Why was German and Italian involvement in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War was a civil war in Spain fought from 1936 to 1939. Republicans loyal to the elected, left-leaning Second Spanish Republic, in alliance with anarchists and communists, fought against a revolt by the Nationalists, an alliance of Falangists, monarchists, carlists, conservatives a…
Full Answer
How did Germany get involved in the Spanish Civil War?
German involvement in the Spanish Civil War commenced with the outbreak of war in July 1936, with Adolf Hitler immediately sending in powerful air and armored units to assist General Francisco Franco and his Nationalist forces.
Why did the Italian military intervention in Spain take place?
The Italian military intervention in Spain took place during the Spanish Civil War in order to support the nationalist cause against the Second Spanish Republic.
How did the Spanish Civil War start in Italy?
Italy and the Spanish Civil War. When Benito Mussolini gained power in Italy he began to develop contacts with right-wing forces in Spain. In March 1934 Mussolini met a group of Spanish politicians and generals in Rome who were opposed to the Second Republic.
Why did Mussolini and Hitler fight in the Spanish Civil War?
Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany were included among them. Hitler and Mussolini aligned with the far-right Spanish Nationalists and would use this conflict as an opportunity to test the military tactics which would later be used in World War II.
What role did Italy and Germany play in the Spanish Civil War?
The Nationalists were supported by German and Italian units and equipment during the Battle of Madrid. However, the military situation in Madrid remained poor for the Nationalists, and both German and Italian aircraft (under Franco's direction) began bombing raids on the city as a whole.
How did German and Italian involvement affect the outcome of the Spanish Civil War?
How did Germany's and Italy's involvement affect the outcome of the Spanish Civil War? Germany and Italy backed Franco's forces with troops, weapons, tanks and fighter planes which let the Spanish army officers win against the Spanish republic.
Which of the following was a result of Germany's involvement in the Spanish Civil War?
3. Which of the following was a result of Germany's involvement in the Spanish Civil War? Germany was able to test out the capabilities of its weapons.
What is the most likely reason that Italy and Germany supported the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War?
What is the most likely reason that Italy and Germany supported the Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War? Italy and Germany wanted to promote the spread of fascism.
Why did Germany and Italy become involved in the Spanish Civil War quizlet?
Germany and Italy became involved in the Spanish Civil War because they were both had anti-fascist/anti-Nazi parties which helped fight alongside the loyalist.
How did the Spanish Civil War affect Italy?
During the Spanish Civil War Italy sent 80,000 men, of whom almost 6,000 belonged to the Italian Air Force, 45,000 to the army and 29,000 to the fascist militia. Italy also supplied 1,800 cannon, 1,400 mortars, 3,400 machine-guns, 6,800 motor vehicles, 157 tanks, 213 bombers, 44 assault planes and 414 fighters.
Why did Italy intervene in the Spanish Civil War?
The Italian military intervention in Spain took place during the Spanish Civil War in order to support the nationalist cause against the Second Spanish Republic.
When did the Spanish Civil War start?
The Spanish Civil War began after the fall of the Spanish monarchy, replaced with the Second Republic in 1931. While tensions and social turmoil already ran rampant within the new republic, the civil war itself began in 1936, when the military revolted against the new government.
Why did the rightists rebel in Spain?
Because of this, the army in Spain and in Morocco (part of which was a Spanish colony) rebelled in an attempt to take over the government. At this time, both Italy and Germany were, of course, ruled by fascist dictators. Fascists are to the far right in political terms. They are very much opposed to socialism and communism. For this reason, both Germany and Italy sent troops and air forces to Spain to help the nationalists. They helped to do things like ferrying rebel troops from Morocco to Spain. German involvement in the war is most connected in history to the use of the German Condor Legion which bombed Spanish cities, the most famous of which was Guernica.
Military operations
Hitler decided to support the Nationalists in July 1936. The German air force was used to carry the Army of Africa to Spain. A Spanish-German Spanish-Moroccan Transport Company (HISMA) and an entirely German company, the "Raw Materials and Good Purchasing Company" (ROWAK) were established.
Motivation and volunteers
In the years following the Spanish Civil War, Hitler gave several possible motives for German involvement.
The Condor Legion
The Condor Legion, upon establishment, consisted of the Kampfgruppe 88, with three squadrons of Ju 52 bombers and the Jagdgruppe 88 with three squadrons of Heinkel He 51 fighters, the reconnaissance Aufklärungsgruppe 88 (supplemented by the Aufklärungsgruppe See 88), an anti-aircraft group, the Flakbteilung 88, and a signals group, the Nachrichtenabteilung 88.
Maritime operations
The Maritime Reconnaissance Staffel 88 (German language: Aufklärungsstaffel See 88) was the Condor Legion's maritime unit under the command of Karl Heinz Wolff. Operating independently of the land-based division, it acted against Republican shipping, ports, coastal communications and occasionally inland targets such as bridges.
Outcome
Early intervention helped to ensure that the Nationalist faction survived the initial stages of the war; German involvement then steadily expanded. The training they provided to Nationalist force proved as valuable, if not more so, than direct actions.
What was the Spanish Civil War?
Like most domestic conflicts it was a bitter internecine affair, full of propaganda, attrition and brutality against prisoners and civilians. From the beginning of the 1800s, Spain had endured a turbulent political history. For much of this time, it was a constitutional monarchy – but there were repeated attempts to unseat the king and establish a republic. Elections in 1931 saw control of the government pass to republicans and socialists. They proposed some radical reforms: the abolition of the monarchy, restrictions on the Catholic Church and improvements to the rights of workers and women. These reforms were met with hostility by conservatives – as well as the Spanish military, which had suffered from budget cuts by the new government.
How many people died in the Spanish Civil War?
The Spanish Civil War caused the deaths of more than a half-million people and gave rise to a fascist government, led by General Franco.
How did Germany help the Nationalists?
They later became known as the Condor Legion. Over the coming months, German aircraft and personnel continued to assist the Nationalists: moving men and supplies, providing air cover for Nationalist ships in the Mediterranean, and carrying out bombing and strafing runs to support Franco’s ground troops. Germany also provided training for Nationalist officers, thousands of rifles and small arms, even a radio transmitter for broadcasting propaganda. In October, Hitler authorised the deployment of German submarines to assist Franco’s men. By the end of 1936, there were around 7,000 German troops and airmen fighting in Spain.
Why did Hitler support the Nationalists?
Hitler’s public justification for providing military support to the Nationalists was his desire to prevent communism taking hold in western Europe. Privately, the Fuhrer saw some clear advantages to a fascist government in Spain.
What were the advantages of the Fuhrer regime?
Germany could cultivate the Spanish as trading partners, suppliers of raw materials and iron ore, possibly even as military allies. France would be surrounded and held in check by a ‘fascist triangle’ of Germany, Italy and Spain.
How many people died in the Guernica bombing?
There is much debate about the death toll – Spanish, British and Soviet observers suggested the raid killed at least 800 people, the majority of them civilians.
What territories did the Nationalists control in 1937?
By early 1937 the Nationalists held the western half of Spain, as well as external territories like Morocco and the Canary Islands. It would take them another two years to capture the rest of Spain from the Republicans. Fighting for major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia proved particularly fierce.
What was Hitler's purpose in the Spanish Civil War?
A perusal of the captured German documents makes plain that one of Hitler's purposes was to prolong the Spanish Civil War in order to keep the Western democracies and Italy at loggerheads and draw Mussolini toward him.
How many men were sent to Italy during the Spanish Civil War?
During the Spanish Civil War Italy sent 80,000 men, of whom almost 6,000 belonged to the Italian Air Force, 45,000 to the army and 29,000 to the fascist militia.
How many guns did Mussolini give to the Nationalists?
At the meeting Mussolini promised the group 10,000 rifles, 10,000 hand grenades, 200 machine-guns and a million pesetas in cash in event of a military uprising. On the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War Mussolini failed to keep his promise of immediate aid. After a week of negotiations he agreed to sell the Nationalists twelve Savoia S81 bombers.
What did Mussolini send to Spain?
Over the next three months Mussolini sent to Spain 130 aircraft, 2,500 tons of bombs, 500 cannons, 700 mortars, 12,000 machine-guns, 50 whippet tanks and 3,800 motor vehicles. Spanish Civil War Encyclopedia.
What was Mussolini's main role in the offensive at Guadalajara?
The Italians also played a prominent role in the offensive at Guadalajara. Mussolini insisted that his forces should be used as a single unit. General Francisco Franco was unhappy about this as he wanted the Italians dispersed among his own Spanish units.
What countries did Baldwin and Blum call for?
In September 1936 a Non-Intervention Agreement was drawn-up and signed by 27 countries including Germany, Britain, France, the Soviet Union and Italy . Benito Mussolini continued to give aid to General Francisco Franco and his Nationalist forces ...
What is the advantage of the French insurgents?
The insurgents have the advantage of getting outside help whereas the Government is getting none. The latter has applied to the French Government for permission to import arms from France, but so far at least permission has not been given. The insurgents, on the other hand, are being assisted by the Italians and Germans.
What was Spain's role in the Civil War?
By the end of the civil war Spain was exhausted and had wrecked a lot of it’s warmaking capacity, a decade or more to rebuild, so as a military ally it had little value but as a friendly neutral it became a supply route into the Axis combatants and an espionage agents’ route out to the rest of the world on commercial airlines, passenger ships, and cargo ships. After 1943 it became the main route to shift German assets and experts out of the obvious sites and into the Americas, Africa, and Middle East.
How did Mussolini's political position affect the Spanish Civil War?
The political position of Mussolini was strengthened with his participation in Spanish Civil war. His support for Nationalists helped the Catholics, and it helped his position in Italy during WW II. Italian Air force too scored a number of victories.
What was the most decisive development in the Spanish Civil War?
One of the most decisive developments in the Spanish Civil war was the German deployment (around 1938) of the Close air support tactic for armored attacks. Note how this required coordination through radio, which was still a relatively new technology at the time. German tactics remained unmatched for 4–5 years and were used at a much larger scale in the 1941 Blitzkrieg attempt, with devastating (for the USSR) results.
What are the blue territories in Spain?
In blue, the territories that alinged themselves with the nacionales. These were the poorest, less populated and less industrialised parts of Spain. Almost 100% of the heavy industry, weapon factories and shipyards, remained in the hands of the goverment. Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao were in the hands of the Republicans, whereas only Seville from the top five was in the hands of the nacionales, and only due to a stratagem by Queipo de Llano, who made believe their enemies that he had more troops available than he really had. The truth is that the government did not take very seriously the threat at their beginnings. “Si los militares se han levantado, yo me voy a acostar” (Casares Quiroga) [1]
What is the blue in Spain?
In blue, the territories that alinged themselves with the nacionales. These were the poorest, less populated and less industrialised parts of Spain. Almost 100% of the heavy industry, weapon factories and shipyards, remained in the hands of the goverment. Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao were in the hands of the Republicans, whereas only Seville from the top five was in the hands of the nacionales, and onl
What equipment did Hitler need?
3: Hitler needed a suitably near and controllable arena in which to try out his new military equipment: dive-bombers, submarines, artillery etc. And also to give realistic war training to his armed forces.
What was the newpaper about the struggle in Spain called?
They produced a newpaper about the struggle in Spain called “Spanish Revolution”. An interesting expose about the Communist Party’s role is “Crossing the Line” by Bill Herrick. Herrick had been a member of the Communist Party in New York City. He was a member of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion.
Why did Italy join the Spanish Civil War?
As the conquest of Ethiopia in the Second Italo-Abyssinian War made Italy confident in its power, Benito Mussolini joined the war to secure Fascist control of the Mediterranean. The Royal Italian Navy ( Italian: Regia Marina) played a substantial role in the Mediterranean blockade, and ultimately Italy supplied machine guns, artillery, aircraft, tankettes, the Aviazione Legionaria, and the Corpo Truppe Volontarie (CTV) to the Nationalist cause. The Italian CTV would, at its peak, supply the Nationalists with 70,000 men. Italian warships took part in breaking the Republican navy's blockade of Nationalist-held Spanish Morocco and took part in naval bombardment of Republican-held Málaga, Valencia, and Barcelona.
How many men did the Italian CTV supply the Nationalists?
The Italian CTV would, at its peak, supply the Nationalists with 70,000 men. Italian warships took part in breaking the Republican navy's blockade of Nationalist-held Spanish Morocco and took part in naval bombardment of Republican-held Málaga, Valencia, and Barcelona.
Where did the Italian bombings take place?
In 1938 Italian planes carried out most of the large-scale bombing operations, striking the cities of Barcelona, Alicante, Granollers, and Valencia, as well as the railway stations of Sant Vicenç de Calders in 1938 and Xàtiva in 1939.
Military Operations
Motivation and Volunteers
- In the years following the Spanish Civil War, Hitler gave several possible motives for German involvement. Among these were the distraction it provided from German re-militarisation; the prevention of the spread of communism to Western Europe; the creation of a state friendly to Germany to disrupt Britain and France; and the possibilities for economic expansion. Although t…
Non-Intervention Agreement
- Non-intervention, and with it the Non-Intervention Agreement, had been proposed in a joint diplomatic initiative by the governments of France and the United Kingdom, in order to prevent the war from escalating into a major pan-European conflict. On 4 August 1936, non-intervention was put to Nazi Germany by the French. The German position was that such a declaration was not ne…
Early Intervention
- Following the military coup in Spain at the start of the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish Second Republic turned to the Soviet Union and France for support, and the Nationalists requested the support of Hitler's Germany and fascist Italy. The first attempt to secure German aviation was made on 22 July, with a request for 10 transport aircraft. Franco...
The Condor Legion
- The Condor Legion, upon establishment, consisted of the Kampfgruppe 88, with three squadrons of Ju 52 bombers and the Jagdgruppe 88 with three squadrons of Heinkel He 51 fighters, the reconnaissance Aufklärungsgruppe 88 (supplemented by the Aufklärungsgruppe See 88), an anti-aircraft group, the Flakbteilung 88, and a signals group, the Nachrichtenabteilung 88. Overall co…
Maritime Operations
- Condor Legion
The Maritime Reconnaissance Staffel 88 (German language: Aufklärungsstaffel See 88) was the Condor Legion's maritime unit under the command of Karl Heinz Wolff. Operating independently of the land-based division, it acted against Republican shipping, ports, coastal communications … - Kriegsmarine
Overtly, the Kriegsmarine was part of the force enforcing the non-intervention agreement signed on 28 September 1936, which barred its signatory countries[nb 3] from interfering in the Civil War. However, this agreement was clearly broken by France, the USSR, Germany and Italy, who suppo…
Outcome
- Early intervention helped to ensure that the Nationalist faction survived the initial stages of the war; German involvement then steadily expanded. The training they provided to Nationalist force proved as valuable, if not more so, than direct actions.Approximately 56,000 Nationalist soldiers were trained by various German detachments in Spain, who were technically proficient; these co…
Further Reading
- Beevor, Antony (2006). The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939. London: Phoenix. ISBN 978-0-7538-2165-7.
- Carr, Raymond (1971). The Republic and the Civil War in Spain. London: Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-333-00632-0.
- Cienciala, Anna M. (1968). Poland and the Western Powers 1938–1939: A Study in the Interd…
- Beevor, Antony (2006). The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936–1939. London: Phoenix. ISBN 978-0-7538-2165-7.
- Carr, Raymond (1971). The Republic and the Civil War in Spain. London: Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-333-00632-0.
- Cienciala, Anna M. (1968). Poland and the Western Powers 1938–1939: A Study in the Interdependence of Eastern and Western Europe. London: Routledge & K. Paul. ISBN 978-0-7100-5021-2.
- Joe Julius Heydecker; Johannes Leeb (1975). The Nuremberg Trial: A History of Nazi Germany as revealed through the testimony at Nuremberg. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-8371-8131-8....
