Effects of the Spanish CivilWar
ECONOMIC EFFECTS
•Spanish infrastructure virtually destroyed
•Industrial production in 1939 was only 25% of1929 levels
•Half of the railway was operational
•Livestock numbers were one-third less than pre-war figures
•Economy still mostly agricultural
•Suffered high inflation, low wages, lack ofworkers
•Even by 1951, wages were only 60% of the1936 levels
ECONOMIC EFFECTS
•Spanish gold was sent to the USSR by theRepublican government to pay for arms
•Nationalists ended the war with $700 million indebt
•Repayment of debts to Germany and Italy weremade in food shipments and industrial rawmaterials (which made a bad economy worse)
•Payments to Italy lasted into the 1960s
Social Impact
•Death toll reports vary between350,000 and 500,000
•Several hundred thousandpermanently wounded
•Approximately 400,000 fledSpain after the war; about250,000 never returned
•Nationalists wounded givenpreferential treatment for jobs
•No pensions for Republicansoldiers
Social Impact - Women
•Experience of women in the war depended onwhere they were
•Women in Nationalist Spain were expected toconform to traditional roles as housewives andmothers
•Paid work for women was discouraged
Social Impact - Women
•Nationalist view of womenwas very conservative
•Divorce and civil marriagewere prohibited
•No mixed-genderclassrooms
•Education of girls focusedon domestic work andmotherhood
Social Impact - Women
•Women in Republican Spainhad more freedom
•Women had equal rights inmarriage and divorce
•Republican Spain was the firstcountry in Europe to have awoman cabinet member
•Republican women fought inmilitias and worked in factories
•These rights were lost whenFranco came to power
Political Impact
•Franco emerges as dictatorand is in power to 1975
•Creates right-wingconservative dictatorship
•Has control of the army
–Persecutes and executesRepublicans during the WhiteTerror
–Anti-Communism is justified
–1939 Law of PoliticalResponsibility
•Permits seizure of property of allRepublican supporters
Franco’s Spain
•Chief of state
•Appoints all ministers
•Largely non-ideological
•Runs state like the Army
•Monarchists, falangists,Conservative Catholics,Army, Business,technocrats civil servicesupport him
•Totalitarian? Fascist?
Political Impact
•Restores power to wealthy andprivileged
•Wages cut and unionsdestroyed
•All Church reforms repealed
–Church/State linked, preachorder
–Nationalism of minorities ended
–No political opponents tolerated,Monarchy restored but Francorules
Political Impact on Europe
•Most major powers limited theirinvolvement in the SpanishCivil War
•After the Spanish Civil War,most major countries moreconcerned with Germany
•Spain was the outcast ofEurope
•This trend continued throughWWII and only changed duringthe Cold War
Political Impact on Europe
•USSR
–Communists lose some credibility due todefeat
–Soviets move away from Allies and considerdeal with Nazi’s to protect USSR(appeasement is last straw)
–Munich Agreement is final evidence that Westcan’t or won’t contain Hitler
Political Impact on Europe
•Germany
–Military lessons learned about air-power
–Self-sealing fuel tanks and radios in tanks arelessons learned
–Blitzkrieg lessons are minimal
–Italy and Germany become closer politicallyand sign Rome-Berlin Axis Treaty
–Germany portrays itself as defender againstCommunism
Political Impact on Europe
•Britain and France
–Believe next war may destroy westerncivilization
–Strengthens attitude of appeasement
–Fear spread of communism (let Communistsand Fascists destroy each other)
–Hitler sees Allies as weak
Political Impact on Europe
•US
–US neutral and gives little aid except privateloans
–Hardens US isolation?
–No Marshall Plan aid to Spain post-WWII
–1950 Cold War and anti-Communist attitudeof Spain leads to US aid Spain to gain militarybases
Was the SCW a Cause of WWII?
•Pro:
–Hitler more aggressive due to “weakness”of the Allies
–Hitler more popular at home and abroad asa strong leader and anti-communist
–Learned military lessons that Germany willuse later
–Britain & France distracted and US moreisolationist
–USSR moves towards “deal” with Hitler
Was the SCW a Cause of WWII?
•Con:
–Germany a dynamic force since 1870
–WWI damages German military power, butleaves economic power largely intact
–Hitler is not unique, any German leader wouldtry to end Versailles, recover territory and rearm
–WWII is not an ideological war, it is a traditionalbalance of power conflict between nationaliststates
–Hitler and Mussolini have no “blueprint” forconquest
Was the SCW a Cause of WWII?
•Con:
–Hitler “pushes on the door and the house fallsin”
–Hitler takes advantage of allied blunders, USisolationism and Stalin’s quest for security
–French and British appeasement is logical,rational foreign policy that protects nationalinterests
–WWII is inevitable outcome to WWI
–Hitler is reacting to other state’s actions in1939, no plan