S2 Synthesis Activity 1: Consider whether these events show that Franco’s leadership, Foreign aid, and/or divisions in the Republican side were significant.
July 1936: Franco’s forces cross from Morocco with German and Italian air support - Foreign Aid
August 1936: the capture of Badajoz links nationalist forces in the south with those in the north and seals the border with Portugal - Franco’s leadership
September 1936: the nationalist general Mola’s victory at Irun controls much of the northern Spanish coastline - Franco’s leadership
September 1936: the nationalist navy controls the Straits of Gibraltar - Franco’s leadership
June 1937: Bilbao falls and the Basque region is conquered by the nationalists - Divides in republican
1937: persistent failures of Republican offenses - Divides in Republic
1938: Franco’s Aragon Campaign - Franco’s leadership
1938: the decision by the communist prime minister Juan Negrin, who replaced the Socialist leader Largo Caballero, in conjunction with Stalin to remove the International Brigades - Foreign aid
September 1938: the distraction of Europe by the Munich crisis - Foreign aid
March 1939: the revolt in Madrid and the fall of the city to Franco - Franco’s leadership
S2 Synthesis Activity 2: Evaluate whether military or political factors were more important in the nationalist victory.
Thesis: Although the nationalists had superior military equipment during the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939, political factors were more important in the nationalist victory, which can be seen by the strong amount of foreign intervention on the Nationalist side and the divisions on the Republican side.
Assertion 1: To begin, despite the Republican side being aided by Stalin during the Spanish Civil War, the Nationalist side received a surplus of aid from Germany and Italy, which helped lead to their victory.
Assertion 2: In addition to the foreign intervention and despite the strategic Republic offenses, the divisions on the Republican side had weakened their forces, causing this to be a great factor for Nationalists winning in 1939.