Civil War Impacts - REPUBLICAN POLITICAL DIVISIONS

Question 1

Internal Tensions - Opinion of POUM abt gov?

Answer 1

POUM (Trotskyite Worker’s Party) became increasingly disenchanted w gov policy
- wanted greater revolution from working class

Question 2

Internal Tensions - Opinion of Popular Front abt gov?

Answer 2

radical pop. front disappointed when moderate Negrin replaced Largo Caballero
change bc of:
- military strategy failing
- caballero accused of allowing extreme comm/anarch too much power espc. in barcelona = crippled by social tension

Question 3

Nin’s Murder - What did Negrin do within a month of taking over?

Answer 3

Negrin outlawed POUM within a month of taking over

Question 4

Nin’s Murder - Who was Nin?
+ How/When was Nin killed?

Answer 4

nin = POUM leader
+
murdered on 21 June 1937 by soviet agents on stalin’s orders

Question 5

Why was Nin killed?
+ What did his death symbolise?

Answer 5

concern he would destabilise left + cause loss in war
+
death = reflected evolving political agenda of comintern (from revolution to constitutional politics)

death = highlighted disunity/division in left wing

Question 6

Soviet Influence - What did the 2 halves of the left want as a fighting force?

Answer 6

soviet + middle class liberals + socialists wanted centralised/traditional army to defeat nationalists
vs.
anarchists + POUM favoured militias/irregular armies

= both armies fought nationalists BUT also each other

Question 7

Soviet Influence - Example of left in-fighting?

Answer 7

May 1937 -
at barcelona telephone exchange:
comm + gov forces
vs.
CNT + trotskyite POUM

= gov forces won, POUM leaders executed in June 1937

Question 8

Soviet Influence - What did Popular Army do?

Answer 8

pop. army crushed peasants’ council (lw group)

• Orwell believed destroying workers groups was reason left lost the war + lw groups wanted revolution not repression

Question 9

Military Coup - Where/Why/When/Who?

Answer 9

Madrid
+
elements of pop. army didnt like comm influence over negrin
+
March 1939
+
leader of pop. army, General Casado launched attempted coup

Question 10

Military Coup - Result of the Coup?

Answer 10

Casado officically dismissed but coup continued
+
Casado arrested numerous comm figures in Negrin’s administration

in-fighting = a large cause of failure of the republicans