Foreign Intervention in the Spanish Civil War | Which Side Received More Help?

Summary

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was a complex conflict with international implications, serving as a precursor to World War II. The video script explores the significant military support received by both the Nationalist and Republican sides, detailing the involvement of Germany, Italy, the Soviet Union, France, and Great Britain. It highlights the strategic interests of these powers, the role of the International Brigades, and the scale of military aid, including troops, planes, and tanks, ultimately shaping the course of the war and foreshadowing the global conflict that followed.

Takeaways

• 😐 The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was a precursor to World War II, with significant international involvement.
• 🏰 European powers had conflicting interests: France and Britain aimed to maintain the Treaty of Versailles, while Germany and Italy sought to regain power, and the Soviet Union had its own strategic concerns.
• 🤝 France and Britain initially attempted to isolate the conflict and prevent foreign intervention, but this was undermined by support from Germany, Italy, and Portugal for the military rebels, and Soviet Union and International Brigades for the Republicans.
• ✈️ Germany and Italy provided crucial military support to Franco's Nationalist forces, including 90 planes to transport 13,000 well-trained troops from Africa to the Iberian Peninsula.
• 🇫🇷 France reluctantly sold 26 planes to the Republican government at a high price, without weapons, ammunition, or support personnel.
• 🤔 The German Condor Legion and Italian forces played significant roles in supporting Franco, with around 19,000 German troops and 72,000 Italians participating in the conflict.
• 🌍 The Soviet Union was the primary supporter of the Republican government, providing a substantial amount of military equipment and approximately 2,000 personnel as technicians, pilots, advisors, and agents.
• 💪 International Brigades, composed of 40,000 volunteers from various countries, fought for the Republicans, with around 10,000 losing their lives in the process.
• 🇲🇽 Mexico provided minor aid to the Republicans, including 20,000 rifles and refuge for 25,000 Spanish Republicans after their defeat.
• 🤝 France and Poland also sold military material to the Republicans, albeit at inflated prices and with some obsolete equipment.
• 🔢 The scale of military aid varied, with the Nationalist side receiving slightly more than double the troops supported by the Republicans, and both sides receiving a similar number of planes, though the effectiveness differed.

Q & A

What was the time frame of the Spanish Civil War?

The Spanish Civil War took place from July 1936 to April 1939.

Why was the Spanish Civil War considered the first armed confrontation of World War II?

The Spanish Civil War was considered the first armed confrontation of World War II because it involved direct or indirect participation of many European countries, setting the stage for the larger conflict that followed.

What were the main interests of France and Great Britain during the Spanish Civil War?

France and Great Britain were interested in maintaining the Treaty of Versailles and their European and colonial hegemony.

What was the stance of Germany and Italy during the Spanish Civil War?

Germany and Italy were dissatisfied with the status quo and wanted to become powerful countries again, supporting the military rebels in Spain.

What was the role of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War?

The International Brigades were foreign volunteers who came to Spain to fight on the Republican side, with figures ranging between 60,000 and 35,000 troops.

How did the French government initially respond to the Spanish Republic's request for weapons and aircraft?

The French President, Léon Blum, initially accepted the request but had to cancel the shipment due to protests from right-wing parties in France.

What was the significance of the aid provided by Germany and Italy to the Nationalist side in terms of transportation?

Germany and Italy provided around 90 planes to transport approximately 13,000 well-trained and armed troops from the Spanish Army in Africa to the Iberian Peninsula, which was crucial for the Nationalist side.

What was the main objective of Germany's intervention in Spain according to Hermann Goring?

Hermann Goring stated that the main objectives of Germany's intervention in Spain were to counteract the spread of communism and to test their new aviation capabilities.

How many Italian soldiers and volunteers were sent to Spain to support the Nationalist side?

It is estimated that around 72,000 Italian soldiers and volunteers were sent to Spain to support the Nationalist side.

What was the Soviet Union's contribution to the Spanish Republic in terms of military aid?

The Soviet Union provided the Spanish Republic with between 1,000 and 700 planes, about 400 or 500 tanks, 1,600 artillery pieces, 15,000 machine guns, half a million rifles, and additional material and ammunition, along with 2,000 troops as technicians, pilots, advisors, and agents.

What was the estimated number of volunteers from the International Brigades who died in Spain?

It is estimated that around 10,000 volunteers from the International Brigades died in Spain.

Outlines

00:00

🇪🇸 Spanish Civil War: International Involvement and Interests

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was a complex conflict that not only divided Spaniards but also involved European powers, marking the prelude to World War II. This paragraph outlines the geopolitical interests of Germany, Italy, the Soviet Union, France, and Great Britain in the war. It discusses the initial attempts by France and Britain to isolate the conflict through a non-intervention agreement, which was undermined by the support of Germany, Italy, and Portugal for the Nationalist rebels, and the Soviet Union's support for the Republican side. The International Brigades, composed of foreign volunteers, also played a significant role, with their numbers ranging between 60,000 and 35,000 troops, including French, Belgians, Poles, and Americans. The paragraph sets the stage for a detailed examination of the military and political support each side received.

05:00

🛫 Military Aid and the Strategic Role of Foreign Powers

This section delves into the specifics of military aid provided to both the Nationalist and Republican factions during the Spanish Civil War. It highlights the crucial support given to the Nationalists by Germany and Italy, particularly in transporting troops from Africa to the Iberian Peninsula and supplying them with advanced military equipment. The paragraph also discusses the challenges faced by the Republicans in securing aid, with France ultimately selling them a limited number of planes under restrictive conditions. The narrative emphasizes the disparity in the effectiveness of the aid received, with the Nationalists benefiting from direct support and the Republicans facing obstacles in the form of high costs and lack of technical support. The paragraph concludes with a brief mention of the significant military contributions from Portugal and sets the stage for an analysis of the aid received by the Republican side from the Soviet Union and other countries.

10:03

🛡️ Soviet Support and International Brigades: The Republican Aid

The final paragraph focuses on the substantial support provided to the Republican side by the Soviet Union, including a detailed account of the military equipment shipped to Spain, such as planes, tanks, artillery, machine guns, and rifles. It also discusses the significant contribution of the International Brigades, which included around 40,000 volunteers from various countries. The paragraph provides a comparative analysis of the military aid received by both sides, noting the numerical superiority of the Nationalist troops and the qualitative advantage of the Republican's military equipment. It also mentions the lesser-known support from countries like Mexico and Poland, which provided rifles, ammunition, and refuge for Spanish Republicans after the war. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the impact of this international aid on the course of the Spanish Civil War and a note on the enduring difficulty of discussing this period in Spanish history.

Keywords

💡Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War was a conflict that took place from 1936 to 1939 in Spain, which pitted various factions against each other, including friends, neighbors, and even family members. It is considered the first armed confrontation of World War II and was a complex conflict with international implications. The war is central to the video's theme, as it explores the involvement and motivations of various European powers in the conflict.

💡European Powers

European Powers refers to the nations of Europe that had significant influence and involvement in the Spanish Civil War. The video discusses how countries like Germany, Italy, the Soviet Union, France, and Great Britain played crucial roles by providing military and political support to either the Nationalist or Republican factions. This concept is vital for understanding the geopolitical dynamics of the time.

💡Nationalist Side

The Nationalist Side, also known as the Rebellious or Franco's side, was one of the two main factions in the Spanish Civil War. It was led by General Francisco Franco and received significant support from countries like Germany and Italy. The video highlights the military aid provided to this side, such as the transportation of troops and the delivery of aircraft, which played a key role in the conflict.

💡Republican Side

The Republican Side represented the government of the Spanish Republic and was opposed to the Nationalist faction. The video explains that this side was supported by the Soviet Union and received aid in the form of weapons, aircraft, and international volunteers. The Republican Side's struggle is an important aspect of the video's narrative, illustrating the ideological battle against fascism.

💡International Brigades

The International Brigades were foreign volunteers who came to Spain to fight on the Republican side during the Civil War. They were composed of individuals from various countries, including France, Belgium, Poland, and even the United States. The video emphasizes the significance of these brigades, which not only provided military support but also symbolized international solidarity against fascism.

💡Non-Intervention Agreement

The Non-Intervention Agreement was an attempt by countries like France and Great Britain to isolate the Spanish Civil War and prevent foreign intervention in the conflict. However, as the video explains, this agreement was not successful, as Germany, Italy, and Portugal ignored it and provided support to the Nationalist side. The concept of non-intervention is key to understanding the diplomatic challenges of the time.

💡Condor Legion

The Condor Legion was the main German combat force that participated in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Nationalists. It was composed of about 500 men, with a total of 19,000 troops arriving over time. The video mentions the Condor Legion as an example of direct military involvement by Germany, which used the conflict as a testing ground for its military tactics and equipment.

💡Italian Fascist Militia

The Italian Fascist Militia refers to the Italian forces that supported the Nationalist side in the Spanish Civil War. The video indicates that Italy had a vested interest in Spain as an ally and sent approximately 72,000 soldiers and volunteers to aid Franco. This involvement was part of Italy's broader strategic goals in Africa and the Mediterranean.

💡Soviet Union Aid

The Soviet Union provided significant military aid to the Republican government during the Spanish Civil War. The video details the shipments of weapons, including planes, tanks, artillery, machine guns, and rifles, as well as the deployment of approximately 2,000 Soviet troops as technicians, pilots, advisors, and agents. This aid was crucial for the Republicans and highlighted the ideological struggle against fascism.

💡Military Material

Military Material in the context of the video refers to the various weapons, equipment, and supplies provided by different countries to both the Nationalist and Republican sides during the Spanish Civil War. The video provides specific examples of the types and quantities of military material sent, such as planes, tanks, and artillery, which were instrumental in shaping the course of the conflict.

💡Casualties

Casualties refer to the losses suffered by the various factions during the Spanish Civil War. The video mentions the deaths of approximately 15,000 Italian soldiers and 10,000 volunteers from the International Brigades who fought in Spain. Understanding the human cost of the war is essential for grasping the severity and impact of the conflict.

Highlights

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) was the first armed confrontation of World War II, involving direct and indirect participation from various European countries.

France and Great Britain aimed to maintain the Treaty of Versailles and their European and colonial hegemony, while Germany and Italy sought to regain power.

The Soviet Union had its own interests and was predicted to have future problems, influencing its involvement in the Spanish Civil War.

France and Great Britain initially tried to isolate the Spanish conflict to prevent foreign intervention, but this was unsuccessful as Germany, Italy, and Portugal supported the military rebels.

The Republican side was supported by the Soviet Union and International Brigades, which included foreign volunteers from various countries, including France, Belgium, Poland, and the United States.

Germany and Italy provided significant military aid to the Nationalist side, including the transportation of 13,000 well-trained troops from Africa to the Iberian Peninsula.

France initially canceled weapon shipments to the Republic due to domestic protests but later sold 26 planes at an exorbitant price without additional support.

Great Britain supported non-intervention to avoid a potential European conflict arising from the Spanish Civil War.

Hitler's interest in aiding Franco was to ensure a Spain not under the influence of France, England, or the Soviet Union, and to test new aviation technology.

The Italian Fascist regime aimed to secure an ally in Spain to facilitate its expansion plans in Africa and the Mediterranean.

Portugal sent about 10,000 volunteers and various supplies to support the Nationalist side.

The Soviet Union was the primary foreign supporter of the Republican government, providing a significant amount of military equipment and personnel.

International Brigades, consisting of approximately 40,000 volunteers, played a crucial role in supporting the Republican side.

Mexico provided minor aid to the Republic, including 20,000 rifles and ammunition, and offered refuge to 25,000 Spanish Republicans after the war.

France eventually sold about 250 planes to the Spanish Republic, though they were not as effective as the German and Italian aircraft.

Poland and Czechoslovakia also sold military material to the Republic, albeit at high prices and with some obsolete equipment.

The program concludes by discussing the relative effectiveness of the military aid received by both sides and the difficulty of analyzing the decisiveness of each aid in the context of the war.

Transcripts

from july 1936 to april 1939

a bloody civil war was waged in spain

pitting friends neighbors and sometimes

even members of the same family against

each other

however this was not a war only between

compatriots as many european countries

were directly or indirectly involved in

it making the spanish civil war the

first armed confrontation of world war

ii for some

in today's program we are going to see

precisely what was the real help that

each side received mainly from germany

the soviet union italy france and great

britain and what interests each one had

when the spanish civil war began europe

was experiencing a very delicate

diplomatic situation

on one side were france and great

britain who wanted to maintain the

treaty of versailles and their european

and colonial hegemony

on the other hand were germany and italy

who were dissatisfied and wanted to

become powerful countries again

and finally there was the soviet union

with which problems were also predicted

in the future

once the military coup fails and

everything indicates that spain will be

immersed in a harsh civil war for years

france and great britain try to isolate

the events that are taking place in

spain and a proven agreement so that no

foreign country intervenes in the

conflict

however this measure is not very

successful as both germany italy and

portugal quickly support the side of the

military rebels just as the republican

side is supported by the soviet union

and the members of the international

brigades who are beginning to arrive

making a small point and so that all

viewers have it clear the international

brigades were a series of foreign

volunteers who came to spain to fight on

the republican side

the figures of the volunteers who came

to fight in spain are between sixty

thousand and thirty five thousand troops

the most numerous were the french

belgians and poles and even americans

in addition and as a curiosity there

were also italians and germans who were

part of these brigades and fought on the

republican side

after making this clarification let's

continue with the program

in the first place the most significant

help that the rebellious or national

side had was that which italy and

germany gave them to transfer the army

of africa to the iberian peninsula

it is estimated that both countries sent

franco during the months of july and

august some 90 planes including fighters

bombers and transport planes which

served him to transport some 13 000

troops from the spanish army in africa

to the peninsula

these troops were very important as they

were very well trained and armed and had

experience in combat

for its part the government of the

republic requested france at the end of

july of the year of 1936 all kinds of

weapons and aircraft

although the french president being this

the socialist leon bloom accepted he had

to cancel the shipment due to the

protests that the french right-wing

parties organized in the country

great britain supported the decision of

non-intervention because they wanted to

avoid at all costs a possible european

conflict that could develop as a result

of the war in spain

everything changed when france found out

that italy and germany had sent aid to

spain

so finally france sold about 26 planes

to the government of the republic

although at a totally exorbitant price

and without weapons ammunition or pilots

or technicians who could take care of

them the germans and italians had indeed

sent qualified personnel for its use and

their method of payment was in

installments instead of cash as france

requested

making a small point here it should be

remembered that although these figures

may seem ridiculous if we compare them

with those of the second world war to

which we are accustomed the truth is

that in this situation they were very

relevant

although the figures vary greatly

depending on the sources consulted we

are going to expose some intermediate

numbers on the number of men and

material that each country sent to spain

these figures being the most accepted

today

first of all let's start with the help

that franco's side received which came

largely from germany italy and portugal

hitler's interest in helping franco was

that the new government that was formed

in spain after the civil war would not

be under the french english or soviet

sphere of influence

faced with the warlike future to which

europe was heading again it was better

to have a spain favorable to the third

reich than to have it as an enemy

years later during the nuremberg trials

hermann goring stated the following

regarding germany's intervention in

spain

the main objective i had was firstly to

counteract the spread of communism in

spain and secondly to test my new

aviation

the main german combat force in spain

was the famous condor legion which began

to arrive in spain at the end of 1936.

the unit was made up of about

500 men although between the different

relays a total of 19 000 troops were

added who arrived at fight in spain

it also had about 600 planes of all

kinds and 48 tanks most of them panzer

won with regard to italy he also had a

special interest in spain being an ally

of his or at least not being led by

france or great britain

the reason for this was the expansion

through africa and the mediterranean

that the italian leader wanted to carry

out

in total he calculates that between the

soldiers of the italian army and the

volunteers of the italian fascist

militia some 72 000 italians were sent

to spain to help the franco side

they also sent numerous planes that

carried out more than 700 attacks on

different targets and about 200 battle

tanks that were already quite obsolete

of the 72 000 italians who in different

periods fought in spain some fifteen

thousand lost their lives

finally portugal sent to spain about ten

thousand volunteers and supplies of all

kinds

after seeing the help that the rebel

side received let us now see the help

that the spanish republic received from

other countries as you all know the

soviet union was the foreign power that

helped the republican government the

most

in total it is estimated that since

october 15 1936 the soviets made some 23

trips by ship with weapons of war to

which must be added another 10 ships

with another nationality that also

brought more material to the republic

the exact data of what these ships that

arrived at the republican ports of the

mediterranean contained are very

different depending on the source

consulted but they were approximately

the following

between 1 000 and 700 planes

about 400 or 500 tanks type t26 and bt5

which were far above the germans

1 600 artillery pieces 15 000 machine

guns and half a million rifles

to this we have to add abundant material

and ammunition of all kinds and some 2

000 troops as technicians pilots

advisors and agents

this is the help that is estimated to

have arrived since other ships with

military material that were heading to

spain were sunk along the way

the other great help that the republican

government received was that of the

international brigades that we have

already explained at the beginning

in total it is estimated that some forty

thousand volunteers from many countries

came to fight on the republican side

this unit was finally dissolved at the

end of 1938 when republican president

juan negrin declared that all volunteers

should return to their country

with this he hoped that the germans and

italians would do the same with their

troops but they only managed to get

mussolini to withdraw a quarter of what

italy had in spain

it is estimated that a total of ten

thousand volunteers from the

international brigades died in spain

other minor aid received by the republic

was from mexico which sent some 20 000

rifles and numerous ammunition

likewise he helped some 25 000 spanish

republicans take refuge in mexico when

they lost the war

for its part france ended up selling

about 250 planes to the spanish republic

which due to their conditions were not

as effective as the germans and italians

poland was also able to sell some more

material to the republican government

although it was somewhat obsolete

material and like france poland sold it

at a much higher price than it really

was

the materials sold by countries like

poland or even czechoslovakia were

cannons rifles ammunition and the

occasional old-fashioned plane and tank

well as we see on the screen the number

of planes that both sides received was

more or less similar although due to the

reasons that we have explained in the

program german aviation was more

effective

with regard to tanks the republic had

quite an advantage over the frank hoist

side although the correct use of tanks

was still to be developed

finally and in terms of troops the aid

received by the rebel side was slightly

more than double that of the republican

side

well this is in general terms the help

received by the different spanish sides

during the civil war

which of these aids was more decisive in

relation to the forces that each side

had when the conflict began in july 1936

is something that i leave to the

analysis that each one wants to do

in any case i hope you like this program

and i invite you to watch the one we

uploaded a few months ago about some of

the most striking curiosities of this

conflict unfortunately this still feels

like a very difficult issue that even

today is difficult to deal with in spain

so i hope it doesn't get filled with

haters

we say goodbye here

many thanks to everyone especially the

sponsors who make this possible

subscribe and share this program if you

liked it and see you in the next one see

you soon