For a short time during the years 1936 to 1939, the Iberian Peninsula was the center of the world. All eyes watched as a struggle of near biblical proportions raged up and down the hills and valleys, towns and villages of Spain. The struggle, at it's most basic level between Facism and Communism, would set the stage for the carnage of World War II. However, a closer look reveals a conflict that has at it's center the very soul of the Spanish people. It remains one of the most interesting and yet most obscure conflicts of the inter-war years. Hopefully, this article will serve as a teaser to many, and entice you to learn more.
Carlist Requetes defrnd a hilltop AT position. Infantry by Historical Products Co.. From the collection of Pat Condray. Photo by Pat Condray
My own interest in the conflict goes back about seven years, to a series of articles in the English magazine, Military Modeling. The series, by modeler and Spanish Civil War expert, Robin Hunt, detailed his efforts to produce the armies of this conflict in miniature and gave just enough information about the conflict to make it intriguing. Picking up a copy of one of the standard histories of the war, I began to do research. I found, as I hope that you might, that the more I learned, the more intriguing the war became. Clearly, I was hooked.
As an aside, one of the more pleasant results of my interest in this period has been the development of a trans-Atlantic friendship between Robin and his family and myself and my brood. But back to the topic at hand, the background of the war.
From 1930 to 1936, Spain went through a tumultuous period of political and social upheaval. Coups, revolts and uprisings became endemic to the Spanish way of life. In 1931 the Spanish king Alfonso XIII was overthrown and a new republican government was set up in place of the monarchy. This government was staunchly anti-royalist and also anti-clerical.
By 1936, this Republican leadership took on a decidedly red tint, as it's leftist leanings became apparent. In February 1936 a full fledged Leftist/Communist coalition took over the government, setting the stage for what would follow. For several months, army officers loyal to the royal government, has been plotting for just an occasion. They had created an elaborate plot of revolution. On July 18, 1936, 17 military garrisons in Spain and Spanish Morocco rose in open revolt to the Republican government. The Spanish Civil War had begun.
Despite numerous well-meaning attempts at arms embargos and non-intervention treaties, volunteers and weapons found their way into the country on both sides of the conflict. The Rebels, or Nationalists, painted themselves as the defenders of the Church and of the civilized world against the threat of communism. The Republicans, on the other hand, saw themselves as defenders of liberty against Fascist domination of the world. Not easy to find a side you like, is it? No struggle since the Green War of Independence in the 1820's has stirred the popular imagination to the degree that the world of the 1930's was stirred by Spain.
Writers, artists, actors, etc., people of all walks of life, flocked to become a part of the struggle. A veritable Who's Who of inter-war literati walk through the pages of histories and journals of the war.
From the start, the Republican forces had the veneer of popular support, which made up for a lack of discipline and training with an overabundance of zeal and enthusiasm. From all over Europe and America, socialists, communists, and others who simply hated what Fascism stood for, rushed to join the brigades of volunteers that were being formed. Though a few enlisted in the Spanish army, the majority joined in the famous International Brigades. Organized and sponsored by the Comintern, or International Communist Party, the brigades were a truly remarkable achievement. Organized originally into units based on their nationality or language, the brigades represented the best troops on the Republican side. Later on, the brigades were dispersed and used to form the cadres of the new Republican Army that very nearly turned the tide of the war. Unfortunately, the remainder of the Republican forces were made up of a bewildering Alphabet Soup of civilian militias, representing every conceivable shade of socialist group, from Communist to Anarchist. The con- stant disagreement between these parties had much to do with the eventual defeat of the Republican forces.
The Fascists had their share of supporters as well, but these came in a much more organized and overt fashion. From Germany came the famed Condor Legion, many of whom would later make their name in World War II. From Italy, with a weak attempt at secrecy, came a Corps of Italian Volunteers who just happened to wear the uniforms of Mussolini's army. Their impact was minimal, except for the additional manpower, and unlike the Germans, they did not come equipped with high-tech weapons of war.
The Spanish Civil War, was very much a war of personalities like the firey Republican orator, Dolores Ibruarri LaPasionaria, who coined the Republic's battle cry, "!No Pasaran!" (They shall not pass!).
The Nationalists had the great soldiers, Yague, Mola, and of course Franco himself, the smug and ambitious leader of the revolt. All three won their spurs in the vicious Rif Rebellion. There were minor characters too, but just as colorful; Beneveneto Durruti, the charismatic leader of the Anarchists, and Juan Moscardo, the heroic Nationalist defender of the Alcaur Fortress, While it is difficult to bring personalities into a game, except in a real role-playing set-up, the effect of personalities such as these must have some effect on the events that unfold on the table-top. It is these personalities, with their drive and passion, that give the Spanish Civil War it's particular feel and flavor.
It is often said that the Spanish Civil War was a dress rehersal for World War II. In some respects (but some only), this statement is true. The tactics of ground warfare would not have been unfamiliar to a soldier from 1914 - 1918. Trenches became a familiar feature of the Spanish countryside, and trench raids were a frequent occurrance on both sides. Combat could still turn on a charge by well-mounted cavalry armed with sabers or lances. Determined infantry armed with machine guns and grenades could make life very uncomfortable for a tank. The true glimpse of the future, though, came in the employment and use of aircraft. Aerial operations were conducted on a scale never before dreamt of.
When the war began, both sides used an almost comical assortment of planes, some dating back to the Great War. By the end, however, especially on the Nationalist side, planes began to appear that would make their true name in the maelstrom of World War II. The saturation bombing of the Basque town of Guernica that so shocked the world was to be but a taste of what would come in just a short time. The relative ineffectiveness of the Republican air effort can probably be attributed to the effectiveness of the 88mm anti-aircraft guns of the Condor Legion, used for the first time in this conflict.
The technology level lies in between the two world wars The proponents of armored warfare also learned some valuable lessons in Spain. This was a war of tankettes. The only machine even slightly worthy of the tide armored fighting vehicle was the light Russian T-26. The Panzer Is and 13/35s were little more than expensive machine gun carriers that would not survive the opening months of World War II. Designers quickly began to struggle between tank armor and anti-tank weapon.
The final Republican defeat in 1939 shook the world with horror and a sense of foreboding. Hitler's Third Reich was so pleased with the performance of most of their toys that they couldn't wait to try again. The outbreak of World War II followed the end of the Civil War by just a few short months. For the next 6 years the world would be plunged into a darkness and chaos never before dreamt of, with the veterans of the Condor Legion very often in the fore-front.
As you can see, wargaming this conflict presents the gamer with some very different situations. The technology level lies in between the two world wars and gives a gamer the chance to follow the development of weapons and tactics first hand. A successful scenario/rules set will be one that properly combines this dash of old and new, along with the important, often decisive effect of political differences on the Republican side. Before you can go any further though, you must be prepared to do some serious reading. You will find it very difficult to capture the right feel of the war without reading about it. If you don't take the time to do this, you will find that you are only playing World War II with figures in different types of uniforms.
The following bibliography is far from exhaustive. For the most part, these are books which I actually own; others are those which I have read but not purchased. I feel comfortable with the books I've listed, as ones on whose value I can comment. Read at least one of the general histories as a starting point, then use the extensive bibliographies listed in those works to continue your research. I think you will find that the more you read about this period, the more you will want to find out. There is plenty of material out there for the serious student to digest.
Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 by Nick Nascati
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