Battle Hymn of the Republicans

Prelude

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The Spanish Civil War was perhaps the most influential event of the 1930s, and possibly the whole 20th Century. The rise of Francoist Spain and the defeat of the Republicans would have long-lasting ramifications. Arguably, Hitler would have been less inclined to invade France without a Fascist ally to her west. The Soviets would have a strong ally in Europe, and the Cold War (if it even happened) would be much different. However, perhaps the most decisive result of the Spanish Civil War was that Socialism was crushed in one of its earliest and most promising cradles. Had it not been for the authoritarian Franco regime, we might very well be looking at a Red Spain, and possible a Red France.

It is wrong to assume though that Republicans never had a chance. In fact, the majority of Spanish people supported the Republican government, and at the outbreak of war and the coup attempt by the Nationalists, Spanish people, especially those in Catalonia and the Basque county, helped stopped the rebels from taking control. If it were not for Franco's massive airlift of troops from Morocco brought about mostly by Hitler's German Luftwaffe, it is very likely that the rebel lis would very likely have been crushed in a matter of months or even weeks, at least on the mainland. In fact, the most decisive factor in the outcome of the war was foreign aid from Germany and Italy into the Nationalist cause, and the lack of it from the Republic's allies. Before Hitler had ever invaded Poland, he had won himself a war in Spain.

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The main Nationalist battle flag

These are not the only things that make the Spanish Civil War so intriguing though. During the course of the war, arguably the most successful Socialist communes were set up in Catalonia and Aragorn. These communes, run mostly by the principles of anarcho-communism and organizations like the CNT and POUM, were very effective in their collectivization of farms and businesses. Unlike in many European Civil Wars, these communes never ran out of food and supplies to take care of their forces, and put up the stiffest resistance to the Nationalists in all of Spain, save for the armies in Madrid. These communes drew a substantial amount of foreign volunteers, most notably George Orwel (who narrated his experiences in his book "Homage to Catalonia"), Norman Bethune, and the mostly American and Canadian Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Orwell would later recount that his time in the Catalonian commune would shape his political views of anti-Stalinism (Stalinists frequently fought with the Anarcho-Communists for control) and would be a major influence on his book 1984; however, these experiences also proved to him that Socialism can work and that it is best achieved through democratic means with the people making decisions, not totalitarian dictators.

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The flag of the Republican Popular Front

Our POD in this ATL is a combination of three events. First, the French government pressures Germany into giving less foreign aid to the Nationalists by threatening extreme economic sanctions, causing the German airlift of Franco's Morocco regiment the be severely depleted. Second, the Republican government, seeing as many of its chief military officers have defected to the rebels, decides to arm and train the Anarchists and local left-wing militias. Third, the Anarchists and Republican government forces focus on building up the defenses near cities like Navarre and Pamplona rather than trying to purge the Republican territories of Catholic clergy and conservatives, in turn earning the government forces greater support among Spanish people in places like the Ebro Valley and Bilboa.

So, without further ado, I present to you the "revolutionary" new Spanish Civil War timeline: Battle Hymn of the Republicans

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A Republican militia advancing on Nationalist positions outside Madrid
 
July 22, 1936

Francisco Franco was in a bind. He had 8,000 troops with him in Morocco, but he had no way of getting them to Spain. The Republicans had taken what little ships they had stationed in Africa and now he was being told that Germany could not send any more than 50 Junkers amid threats of severe economic sanctions from France and the U.K. Furthermore, the Nationalists had met a surprisingly stiff and fairly unified Popular Front force at the navy base at Ferrol, increasing the wariness of Germany and Italy to intervene. But Generallissimo José Sanjurjo had told him before he died to get his troops to Spain at all costs. Franco didn't want to look like a coward and he wouldn't want to be known as a weak general, but most of all he was afraid that he would fail. Nonetheless, he gave orders to the Moroccan officers to prepare his Army of Africa for transport across the Strait of Gibraltar. He would make it to Seville at all costs.

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Franco in 1936

Meanwhile, in Navarre, the Republicans were fighting a tough fight. The local CNT and UGT[1] unions had taken up arms as the rebellion started. The quick thinking of the Basque Country president José Antonio Aguirre and Catalonian leader Lluís Companys to distribute arms among the local militias and communes had been effective in stopping the Nationalist push. Instead of fighting with the radical leftists, they had formed an alliance with them, and had helped bring order to an area in chaos, sparring many Catholic priests and Fascist sympathizes from the firing squad. Even the newly appointed Prime Minister, José Giral, was able to cobble together some resemblance of the pre-rebellion army. Despite the fact that a vast majority of officers defected to the Nationalists, a majority of the army remained loyal to the Republic. Giral's quick thinking led to him integrating leaders of the CNT and POUM[2] as officers into the military, and although these new appointees were severely undertrained, they were able to rally their people behind them. By July 26, the Popular Front[3] forces had broke the seige of Pamplona and were pushing the Loyalists[4] out of Navarre.

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Lluís Companys, President of Catalonia (1933-1943)

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Flag of the Republican Popular Front Forces

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1. The CNT and UGT are socialist workers' unions; the CNT is more radical and more anarchist than UGT.
2. POUM is a Trotskyist and anti-Stalinist party, the largest Marxist party in Spain.
3. The Popular Front was a catch-all political alliance for the 1936 Spanish election of various left-wing parties. The PF won a majority in the Chamber of Deputies, thus leading the Nationalists to rebel.
4. A "Loyalist" is another term for a Nationalist.
 
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What does that three sides star stand for bty?

It's the symbol of the Popular Front. It refers to the 3 original parties in the coalition, the Spanish Socialist Worker's Party, the Communist Party of Spain, and the POUM.
 
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Important Events (July-August 1936)

July 24: Loyalist rebels take Córdoba after a week long seige. Nationalists also secure major victories across Castille-Léon with major support from Catholics and Portugese units. However, the rebels fail to take the cities of Seville, Cádiz, and Zaragoza, falling short of their early goals.

July 25: Anarcho-syndicalist leader Buenaventura Durruti declares the Barcelona commune. Militants fight back an attempt by Nationalist General Goded to take the city, capturing a large portion of the Loyalist army, sending many to the firing squad. Massacres of Republican sympathizers occur in greater number in Nationalist held territory.

July 28: Franco's Army of Africa attempts an airlift of 4,000 troops to Granada. Unbeknownst to him, the city had fallen the day earlier to Republican forces. The Junkers are diverted to Huelva after suffering heavy losses.

July 30: President of Catalonia Lluís Companys officially recognizes the Barcelona commune. Similar anarcho-communist and anarcho-syndicalist communities are established in Bilbáo, Valencia, and in parts of Madrid.

August 1: Troops from the Basque Country and Andalusia start a major offensive to recapture parts of Castille-Léon. Galician troops would later join the campaign.

August 2-7: Retreating Loyalist forces massacre an estimated 20,000 Spaniards accused of sympathizing with rebels in northern Castille-Léon. This event would later be known as the "White Terror".

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A Nationalist firing squad prepares to execute Republican sympathizers

August 6: Catalonian and Republican forces successfully drive the Nationalist army out of Aragon.

August 8: Norman Bethune arrives in Madrid with his new idea of a mobile blood transfusion cart.

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Bethune next to his "blood mobile"

August 11: Popular Front forces capture Léon, Vitoria, and Corunna. The commune of Toledo is declared by POUM and anti-Stalinist members of the Spanish Communist Party.

August 12: French Prime Minister Léon Blum officially declares his support for the Republicans. The UK however remains neutral, with many Tories in support of Franco and most Labour Party members in support of the Republicans.

August 16: Fighting a losing battle, Francisco Franco tries unsuccessfully to sure for peace. The Republicans state that they will only accept unconditional surrender.

August 17-25: The Salamanca campaign. Forces from the North and Madrid crush the last Loyalist rebellion in Castille-Léon.

August 26: Commander Durruti gathers an army of 30,000 volunteers as he matches through Valcenia towards Huelva.

August 29: The communes of Ávila and Valladoid are declared.

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CNT fighters in the Barcelona commune

August 31: Francisco Franco is killed by a Republican sniper outside of Huelva. Emilio Mola takes command of the remaining Loyalist forces as he declares a massive purge. A further 15,000 accused Republicans are killed as the rump Nationalist army prepares for the inevitable seige.
 
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