The Revolution and the Civil War in Spain

The defeat of the Spanish Civil War not only curtailed a promising workers’ movement but also, tragically, yielded a victory for Franco’s brutal fascist regime, which would rule Spain for the following 36 years. In 1936, Spanish workers and peasants revolted against a backward and frail capitalist class, led in large part by the anarchist-dominated CNT. Bold clashes in the streets and the countryside uprooted the antiquated Spanish oligarchy. But the victorious struggle from below failed to gain decisive direction in the battles that followed as the newly formed Popular Front government was shaken by the military rebellion led by Gen. Francisco Franco. Broué and Témime’s long out of print history details the internal political dynamics that led the popular front to hold back radical measures that would have galvanized the working class and the peasant base of the revolution and decisively weaken Franco’s fascist forces. This thorough and engrossing study presents the period defining figures and events in a clearly comprehensible format, as well as an informed military history.