The Spanish Civil War began on July 17, 1936 after an attempted coup led by General Francisco Franco against the Republican government of Spain. The coup was supported by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, who sent troops to help Franco’s forces fight against the Republicans.
The war ended in March 1939 when both sides agreed to a cease-fire. In 1939, Franco declared himself the leader of Spain, setting up a dictatorship that would last until his death in 1975.
The Spanish Civil War was fought between two groups: those loyal to the established government of Spain and those who supported a revolt led by General Francisco Franco against it. Many countries became involved in this conflict because they either supported one side or another.
The cause of this war was complex; there were many factors involved that contributed to its outbreak and continuation over many years:
The rise of right-wing groups like Falange Española and other conservative groups who wanted to remove what they saw as “foreign” influences from Spain. The Great Depression hit Spain hard and created severe economic problems for many people living there. In addition to the political and economic issues facing Spain at the time, there were also social tensions that contributed to the outbreak of war. The Catholic Church was a powerful force in Spanish society, with many people identifying themselves as Catholic first and Spanish second. This meant that some people were more likely to side with right-wing groups such as General Francisco Franco’s Nationalist movement.
