Spanish Civil War Research Paper

The Spanish Civil War took place from 1936 to 1939 and was fought between the Republicans, who were loyal to the Democratic, left-leaning and relatively urban Second Spanish Republic in an alliance of convenience with the Anarchists, versus the Nationalist, a Falangist, Carlist, and a largely aristocratic conservative group led by General Francisco Franco. Although the war is often portrayed as a struggle between democracy and fascism, some historians consider it more accurately described as a struggle between leftist revolution and rightist counter revolution. Ultimately, the Nationalists won and Franco then ruled Spain for the next 36 years, from April 1939 until his dead in November 1975.

The Spanish Civil War was the bloodiest conflict

Nicandra Franco, my great-great grandmother was born in Toledo, Spain in May 10, 1884, there is not enough information of who her parents were or her life in Spain. During the Spanish Civil War, she was forced to leaved her homeland along with her only son Reynaldo Franco, and move to another country for political and ideological reasons, or for the reprisals on the part of the victorious party, and the authoritarian political regimen stablished in Spain, remaining abroad until the evolution of the internal circumstances allowed her to return home. But she never had the opportunity to return to Spain again.

The war displaced millions of Spaniards, approximately 500,000 refugees fled to France, including my great-great grandmother. I am not sure if she fled Spain long before the war began, during or after the war. But what I can be sure of, is that she had no intention to coming to Mexico, she had planned to go to Argentina, but had just learned their visas were denied. Argentina closed its doors for refugees, and was no longer giving visas to Republicans. So, with nowhere to go they had to live in France for a few months along with other families who like her were fleeing the war. She was alone with her son Reynaldo, scared by the constant bombing, there was always a fear of being extradited back to Spain, or confined in prison