Spanish Civil War and World War II

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History is not a collection of unrelated events, but it is instead an account of various causes and their effects. World War II was not an isolated event. It was a product of numerous events in Europe which included the Spanish Civil War. Spain prior to World War II was an area of crucial political and strategic importance. By analyzing the events of the Spanish Civil War, the events of World War II can be understood in greater detail. Hitler’s confident foreign policy, the quick surrender of France, the forging of unlikely alliances, and the diverse ideological state present in Europe can be understood more comprehensively by looking at the Spanish Civil War. The events of the Spanish Civil War changed the political atmosphere of Europe; these events influenced the beginning of World War II.
In order to understand the effects of the Spanish Civil War, the atmosphere of Spain prior to 1936 needs to be understood as well. Spain, unlike major European powers, never experienced a bourgeois revolution and was therefore still dominated by a significant aristocracy. However, Spain had gone through several civil wars and revolutions making violence one of the most common devices for change. It, also, had undergone several cycles of reform, reaction from the opposition, and reversal by military uprising led by a dictator before 1936 (Preston 18).
The Second Spanish Republic was founded on April 14, 1931 with popular support. However, politics quickly became severely polarized to the Left or Right between 1931 and July 18, 1936. In the 1933 general election, CEDA (The Spanish Confederation of the Autonomous Right) which was founded by Gil Robles after fascist models made coalitions and garnered the largest support. (Preston 18, 62) In 1934...

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...itary resulting in its quick defeat. Italy and Germany developed a strong alliance while Russia moved closer to France and Britain. The diversity of political thought inspires many from World War II till today. The changes to the political atmosphere of Europe changed international relations to affect the beginning of World War II.

Works Cited

Goldstein, Tom. "Nazi Germany and the Spanish Civil War: Continuity in Hitler's Foreign Policy." Janus. Janus; the University of Maryland Undergraduate History Journal, Feb. 2002. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.
Orwell, George. Homage to Catalonia. Orlando: Harcourt, 1980. Print.
Preston, Paul. The Spanish Civil War: Reaction, Revolution and Revenge. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2007. Print.
Rocker, Rudolf. The Tragedy of Spain. New York: Freie Arbeiter Stimme, 1937. Print.
"Spanish Civil War." Don Quijote. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.

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