Spanish Civil War: Student Activities

(1) It is July 1936. The civil war has just broken out in Spain. Select a character from the list below. Write a letter to a friend who is thinking of going to fight in the Spanish Civil War. Explain why he should or should not go. It is very important that your letter reflects the views of your character. You will need to consider the political opinions of your character when writing the letter. (i) Stanley Baldwin (Britain), (ii) George Orwell (Britain), (iii) José Antonio Primo de Rivera (Falange Española), (iv) Andrés Nin (Worker's Party), (v) Dolores Ibárruri, (vi) (Spanish Communist Party), (vii) José Maria Gil Robles (CEDA), (viii) Emilio Mola (Nationalist Army), (ix) André Marty (French Communist Party), (x) Edouard Daladier (Radical Party), (xi) Hermann Goering (Nazi Party), (xii) Hans Beimler (German Communist Party), (xiii) Bill Bailey (American Communist Party) and (xiv) J. Edgar Hoover (Federal Bureau of Investigation).

(2) (a) What were the International Brigades? (b) Who originally came up with the idea of the International Brigades? (c) What was the Comintern? (d) List the four countries that contributed most members to the International Brigades. (e) Give as many reasons as you can why people from these four countries were more willing to go and fight in the Spanish Civil War than other European countries.

(3) Why did foreigners go to Spain between July 1936 and March 1939 to fight in the Spanish Civil War? Before answering this question read the following biographies: William Aalto, Bill Alexander, Bill Bailey , Hans Beimler, Adolf Galland, Walter Grant, Harry Haywood, Jack Jones, Oliver Law, André Malraux, André Marty, Steve Nelson, Gustav Regler, Werner Moelders and Milton Wolff.

(4) Why did the Spanish Communist Party agree to the arrest and execution of a large number of men fighting with them against the Nationalist Army in the summer of 1937? You will need to look at the following website pages before answering this question: May Riots, Soviet Union and the Spanish Civil War, NKVD, Worker's Party (POUM), Federación Anarquista Ibérica (FAI) and National Confederation of Trabajo (CNT)

(5) Explain why Franco's forces won the Spanish Civil War, and why the Republican forces lost. (IB Higher Paper, 2000)

Outline Essay

You will need to consider the following in your answer:

Republican weaknesses = (i) political disunity (ii) military problems (iii) economic problems.

See: Overview of Civil War, Popular Front Government, Republican Army, May Riots, Francisco Largo Caballero and Juan Negrin.

Nationalist Strengths = (i) political unity (ii) military strengths (iii) economic advantages (iv) Franco's leadership.

See: Overview of Civil War, Nationalist Army, Condor Legion and Francisco Franco.

The importance of international intervention or non-intervention. Your notes need to contrast the effective military support given to the Nationalists by Portugal, Germany and Italy with the ineffective 27 member nonintervention committee led by Britain and France.