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On the morning of July 18, 1936, the Western World awoke to a new and threatening development in European affairs. A cabal of generals in Spain had rebelled against the legitimate and democratically elected Republican government. While the conflict had its own unique Spanish causes, this was not just another military uprising. The Spanish Civil War served as the opening act of World War II. The Spanish insurgents received immediate military aid from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Soviet Russia supported The Republic, but the democratic countries of Europe and the United States opted for neutrality, denying military aid to either side. Spanish society disintegrated, and thousands were killed. The world was transfixed; the Civil War was the focal point of the mid-1930s, and ordinary people in all walks of life took sides in the highly charged emotional atmosphere.
Though the conflict ended some 60 years ago, its violent events still resonate in Spain. Brief biographies of major figures ranging from La Pasionara to Franco are included, as well as primary documents in translation, a timeline, a glossary, maps, and photos. For students, researchers, and general readers, this is the ideal place to begin investigating this exceedingly complex, fascinating, and ultimately tragic period in 20th century history.
List of contents
Preface and Acknowledgments
Chronology of Events
Overview
Prelude to Civil War: A Century of Conflict
The Second Republic, 1931-1936
Civil War, 1936
Politics and Social Revolution
Foreign Reaction
The Diminishing Republic and the International Brigades
Triumph and Despair, 1939-1945
Women, Artists, Writers, and Educators
Aftermath
Biographies of Major Participants
Primary Documents of the War
Glossary of Selected Terms
Political Organizations and Leaders
Maps
Annotated Bibliography
Index
About the author
JAMES M. ANDERSON is Professor Emeritus at the University of Calgary, Canada. He has spent many years in Spain, Portugal and France both as a Fulbright Scholar and as the recipient of Canada Council and SSHRC grants, contributing numerous articles and books to the field of European studies. He is author of 13 books, including The History of Portugal (Greenwood, 2000), Daily Life during the Spanish Inquisition (Greenwood, 2002) and The Spanish Civil War (Greenwood, 2003).
