declared 1931; lasted until 1936 goals included secularization, modernization of the military, and land distribution (caused tension) social stratification did not go away, tension between those that wanted to collectivize and those who didn't Franco's coup d'etat failed to take over, but it caused a rift between the state and the military, preventing the state from keeping order and leading to the civil war
overthrow
derrocar
defeat
derrota
africanista
descriptor of Franco people who got their military experience in Morocco
demoralization
desmoralización
Capitalism
economic system where the means of production are privately owned, operated, and invested in. Distribution and prices of commodities are determined privately in a free market, not by the State.
in conclusion
en conclusión finalmente se deriva se entiende
arrows
flechas
Front
frente (a la batalla)
manage
gestionar / administrar
coup d'état
golpe de estado / golpe militar
Nationalist messages
holy war -Church fighting the anti-Spain war against strangers (not a civil war)
sickle
hoz
International involvement
in 1936 many European countries signed a non intervention policy
Why the republic lost
internal fragmentation and infighting failure to recognize the importance of religion as a motivator
hierarchy
jerarquía
Juan Díaz y Dolores Ibárruri
leaders of the PCE Díaz was a trade unionist and communist (General Secretary) Ibárruri was the public figure "La Pasionaria" (the one who has passion) and icon of the Spanish Communists, though she was criticized for keeping her son safe in the Soviet Union during the war
martial
marcial
means
medios
el valle de los caídos
monument to the dead, full of republican bodies but also commemorating dead francoists the only fascist monument you will ever see
syndicalist economy
national syndicates (groups) of employees and employers to mutually organize and control economic activity.
Direct Action
nonviolent: sit-ins, strikes, marches, etc violent: political violence or assaults
to hide
ocultar
officer
oficial
it appears that
pareciera pareciese da la impression aparece que
consequently
por lo tanto por ende por consiguiente consecuentemente
prices
precio
first of all
primero que todo primeramente al inicio inicialmente
private
privada
proletariat
proletariado
ownership
propiedad / posesión tener / poseer
Nationalist images
religious images (cross) flag of pre-republic spain
before the war
rigid social stratification agricultural economy behind on industrialization all the land in the hands of the few lack of jobs for peasants immigration internal: rural to city
sector
sector
however
sin embargo a pesar de que no obstante
syndicate
sindicato group organized to achieve a similar end
Communism
theoretical system of social organization / political movement based on common ownership of the means of production. Seeks to replace capita.ism-- Associated with Marx, who said it would come about by a proletarian revolution that used a socialist transitional stage before totally converting to communism. Anti religious.
la guerra de los muertos
there were conflicts (lay and religious) over cemeteries
Shot (past participle)
tiro, disparo, golpe
totalitarian
totalitario