Republican faction (Spanish Civil War) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Republican faction
Bando republicano
Flag of the Second Spanish Republic
Dates of operation	17 July 1936 – 1 April 1939
Ideology	Anti-fascism Spanish republicanism Internal factions: Progressivism Communism Socialism Anarchism Libertarian socialism Liberalism Radicalism Social democracy Regionalism
Political position	Centre-left to far-left
Allies	Soviet Union Mexico
Opponents	Nationalist faction
Succeeded by Maquis →

The Republican faction (Spanish: Bando republicano) was one of the main sides in the Spanish Civil War, which lasted from 1936 to 1939. This group supported the official government of the Second Spanish Republic. They were fighting against the Nationalist faction, which was made up of military rebels.

People often called them the Loyalist faction or the Government faction because they were loyal to the existing government. Their opponents sometimes called them Rojos (Reds) because many of their ideas were left-leaning. This included groups like communists and anarchists. The Soviet Union also supported them.

At the start of the war, the Republicans had many more fighters than the Nationalists. They outnumbered them ten to one. However, by January 1937, this advantage had dropped to four to one.

Help from Other Countries

The Republican faction did not get much help from other countries, especially from the major world powers. This was mostly because of the International Non-Intervention Committee. This committee tried to stop countries from getting involved in the war.

However, some countries did provide support. The Soviet Union was a very important ally. Mexico and France also sent military supplies and advice early in the war. Many brave volunteers from different countries also came to Spain to fight for the Republicans. These groups were known as the International Brigades.

Soviet Union's Support

The Soviet Union was the main country that helped the Second Spanish Republic. They sent a lot of military equipment. This included tanks like the T-26 and BT-5, armored cars, and hundreds of airplanes. They also provided many firearms and artillery pieces.

Hundreds of Soviet pilots, tank drivers, and sailors came to Spain to help. The Soviet Union was the Republic's most important source of modern weapons.

Mexico's Support

The Mexican government had good relations with the Spanish Republic. President Lázaro Cárdenas strongly supported the Spanish government. Workers and unions in Mexico also showed their support by donating money.

Mexico was the only country that officially helped the Republic. This was because Mexico did not sign the International Non-Intervention Committee agreement. Mexico sent a lot of ammunition, rifles, anti-aircraft guns, and about 55 planes. They also sent food. After the war, Mexico offered a safe home to thousands of Republican veterans and thinkers who had to leave Spain.

France's Early Support

At the beginning of the war, France also had a left-leaning government. They decided to send military supplies to the Spanish Republic. This was partly due to earlier agreements and friendships between the governments. It also helped France get rid of some older military equipment from World War I.

On July 30, 1936, the first shipment of weapons from France arrived. It included rifles, ammunition, tanks, and bombers. However, in August 1936, France joined the non-intervention agreement. This stopped their official support.

Who Fought for the Republicans?

Many different groups and people fought for the Republican side. They included political parties, worker unions, and various military forces.

Political Groups

The Popular Front

The Popular Front was a group of left-wing parties.

The Popular Front was a group of different political parties. They worked together to support the Republic.

Regional Groups

Many people from different parts of Spain also joined the Republican side. They wanted to protect their regions and their unique cultures.

Basque Groups

Basque nationalism
- Basque Nationalist Party
- Basque Nationalist Action

Catalan Groups

The flag of Catalonia.

Catalan nationalism
- Republican Left of Catalonia
- Acció Catalana Republicana
- Estat Català

Worker Unions

Large worker unions played a big role in the Republican effort. Many of their members joined the fight.

CNT/FAI

The flag of the CNT-FAI.

The CNT was a large anarcho-syndicalist union. It worked closely with the FAI, an anarchist group.

UGT

The flag of the UGT.

The UGT was another major workers' union.

Military Forces

People's Republican Army

In October 1936, the Republican government started to reorganize its army. They created the People's Republican Army (Spanish: Ejército Popular de la República, EPR). This army included soldiers who stayed loyal to the Republic. It also included militia members who joined the new military structure.

Other Military Branches

Spanish Republican Navy
Carabineros: A law enforcement unit that mostly stayed loyal.
Civil Guard: Parts of this police force remained loyal. They were later renamed the National Republican Guard.
Guardias de Asalto: A special police force.
Spanish Republican Air Force

International Brigades and Volunteers

The flag of the International Brigades.

Many volunteers from around the world came to fight for the Republicans. At least 40,000 people from 52 different countries joined. Most of these volunteers were socialists, communists, or anarchists.

About 32,000 of these volunteers served in the International Brigades. These brigades were organized with the help of the Comintern, a global communist organization. Another 3,000 foreign volunteers fought with anarchist or anti-Stalinist groups. Famous writer George Orwell was one of these volunteers.

Regional Armies

The flag of the Basque Country.

Some regions also had their own armies that fought for the Republic.

Basque Army
Basque Auxiliary Navy
People's Army of Catalonia

More About Foreign Support

Mexico's Continued Help

The flag of the United Mexican States.

The Mexican government openly supported the Republic. President Lázaro Cárdenas saw the Spanish Civil War as similar to Mexico's own revolution. Mexico refused to join the non-intervention agreements proposed by Britain and France. This gave the Republic a lot of moral support.

Mexico provided about $2 million in aid. They also sent some American-made aircraft, though not all of them reached Spain.

Soviet Union's Material Aid

The flag of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The Soviet Union mainly sent military supplies to the Republican forces. In total, they sent 806 planes, 362 tanks, and 1,555 artillery pieces. The Soviet Union ignored the international agreement not to send weapons. They were the Republic's only major source of weapons.

The Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin, tried to keep this aid a secret. He even created a special military section called Operation X for this purpose. Some of the weapons were older, but modern tanks and fighter planes were also sent.

However, many Soviet shipments were lost or smaller than planned. The ships carrying supplies had to travel slowly and change their flags to avoid being caught by the Nationalists. In 1938, Stalin pulled back his troops and tanks as the Republican government struggled.

The Republic paid for these Soviet weapons using Spain's gold reserves. This was a huge amount of money, over $500 million (in 1936 prices). It was about 72% of Spain's total gold.

The Soviet Union also sent 2,000 to 3,000 military advisers to Spain. Soviet volunteers often operated the Soviet-made tanks and aircraft, especially early in the war. The Soviet Union also helped organize the International Brigades.

France's Mixed Support

The flag of the French Republic.

France's position on helping the Spanish Republic was often unclear. The French government did not send direct support. Towards the end of the war, they even recognized the Francoist side.

French Prime Minister Léon Blum was sympathetic to the Republic. He thought about sending military aid, including aircraft. However, President Albert Lebrun was against direct help.

Right-wing politicians in France strongly opposed any help to the Republicans. They started a campaign against Blum's government. On July 27, 1936, British officials convinced Blum not to send weapons. So, France officially declared it would not send military aid.

However, Blum made it clear that France could still provide aid if it wanted to. He said they had not sent arms to avoid giving an excuse for others to send arms to the rebels.

On August 1, 1936, a large pro-Republican rally asked Blum to send aircraft. At the same time, right-wing politicians attacked him for supporting the Republic. They blamed him for Italy's involvement on Franco's side.

Nazi Germany warned France that it would be held responsible if it supported the Spanish Republicans. Finally, on August 21, 1936, France, the UK, and Italy signed the Non-Intervention proposals.

Despite this, the Blum government secretly sent some older aircraft to the Spanish Republican Air Force from August to December 1936. These planes were often not very useful and did not last long. Also, until September 8, 1936, aircraft bought in other countries could freely pass from France into Spain.

Even though France's direct support ended in December 1936, German intelligence reported that the French military was still discussing intervening in the war.

Towards the end of the Civil War, most Republican navy ships went to Bizerte in Tunisia, which was controlled by France. The French authorities held these ships and later gave them to the Francoist side. Republican sailors and officers were held in internment camps. Other defeated Republican soldiers who escaped were also arrested by French authorities. They were held in camps in Southern France. From these camps, some managed to go into exile or joined the Allied armies to fight against the Axis powers.