Republican faction (Spanish Civil War)

The Republican faction (Spanish: Bando republicano) also known as the Republicans (republicanos) was the side in the Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939 that supported the Second Spanish Republic against the National faction.

Contents

Participants

Political groups

Popular Front

Main article: Popular Front (Spain)

Unions

CNT/FAI

Main article: Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
Main article: Federación Anarquista Ibérica

UGT

Main article: Unión General de Trabajadores

Military

People's Republican Army

In October 1936 the republican government in Vitoria began a reorganization process of the fragmented army. The self-denominated People's Republican Army (Spanish: Ejército Popular de la República, EPR) consisted of those army units that had remained loyal to the Republic and militia members who were integrated into the army structure.

Civil Guard

International Brigades

Main articles: International Brigades and Foreign involvement in the Spanish Civil War

The International Brigades were military units composed of anti-fascist, socialist, communist, and anarchist volunteers from different countries. An estimated 32,000 people from a claimed "53 nations" volunteered, including George Orwell (although Orwell served in a distinct faction from the International Brigades: The Party for Marxist Unification, or P.O.U.M).[1]

Direct foreign support

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union primarily provided material assistance to the Republican forces. In total the USSR provided Spain with 806 planes, 362 tanks, and 1,555 artillery pieces.[2] The Soviet Union ignored the League of Nations embargo and sold arms to the Republic when few other nations would do so; thus it was the Republic's only important source of major weapons. Joseph Stalin had signed the Non-Intervention Agreement but decided to break the pact. However, unlike Hitler and Mussolini who openly violated the pact, Stalin tried to do so secretly.[3] He created a section X of the Soviet Union military to head the operation, coined Operation X. However, while a new branch of the military was created especially for Spain, most of the weapons and artillery sent to Spain were antiques. Stalin also used weapons captured from past conflicts.[4] However, modern weapons such as BT-5 tanks[5] and I-16 fighter aircraft were also supplied to Spain.

Many of the Soviets' deliveries were lost or smaller than Stalin had ordered. He only gave short notice, which meant many weapons were lost in the delivery process.[3] Lastly, when the ships did leave with supplies for the Republicans, the journey was extremely slow. Stalin ordered the builders to include false decks in the original design of the boat. Then, once the ship left shore it was required to change its flag and change the color of parts of the ship to minimize capture by the Nationalists.[3] However in 1938, Stalin withdrew his troops and tanks as government ranks floundered. Historian Hugh Thomas comments "had they been able to purchase and transport good arms from US, British, and French manufacturers, the socialist and republican members of the Spanish government might have tried to cut themselves loose from Stalin".[6]

The Republic had to pay for Soviet arms with the official gold reserves of the Bank of Spain, in an affair that would become a frequent subject of Francoist propaganda afterward (see Moscow Gold). The cost to the Republic of Soviet arms was more than US $500 million (in 1936 prices); the entire of Spain's gold reserve, the fourth-largest in the world. 176 tonnes was transferred through France.[7]

The Soviet Union also sent a number of military advisers to Spain (2,000[8]–3,000[9]).[10] While Soviet troops amounted to no more than 500 men at a time, Soviet volunteers often operated Soviet-made Republican tanks and aircraft, particularly at the beginning of the war.[11] In addition, the Soviet Union directed Communist parties around the world to organize and recruit the International Brigades. Another significant Soviet involvement was the pervasive activities of the NKVD all along the Republican rearguard. Communist figures like Vittorio Vidali ("Comandante Contreras"), Iosif Grigulevich and, above all, Alexander Orlov led those not-so-secret operations, that included murders like those of Andreu Nin and José Robles.

Mexico

Mexico supported fully and publicly the claim of the Madrid government and the Republicans. Mexico refused to follow the Franco-British non-intervention proposals. President Lázaro Cárdenas saw the war as similar to Mexico's own revolution although a large part of Mexican society wanted a Nationalist victory. Mexico's attitude gave immense moral comfort to the Republic, especially since the major Latin American governments—those of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru—sympathized more or less openly with the Nationalists. But Mexican aid could mean relatively little in practical terms if the French border were closed and if the dictators remained free to supply the Nationalists with a quality and quantity of weapons far beyond the power of Mexico.

Mexico furnished $2,000,000 in aid and provided some material assistance, which included a small amount of American-made aircraft such as the Bellanca CH-300 and Spartan Zeus that served in the Mexican Air Force.

Indirect foreign support

France

Though the government of France did not send direct support to the Republican faction, the left-wing government of French Prime Minister Léon Blum was sympathetic to the Republic had considered both sending military aid and technology to the Republicans including aircraft and utilizing the French navy to blockade the National-led Spanish Army of Africa from crossing from Spanish Morocco to Spain.[12] Also upon the outbreak of civil war the Spanish Republican government and the government of France in diplomatic messages discussed a potential imminent transfer of French aircraft to Spanish Republican forces that France was preparing to do.[13] The Blum government feared that the success of National forces in Spain would result in the creation of an ally state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy that would allow German and Italian military forces to be based in the Canary and Balearic Islands.[14] Right-wing politicians heard of the French government's intendion to send military support to the Republicans in the war and opposed the French government's actions and began a viscious campaign against the Blum government for its support of the Republicans.[15]

On 27 July 1936, British officials had discussed with Prime Minister Blum their position on the war and it was believed that they had convinced Blum not to send arms to the Republicans.[16] On 27 July, the French government declared that it would not send military aid, technology, forces to assist the Republican forces.[17] However Blum made clear that France reserved the right to provide aid should it wish to the Republic and indicated also indicated his support for the Republic, saying:

We could have delivered arms to the Spanish Government [(Republicans)], a legitimate government...We have not done so, in order not to give an excuse to those who would be tempted to send arms to the rebels [(Nationals)]. Blum, 1936.[18]

On 1 August 1936, a pro-Republican rally of 20,000 people confronted Blum demanding that he send aircraft to the Republicans at the same time as right-wing politicians attacked Blum for supporting the Republic and being responsible for provoking Italian intervention on the side of Franco.[19]

Germany informed the French ambassador in Berlin that Germany would hold France responsible if it supported "the maneouveres of Moscow" by supporting the Republicans.[20]

On 21 August 1936, France, the UK, and Italy (under pressure from both France and the UK) signed the Non-Intervention proposals involving the civil war.[21]

However the Blum government provided aircraft to the Republicans through covert means with Potez 54 bomber aircraft, Dewoitine aircraft, and Loire 46 fighter aircraft being sent from 7 August 1936 to December of that year to Republican forces.[22] Also, until 8 September 1936, aircraft could freely pass from France into Spain if they were bought in other countries.[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ Orwell, George. Homage to Catalonia. New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1952. Print.
  2. ^ Academy of Sciences of the USSR, International Solidarity with the Spanish Republic, 1936-1939 (Moscow: Progress, 1974), 329-30
  3. ^ a b c Arms for Spain Gerald Howson
  4. ^ Beevor (2006). pp. 152–153.
  5. ^ Beevor (2006). p. 153.
  6. ^ Thomas (2003) p. 683.
  7. ^ Beevor (2006). pp. 153–154.
  8. ^ Beevor (2006). p. 163.
  9. ^ Graham, Helen. The Spanish Civil War. A very short introduction. Oxford University Press. New York. 2005. p. 92
  10. ^ Thomas (2003). p. 944.
  11. ^ Thomas (1961). p. 637.
  12. ^ Michael Alpert. A New International History of the Spanish Civil War. Hampshire and London, England, UK: MACMILLAN PRESS, LTD; New York, New York, USA: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC, 1994. Pp. 14.
  13. ^ Michael Alpert. A New International History of the Spanish Civil War. Hampshire and London, England, UK: MACMILLAN PRESS, LTD; New York, New York, USA: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC, 1994. Pp. 14.
  14. ^ Michael Alpert. A New International History of the Spanish Civil War. Hampshire and London, England, UK: MACMILLAN PRESS, LTD; New York, New York, USA: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC, 1994. Pp. 14.
  15. ^ Michael Alpert. A New International History of the Spanish Civil War. Hampshire and London, England, UK: MACMILLAN PRESS, LTD; New York, New York, USA: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC, 1994. Pp. 14-15.
  16. ^ Michael Alpert. A New International History of the Spanish Civil War. Hampshire and London, England, UK: MACMILLAN PRESS, LTD; New York, New York, USA: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC, 1994. Pp. 20.
  17. ^ Michael Alpert. A New International History of the Spanish Civil War. Hampshire and London, England, UK: MACMILLAN PRESS, LTD; New York, New York, USA: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC, 1994. Pp. 23.
  18. ^ Michael Alpert. A New International History of the Spanish Civil War. Hampshire and London, England, UK: MACMILLAN PRESS, LTD; New York, New York, USA: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC, 1994. Pp. 41.
  19. ^ Michael Alpert. A New International History of the Spanish Civil War. Hampshire and London, England, UK: MACMILLAN PRESS, LTD; New York, New York, USA: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC, 1994. Pp. 41.
  20. ^ Michael Alpert. A New International History of the Spanish Civil War. Hampshire and London, England, UK: MACMILLAN PRESS, LTD; New York, New York, USA: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC, 1994. Pp. 43.
  21. ^ Michael Alpert. A New International History of the Spanish Civil War. Hampshire and London, England, UK: MACMILLAN PRESS, LTD; New York, New York, USA: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC, 1994. Pp. 43.
  22. ^ Michael Alpert. A New International History of the Spanish Civil War. Hampshire and London, England, UK: MACMILLAN PRESS, LTD; New York, New York, USA: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC, 1994. Pp. 46-47.
  23. ^ Michael Alpert. A New International History of the Spanish Civil War. Hampshire and London, England, UK: MACMILLAN PRESS, LTD; New York, New York, USA: ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC, 1994. Pp. 47.