Spain — Nationalist victory and Franco's regime
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Flip to reveal answersWhat four factors explain the Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War?
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All 12 Flashcards — Spain — Nationalist victory and Franco's regime
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Question
What four factors explain the Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War?
Answer
Economic factors, role of individuals, foreign involvement, and military/strategic factors — and they reinforced each other rather than acting alone.
Question
Why was Franco's leadership important to Nationalist success?
Answer
He became Generalísimo (supreme commander) by October 1936, unifying the Nationalist forces and merging rival political groups into one party, the Falange.
Question
What was the Condor Legion?
Answer
A German air force unit sent to support the Nationalists; it gave them control of the skies and bombed Guernica in April 1937.
Question
How much support did Italy send the Nationalists?
Answer
Around 75,000 troops plus aircraft and warships — the largest single foreign contribution to either side.
Question
What was 'non-intervention' and how did it affect the war?
Answer
Britain, France, and the USA agreed not to arm either side; this hurt the Republic more, since Germany and Italy largely ignored it while helping the Nationalists.
Question
What happened during the May Days of 1937?
Answer
Rival Republican factions (socialists, communists, anarchists) fought each other in Barcelona, showing the Republic's internal disunity.
Question
How did the Nationalists' control of farmland help them win?
Answer
They held Spain's main grain-growing regions from early in the war, giving them steadier food supplies than the import-dependent Republic.
Question
What was the 'White Terror'?
Answer
The wave of executions and imprisonments Franco's regime carried out against Republicans after the war ended in 1939.
Question
What was 'autarky' and what did it cause in 1940s Spain?
Answer
A policy of economic self-sufficiency; it caused stagnation, shortages, and the 'years of hunger' in the 1940s.
Question
What changed in the Spanish economy from 1959 onward?
Answer
The Stabilization Plan opened Spain to trade and tourism, ending autarky and triggering the 1960s 'Spanish Miracle' of rapid growth.
Question
How did Franco's regime treat regional identities and the Catholic Church?
Answer
It suppressed Catalan and Basque languages/identities while making National Catholicism the state ideology, giving the Church control over education and marriage law.
Question
Compare Nationalist and Republican unity during the Civil War.
Answer
Nationalists: one commander (Franco) and one party (Falange). Republicans: frequent leadership changes and factional infighting, e.g. the May 1937 Barcelona clashes.
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Topic 13.10 hub
Democracy, authoritarianism and conflict in Spain (c.1920–2020)
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