Spanish Civil War Key Terms

Hey there delegates,

To help you with your preparations, we've compliled a list of Spanish Civil War Key Terms! These terms are split up into three categories: Contextual terms, Timeline terms, and Party terms. Hope this is helpful :)

Contextual Terms

    Fascism - An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization, defined by forcible suppression of opposition and strong control of society and the economy.

Socialism - A political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

Communism - A system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, with actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.

Anarcho-Communism - an ideology that promotes the abolition of state, capitalism, private property, social hierarchy, and waged labor and supports collective ownership of the means of production.

Catholic Church - Historically a major part of Spanish life and culture. However anti-clericalism and secularism rose in the 20th century, making the church a polarizing topic during the Second Spanish Republic.

Nationalists - The coalition of fascists, monarchists, conservatives, and military leaders who staged a coup kicking off the war. They believe in fascism, authoritarianism, and catholicism. Led by Francisco Franco.

Republicans - The legitimate government of Spain elected in 1936. They're a coalition of socialists, communists, Trotskyists, anarchists, and Basque and Catalonian separatists. They are generally leftist, pro-working class, and in favor of Catalonian and Basque independence.  Led by Manuel Azana.

Popular Front - A leftist alliance united by the terrible reforms and brutality of the conservative government during the Black Biennium. It was formed by Manuel Azana and included PSOE, PCE, IR, and ERC. Deliberately excluded CNT anarchists.

National Front - Conservative coalition formed in response to the Populist Front and 1936 election.

Non-Intervention Pact - An agreement signed by the European powers to not intervene in the Spanish Civil War. Signed by the UK, France, the Soviet Union, fascist Italy, and Nazi Germany.

Timeline Terms

Second Spanish Republic - Spain's second attempt at a republican form of government established. Established in 1931 after King Alfonso's abdication of the throne. Initially controlled by a leftist coalition, with Manuel Azana as the Prime Minister and Niceto Alcala-Zamora as President.

Revolution of 1932 - An attempted right-wing coup that was motivated by reforms of government which reduced the military, hurt the wealthy and elites, and greatly weakened the Catholic church.

Election of 1933 - After Azana was forced to resign by president Zamora, elections were called. They were won by the newly formed CEDA [conservative] party. A government was not formed until 1934, when CEDA joined with the Radicals [moderates].

Black Biennium - A period from 1933-1935 where the conservative government undid all the reforms made by the previous government. Most negatively affected the Spanish working class.

Revolution of 1934 - A worker uprising across Spain initiated by the election of 1933. Consisted of a rebellion by Asturias mining workers and a general strike in Madrid. The revolt was quelled violently by the new conservative government.

Election of 1936 - After the conservative government collapsed in 1935, elections were held in January 1936. The Popular front won the majority seats in Congress and selected Manuel Azana as PM.

Coup of 1936 - Galvanized by the murder of a prominent monarchist. The coup was intended to begin on July 18 in Morocco, but Republicans discovered the plot a day early. The Nationalists subsequently acted out their plans early. They successfully took Morocco and Seville, but did not capture Madrid, plunging the nation into a civil war.

Party Terms

Republican Left (IR, Republicana Izquierda) - Stood for republicanism and social liberalism; sought to reform Spain to help workers. Far less radical than the PSOE.

Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE, Partido Socialista Obrero España) - In favor of social reforms to achieve a greater fairness and distribution of wealth in society.

Communist Party of Spain (PCE, Partido Comunista de España) - Marxist-Leninist party who wanted to join with the Communist International and see nationalization of Spanish industry and other communist ideals.

Workers Party of Marxists Unification (POUM, Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista) - Trotskyist communists who opposed Stalin and supported Trotsky's ideal of global revolution.

Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya) - Left-wing and majority party of Catalonia who supported an independent Catalan Republic.

National Basque Party (PNV, Partido Nacionalista Vasco) - A Catholic Christian Democrat party who campaigned for greater autonomy for the Basque region. Put its religious disagreement with the Popular Front aside for a promised Basque autonomy.

National Confederation of Labour and Iberian Anarchist Federation (CNT-FAI, Confederación Nacional de Trabajadores and Federacion Anarquista Iberica) - Anarchist labor union and party who supported anarcho-communism, an ideology that promotes the abolition of state, capitalism, private property, social hierarchy, and waged labor and supports collective ownership of the means of production.

Spanish Phalanx of the Juntas of the National Syndicalist Offensive (Falange/FE de las JONS, Falange Española de las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista) - Believes that Spain should be ruled as a fascist, national syndicate state with a strong government, military, and imperialist expansion. They were formed by the merger of FE and JONS, and are heavily influenced by Italian fascism.

Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Rights (CEDA, Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas) - Union of right-wing politicians with the stated goal of the defence of law, order, property and the Catholic Christian religion.

Traditionalist Communion (Carlists/CT, Communion Tradiocionalista) - Monarchists supporting the alternative Bourbon line of Don Carlos. Traditionalists who believed in a king implementing the social reign of Christ and were opposed to liberal secularism and economic and political modernism.

Spanish Reonovation (Alfonsists/RE, Renovacion Espanola) - Monarchists who supported the reinstatement of the line of Alfonso XIII who abdicated the Spanish throne in 1930. Believed in authoritarianism and borrowed elements from Italian fascism.