Spain 1931; population 24 million, 12 million illiterate; vast areas of land owned by one man; peasants earn 1 to 3 pesetas a day; bread costs one peseta per kilo. There were 20,000 monks, 31,000 priests, 60,000 nuns; 15,000 officers in the army, one officer to six men, one general to 100 soldiers.

April 1931 - The monarchists are defeated in the municipal elections, and King Alfonso XIII abdicates. "The Republic is born and the people discovers its existence."

But there were still enormous social problems and general unrest escalated into direct conflicts. Monarchists versus the Republic, Anarchists against the State, the peasants against the Civil Guard and the Catalonians demanded autonomy. Jose Antonio Prime de Rivera founds the Falangists to protect "eternal Spain" October 1934. The miners' rising in Asturias is quelled; 3,000 wounded, thousands more imprisoned. General Franco is hailed the "saviour of the nation" by the President.

1936. Two broad fronts contest the elections; the Popular Front wins a parliamentary majority over the nationalists and the Asturias miners are freed. During this period 200 churches are destroyed; there are assassinations, strikes and ten newspapers offices are sacked. The Carlists, Monarchists and Falangists organise a right wing rebellion, united behind the Church.

16th June 1936. In the Cortes, Calvo Sotelo a leader of the Right, threatens the government, offering a united state and the end of anarchy, declaring that if this is fascist, "then I declare with pride, I am a fascist." Three weeks later he was assassinated, providing the revolt with a pretext and a martyr.

18th July 1936. Madrid: The Nationalist rising begins under Franco, Goded and Mola. Civil War breaks out throughout Spain. In the initial weeks 200,000 people die with-out trial, indiscriminate killings occur on both sides.

At his home town Granada, the poet Garcia Lorca is assassinated.For the poor and oppressed of Spain "The Civil War was hope", The people's militia is formed.

For the Nationalists, "the Spain of castles and churches and Christ the King", war was necessary to save "the eternal Spain." General Mola raises an army in the north and Franco the African army in the south. The Spanish bourgeoisie learn the fashionable fascist salute and the Church openly sides with the rebel generals. The Bishop of Burgos calls for no mercy for the murderers of priests during the High Mass and another priest terms it "a holy war, the most holy history has known".

The communist leader Dolores Ibarruri, La Pasionaria, rallies the parties of the Left for the republic and the clenched fist becomes the symbol of their unity, The nationalist army is professional. By contrast the people's militia is a civilian organisation.

22nd July: In the first battle at Somosierra, near Madrid, the people's militia hold off General Mola, but in the south the nationalists advance with heavy losses to the republicans.

General Mola attacks Irun and cuts off the Basque area from the French frontier; the first refugees flee across the internationally controlled bridge into France. At Toledo the People's Front control the city and Colonel Moscardo barricades himself in the Alcazar fortress with 300 men and 250 women and children, refusing to surrender even when threatened with the death of his son. The Alcazar gains symbolic significance and miners from Asturias try to dynamite the defences. Franco himself diverges from his march on Madrid to relieve it on 27th September 1936.

On 1st October 1936 at Burgos, France becomes Nationalist head of state and shortly obtains four fully equipped divisions from Italy.

The defenders of the Republic are supplied with arms from France, Mexico and the U.S.S.R. but always with less than they need, while Marshall Goering, with customary thoroughness, sends the Condor Legion, the elite of the German armed forces, to Franco.

Meanwhile La Pasionaria hailed the International Brigade who came to fight for the Republic, "they do not seek money or glory -- they are going to die in Madrid"

Siege of Madrid. General Mola's forces attack Madrid on 8th November. A battle is waged in the University buildings and the X1 and XII divisions of the International Brigade resist and Madrid holds out. The children are evacuated and Franco orders the Condor Legion to bomb the city in the first ever methodical bombing of civilian population,

The Condor Legion and the African Army attempt to cut the Madrid to Valencia road.Divisions Thaelmann, Lincoln, Garibaldi, Andre Marty and the British of the International Brigade counter-attack in the Valley of Jarama; 45,000 men died in 10 days but Madrid was not cut off.

8th March 1937. At Guadalajara heavily armed Nationalist forces, including Italians under Roatta, suffer a heavy defeat by the Republicans losing equipment and many Italian prisoners. Enraged Mussolini declares no Italian may return alive from Spain without victory.

Franco attacks Malaga -- The city falls and thousands are executed without trial,The philosopher Miguel de Unamuno, rector of Salamanca University and a nationalist supporter turns against the Falangist cause.

At the Festival of the Race at the university, the one armed General Astray insults the Catalans and the Basques, rousing the crowds with his slogan "Viva La Muerte", Unamuno rose and attacked this mass psychology accusing Astray of seeking ominous relief (from his own infirmity) in mutilating those around him. ",You will win because you have enough brute force....but you will not convince -- You lack reason and right in the struggle". Unamuno died broken hearted a few weeks later still under house arrest.

The Basque provinces resisted under their President, Aguirre, initially with success. But in March 1937 the Condor: Legion were ordered to bomb the area, On 26th April 1937 at 5 p.m. an a market day, Guernica was systematically bombed. Galland later described this as a "regrettable error".

The children were evacuated from the area. The Basque militia withdrew to Bilbao but German and Italian artillery broke through their defences and massacres ensued: 16 Basque priests were executed and many more imprisoned. The Roman church protested but the Spanish Cardinal Gama insisted in an open letter that the only way to peace is through the triumph of the Nationalist course,

A series of tragic battles: followed. At Brunete the Republicans attempted to break the encirclement of Madrid - with huge losses. At Belchite and Saragossa, Nationalists and Republicans paid tribute to each other's courage. Meanwhile at Valencia the power in the Republican government passed from Giral to Caballero to Negrin, but effective power rested with the leaders in Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao. Conflict between the various republican groups grew. The P.O.U.M. sought victory and revolution; the Anarchists victory without discipline; but the Communists and socialists managed to hold effective power.

In December the Republicans won at Teruel; in January the Nationalists retook the town. On 15 April 1938 France's troops reach the Mediterranean and Republican Spain is cut in two. Franco's new order prevails and the key words are "discipline, sacrifice. struggle and austerity".

At the Ebro the civilian army of the Republicans makes a last offensive. Division Lister penetrates far into nationalist territory and they are told, "if any officer loses an inch of ground he will retake it at the head of his men or be shot."

President Negrin proposes a compromise to Franco attempting to take advantage of both this success and the Munich crisis, As a gesture of good faith he sends the International Brigades home.

La Pasionaria bids them a passionate farewell at Barcelona. "You can go proudly -You are legend" - ''Women of Spain, talk to your children...... tell them of the international Brigade. How they came over mountain and sea., giving up everything...... They came to us and said ''We are here, your cause, Spain's cause is ours. Today they are going:away. Many of them, thousands of them, are staying here with the Spanish earth for their shroud, and all Spaniards will remember them with the deepest emotion".

Franco immediately obtained reserve troops from Hitler and attacked. Nationalist troops entered Barcelona. It is described as a liberation. Nationalist supporters cheered, while 300,000 refugees poured north; Two hundred thousand prisoners were taken in Catalonia, many executed without trial.

Madrid falls and Franco enters the city, Mussolini congratulates him, and Hitler reviews the elite Condor Legion, the organisers of victory. Within a year they were to be in Paris.

Spain 1939:- 2 million political prisoners. 500,000 in exile; one party, the falange ;one leader. Franco. Franco appeals for unity.

"On the hills of the Somosierra so many died for Madrid, at dawn as on any other day, a man returns to his work."