The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) dominated European news in the late 1930s and aroused great passions in Europe and elsewhere. Sparked by the failure of a  military coup in July 1936, the war became a showdown between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, which supported the military rebels, and the Soviet Union, which aided the elected government of the Republic. The refusal of Britain and France, fearing a general European war, to provide assistance to the Republic, was perhaps the major contribution to the defeat of the Republic in April 1939, five months before the outbreak of the Second World War. 

Across the world thousands of men – and some women, viewing the war as the latest stage in the rise of Fascism in Europe, volunteered to support the struggle of the Republic. Although the most famous of these were writers and artists, most were ordinary workers who, in some cases, were already refugees and political exiles. Over 33,000 fought in the International Brigades, in many cases defying their own governments in doing so. While some 2,500 of them came from Britain and Ireland, other large groups were from France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the USA.  

The war cost the lives of well over 400,00 women, men and children and about half a million more were forced into exile. Around 200,000 men died in battle and another 200,000 – mainly civilians- were murdered either without trial or after being sentenced in ‘kangaroo courts’. Unknown numbers were killed in bombing raids or as refugees fleeing the advancing armies. After the war mass trials by Francoist military courts led to the execution of 20,000 people, while many more were sentenced to long periods of forced labour. 

Ninety years on, Spain still lives in the shadow of the conflict and of the brutal repression which followed under the long dictatorship of General Franco (1939-1975). 

Talk given by Charlie Nurse. Charlie Nurse is a former university lecturer who specialised in modern Spanish and Latin American history and politics. He has travelled widely in Latin America and has lived in Spain. 

Image Credit: Nick Lloyd

90 Years On: The Spanish Civil War 1936-9 – The Great Cause of The 1930s.   

Wednesday 23rd September 3.30pm

Cost: £7.00

A £1 Poly Fund payment is added to each ticket sold. A 50p booking fee is also applied per ticket for online and telephone transactions.