The Spanish Civil War

Over the course of history many countries have a civil war (or war within a country). On July 18^th, 1936 the Spanish Civil War begun. The roots of the war were six years earlier, when Spain became a Republic (a system of government in which there is a governing group of people elected by the people). As this Republic was only six years old it was not very stable. The Republic's military was not happy with how the Republic was running their government and so attempted to take over the government. This attempt was the Spanish Civil War. The military rebels, called Nationalists put up a good fight against the rightful government, called either Loyalists or Republicans. The Nationalists attempt to take over the government in one day turned into a three-year war. The Nationalists fought with consistency and were lead by the great General, Francisco Franco. The Loyalists however were more separated in their ideas, united only in their want for the Nationalists not to seize power.

The Nationalists received help from Italy and Nazi Germany. The Loyalists got aid from the Soviet Union (a now ended country around Russia). In the end the Loyalists were not able to put up a good enough fight. Germany bombed the Loyalist stronghold of Guernica and the Nationalists defeated the powerful cities of Barcelona and Madrid. The Nationalists held control of Spain from the end of the war on April 1^st, 1939 to General Franco's death on November 20^th, 1975.

Personally, I am disappointed at the outcome of this war. The Loyalists were starting to have a successful republic at the start of the war. I find a republic to be one of the fairest forms of government and it seems much better than General Franco's complete control. Also Nazi Germany helped the Nationalists. The Nazis killed millions of people because they didn't like their religion, sexual orientation, or skin color. I find it horrible that the Nationalists came to power through the help of people as cruel as the Nazis.