Spanish Civil War

• Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
  • In retrospect, the Spanish Civil War is a continuation of the European Fascist/ non-Fascist Divide that began with the Abyssinian Crisis and its aftermath.
  • By the end of 1936, the League of Nations is a powerless institution, Italy has left the Stresa Front and Locarno associations and became allied with Germany via the Pact of Steel.
  • France has cemented its alliance with the USSR and Great Britain stands uncomfortably to the side.
  • The Spanish civil war widens these divides is eerily similar to the Cold War era with proxy wars between the Fascist countries, Germany and Italy, and the non-Fascist countries, the US, France, Great Britain, and others.
• Spain in the 20th Century and the Formation of the Popular Front
  • They are primarily agrarian with industrial development with few natural resources. Dominated by a well-entrenched landed aristocracy.
  • Peasantry are poor tenants, dominated by aristocracy and the Church.
  • The the 1920s, there is an anarchist movement, socialist movement, communist movement, and separatism. The three distinct groups are the Catalonians, Madrileños, and Basques, who all merge into a republicanism (anti-monarchical, anti-clerical).
  • In 1931 the effete King of Spain Alfonso the 13th will abdicate in the face of sporadic violence and protests and urges the formation of the Republic.
  • The Leftist coalition will form the Republic of Spain in 1931. The coalition is weak and reforms are met with resistance from aristocracy and church.
  • In 1931-34 the Republic will unsuccessfully try to solve Spain's problems that are heightened by the Great Depression.
  • Azañas government falls with violent strikes in Asturias mining region put down by an increasingly independent and right wing army.
  • The strikes were broken up by an Army General Francisco Franco (strong man totalitarian dictator after the Civil War).
  • In 1934-36, the right government gets repressive and brutal and becomes voted out in 1936 and the Popular Front government formed with Communist participation. A coalition becomes a popular front when the Communist party is joined
• Political Groups
  • Now Spanish Government becomes an idealogical fútbol for Europe.
  • The military under Franco forms a paramilitary resistance group called the Phalangistas, who began to revolt agains the Popular Front.
  • The republicans devolves into a bloody civil war (1936-39) in which 500,000 Spaniards die.
  • Civil war has the effect of diverting attention in Europe away from Hitler who openly supports the Fascist Phalangistas of Franco.
  • Franco primarily supported Mussolini financially and with troops (75,000) Hitler also sends troops but never enough to turn the tide. Include experimental armored units.
  • The new tactics developed by French General Charles Degaulles.
  • The Nazis also send a new monoplane, all metal ai craft, Luf-tanaffe. The Condor Legion, experimental with carpet bombing Guernica bombed by Germans in 1936.
  • This bombing leads to Pablo Picasso's Guernica
• European Involvement
  • The Republicans/Loyalists of the Popular Front are unofficially aided by Great Britain and Farnce with mainly volunteer troops
  • The US also organizes a volunteer brigade out of the Mother Jones Socialist movement in Chicago called the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, which was mainly a medical corps, and one its member is Ernest Hemingway, who wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls.
  • Military unit fights which is commanded by an African American.
  • Soviet Union and Stalin provide the bulk of financial aid and material support to the Spanish Republicans

Germany On the Rise

• Western European are concerned about German aggressions because of
  • German rearmament
  • They have left the League of Nations, and along with it, the idea of collective security
  • Austrian Anschluss/ Murder of Dollfus
  • Germans softened the blows with the Polish Non-aggression Pact, Anglo German Naval Agreement (AGNA), and Hitler's repudiation of the Nazi-led attempted Anschluss.
  • Though the Germans soften the blows, there are still concerns directed towards them.
• French Policy
  • France during the mid 30's completed their anti-German defense system called the Maginot Line. This emboldens their foreign policy a little bit.
  • Aristide Briand has aged out and been replaced by shady, back door dealing politician called Pierre Laval.
  • Laval was eventually executed for collaborating with the Germans during WW2.
  • Laval in 1935, will sign an alliance with the USSR. The Franco-Soviet Alliance was ratified in March 1936. This activates the old two-front war threat.
  • The Franco-Soviet Alliance is only activated if Locarno signatories agree, so that the treaties are interlocking.
  • Stalin, fearful of aggressive Fascism, has opened communications with the West and through the Comintern construct domestic Communist Parties to cooporate against Right/Fascists.
  • By 1936 the French Government will be led by a leftist coalition of Socialists, Radical Socialists (Centrist) and Communists called the Popular Front.
  • There is a reaction against leftist policies in France. The French rightists think, "Better Hitler than Leon Blum."
  • Leon Blum is socialist and Jewish, and concludes the Soviet pact. Hitler takes notice.
• Great Britain, France, and Italy decide to bond together to resist German Aggression
  • In 1935, the three will meet at Stresa front in Northern Italy and form the Stresa Front. This reaffirms
    • The Locarno obligations
    • All pledge to protect the integrity of Austria
    • Territorial changes in Europe via the League of Nations
  • During Stresa, Mussolini is playing a secondary game. He informs the British about his intended expansion in East Africa.
  • Recall- Italy's empire dreams in Africa focus on the horn of Africa. Italy wants Somalia, Eritrea, with Ethiopia in between.
  • Ethiopia/Abyssinia had defeated Italy in am Imperial War in 1896 at Battle of Adowa/Adwa.
  • Massacre British do not respond and Mussolini takes it as approval.
• Ethiopian Crisis (1935-1936)
  • The fighting beings as a border dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia. Italians with Somalian troops build a fort on the disputed border at Walwal (called the Walwal incident). They were fighting and 150 are killed in military action. Ethiopia is a League Member and appeals to the League. So the League sends a commission.
  • The Ethiopian King's name is Ras Tafari.
  • The Manchurian Crisis 1931 with Japan has lead the League to establish the machinery of economic sanctions against the next offender, which is Italy.
  • The conundrum is upholding the League or maintaining the Stresa Front.
  • If they sanctions are applied by the League against Italy (clearly aggression against another member) and risk losing Italy in the Stresa Front against Germany
  • Or they could not apply the sanctions and cause the League to loose credibility, but GBR and France try to humor Italy.
  • The decision is to not deny them Suez canal access. GBR and France try to "have their cake and eat it too" and do both.
• Hoare-Laval Plan
  • French and British foreign ministers meet to try to find an amicable solution.
  • Pierre Laval (Popular Front) and Samuel Hoare create the Hoare-Laval Plan
  • The premise is that France wants to empower the League but do not want it to appear that they are manipulating League policy.
  • They also want to mollify Mussolini for Stresa and Locarno. The Plan is to have the agreement put forth by the League.
  • Details
    • Mussolini will be given Ethiopian territory, but Ethiopia will remain independent Ethiopia will be compensated with territory from British Somalia with access to the sea. Called the "Corridor for Camels"
    • Mussolini accepts the terms
  • Before the League announces "their solution," the French Right Wing press leaks the details of the deal embarasses the Leftist Popular Front.
  • The British is outrages as well, as is the general public in both countries Both Hoare and Laval resign in the midst of the public furor.
  • The British revisionist historian AJP Taylor claims the Hoare-Laval is the clear fault of Britain and France. He thinks it paved the way to war.
• The Pact of Steel
  • Ethiopia is conquered and incorporated into Italy
  • The League is no longer respected as an instrument of peace
  • Italy withdraws form the League and Stresa Front and repudiates Locarno
  • Italy in 1936 sings an alliance with Germany, called The Pact of Steel. Also called an anti-Comintern Pact.
  • Italy for the Minister of Ciano Pact forms "the Axis around which Europe must revolve"
• Remilitarization of the Rhineland
  • In May 1936, Leon Blum Popular Front Government formally ratifies the Franco-Soviet Alliance.
  • Hitler, sensing the division in Europe, violates another part of the Versailles Treaty.
  • Hitler sends troops back into the Rhineland: Remilitarization of the Rhineland
  • France wants to go to war, but will not without the assistance Great Britain.
  • Great Britain demurs on the issue, since they think that the Germans send troops into their "own backyard." Yes this violates Versailles, but Versailles was a bad treaty.
  • This is Germany's first overt act of aggression, which drives him closer to Italy. After 1936, Hitler becomes aggressive in order to get ACP!

Hitler's Early Policy (1933-1935)

• Hitler's Early Policy was surprisingly reasonable. He seems to be pursuing peace/alternatively you could interpret as buying time to prepare. His first three basic moves are
  • Rearming after disarmament
  • The Non-Aggression pact with Poland
  • The naval agreements with the British
• Hitler's foreign policy can be (early on) seen as a smooth continuation of the Weimar Republic. Weimar/German issues lay at the feet of Versailles.
  • The Reparations, which are toned down by the Dawes and Young Plans
  • Territorial losses, which were talked about at Locarno. The boundaries were confirmed in the West but potentially could be moved in the East.
  • Rejection from the League of Nations
  • Change to a Republican form of government
  • With regards to disarmament, Germany is limited to 100,000 men with weapons restrictions, which were covertly circumvented with the Rapallo Treaty with the Soviets in 1922. Hitler had used Versailles and its repeal a centerpiece of Nazi platform. Hitler's rearmament has positive domestic repercussions, but he has to walk a diplomatic tightrope
• Germany's road to rearmament
  • The Geneva Disarmament Conference 1932-34 sponsored by the League with US involvement
  • Already there had been disarmament agreements, for example the Washington Naval Conference (1921) 5-5-3-1.7-1
  • Also the London Conference (1930) which added battleships and carriers 10-10-7-3.5-3.5
  • Since 1932, the Germans had demanded "equality of arms" mainly
  • Britain pushes the French to make a deal, since they are so concerned with the Balance of Power, and France refuses since they are concerned with their security.
  • For France security is paramount, but having a relatively large standing army with all its equipments has helped France weather the Great Depression, purely for Keynesian reasons. This deficit spending helps the French during the GD along with a great public works project also born from French insecurity. Its called the Maginot Line.
  • Hitler faced with French with recalcitrance, withdraws from the Conference and League. Hitler "reluctantly" announces rearmament since France won't, we are forced to rearm.
  • Hitler's initial action is a conscription of 450,000 soldiers with no restriction on weapons. This makes the Army very happy, and also benefits the industrialists. The German people are working and elated over the demise of Versailles, and the League.
• Alliances and stuff
  • Poland
    • In 1934 Hitler signs a bilateral agreement, a non-aggression pact with the Poles. What the hell?
    • Hitler avoids the possibility of 2-front war, the French threat is compromised, and Hitler is giving peace a second chance.
  • Britain (AGNA)
    • In 1935, Hitler's next masterful stroke in foreign policy is to make a deal with Britain. Like the Kaiser, Hitler would like friendly terms with the British.
    • The Anglo-German Naval Agreement (1935). They have not been signatories at the World Naval conferences. This bilateral agreement happened in 1935, and basically added Germany into the proportional navy laws.
• The Dollfus Murder
  • The Röhm Purge (1934) in Germany set off a series of demonstrations by the Nazi Party in neighboring Austria. Austrian Nazis, against Hitlers wishes, attempt to seize power in Austria (called the Anschluss). The Anschluss is a violation of St. Germaine.
  • The Nazis break into Austrian chancellery and murder Austrian leader Engelbert Dollfuss.
  • Austria, after failure of Kreditanstalt, has fallen the sphere of influence with Italy.
  • Hitler is friendly with Mussolini, friendly because they are both Catholic with cleric-fascist government.
  • Dolfuss's murder induces Mussolini to send 100,000 troops to Austria's border. He forewarns Hitler, "If you invade Austria, Italy will declare war."
  • The Nazi uprising is quelled and Hitler reigns in his Austrian party. In combination with German Rearmament, France, Italy, and Britain realize that they need to present a united front in the face of a new German Government, although AGNA shows British duplicity.
• The Saar Plebiscite
  • In 1920, the Saarland was awarded to France on a 15 year lease. Thereafter, the populace of the Saar could vote on which country they wish to join
  • Less than 1% vote to go to France, 9% want to remain a League Mandate, and 90% want to go to Germany.
  • Hitler sees this as an affirmation of his policies and is emboldened.