Why Did The Republican Defeat?

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The Spanish Civil War was fought with much ferocity and zeal for those on both sides of the conflict. Upon the outset of the war, it was unclear as to which side had the advantage, be it logistically, strategically or organizationally. As the war drew on though, it became clearer and clearer that the Nationalist Rebels had the upper hand. With extensive and active support from various large nations. This question is in many ways can be split into two parts. Not only are we looking at why the Nationalists won, we are also examining the causes of the Republican defeat. As a result, each aspect of why the Nationalists succeeded will have an accompanying reason for Republican failure.

A major difference between the 2 sides during the war was …show more content…

Many of the leftist political parties such as the POUM (Political Party for Marxist Unification) controlled their own militias that were loyal only to them. On top of this split in the armed forces of the Republicans, many leftists groups such as the POUM and Anarcho-Communist groups prioritized the proletariat revolution over winning the war against the Nationalists. Actual in-fighting occurred between the POUM, Anarcho-Communists and the CNT-FAI (Catalonian Independent Party) over this issue of “revolution”. The CNT-FAI understood that the Nationalists had to be defeated before successful and stable collectivization and revolution could be carried out, and possibly, they were right in believing so. George Orwell, a now famous British writer, joined as volunteer in one of the Pro-Republican International Brigades. His view on the revolution sums up the views of the CNT-FAI very well: “Clinging to the fragments of workers’ control and parroting revolutionary aims is worse than useless: not only an obstacle but also counter-revolutionary, because it leads to divisions that the Fascists can use against us. At this stage we do not fight for the proletarian dictatorship”. If the Nationalists controlled Spain, all forms of revolutionary organization would be crushed under an iron fist, no less an attempt at revolution. This inter-republican conflict ended with the POUM and Anarcho-Communists being defeated, but served to severely weaken the Catalonian resistance. Leading to their eventual defeat in the later stages of the War. What became an even more serious problem for the Republicans, was the divide that formed when Largo Caballero (the Spanish Lenin) formed government in Valencia which included members from the CNT and FAI. This brought him into a clash with the PCE (Spanish Communist Party) who growing in

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