The Spanish Civil War
The Spanish civil war started on July 17, 1936, when General Francisco, who was exiled to the Canary Islands to prevent him from participating in politics, revolted and took control of Spanish Morocco (Seidman, 2020). Quickly, the revolts spread across to Spain, where various towns, including Algeciras, Cadiz, and Seville, were taken by the General Francisco-led revolt. Although many Garrison revolted all over Spain on July 17, the improvised government militia prevented the occurrence of a coup. The failure of the Republican government, led by President Azana, to take the uprising seriously contributed to the escalation of these disturbances into a civil war. The primary participants in the civil war were the Loyalists, who were in control of the current government, and the Nationalists who were headed by General Francisco.
The primary protagonists in the Spanish civil war received support from foreign governments. The Loyalists were aided by Russian workers who sent money to facilitate the government’s response against the uprising. The Loyalists were also supported by an international brigade, which was made up of volunteers from various countries in Europe and the United States (Seidman, 2020). On the other hand, the Nationalists were supported by the Italian and German planes and troops. Other foreign interventions that helped in forging the outcome of the war included the Portuguese’s decision to break off diplomatic relations with the republican government as well as Italy’s and Germany’s move to recognize Franco’s government.
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The climax of the Spanish civil war was in 1939. The capture of Tarragona and Barcelona, as well as the build-up of the Nationalist troops, made the Nationalist victory inevitable. The resistance against the Nationalist troops in Catalonia was broken off within a few days. Valencia was also capitulated due to the lack of supplies. Although Negrin vowed to fend off the Nationalists’ attack, the lack of support and supply led to the surrender of Madrid on March 28, 1939, bringing an end to the civil war. The recognition of the Nationalist government by Britain, France, and the United States, killed any hopes of Loyalists regaining power.
Bibliography of Spanish Dictator- Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco was born on December 4, 1892, in El Ferrol, Galicia. Franco entered the Academia de Infanteria in 1907, and become a 2 nd lieutenant in 1910. His military ingenuity resulted in multiple promotions in quick successions, resulting in him becoming the youngest brigadier general in Europe. The military leader took part in the Riff campaign against Abd el-Krim in North Africa and was also involved in the successful war against the Berbers. Franco later took up the role of director in Academia General Militar at Saragossa (Lines, 2017). The establishment of the Spanish republic in 1931, however, resulted in the transfer of Franco to the Balearic Islands, and later to the Canary Islands, to prevent him from taking part in politics.
However, following the start of the Spanish civil war on July 17, 1936, General Franco to an active role in the uprising against the Loyalists government (Lines, 2017). The death of his colleagues, Generals Sanjurjo, Goded, and Mola, made him the sole leader of the uprising. With support from foreign governments, including Germany and Italy, Franco led the Nationalists to a victory against the republican government. After the fall of Madrid, Franco consolidated his position by making himself the chief of state, prime minister, and commander in chief of Spain.
Although Franco sympathized with the Axis, he chose not to be involved in World War II. The Spanish nation took a nonbelligerent position in the war. Although Franco had sent troops to support Germans on the eastern front, he becomes more neutral as the Allied Armies started gaining ground in Europe (Lines, 2017). After the World War, the Spanish prime minister proclaimed the Charter of Rights, in 1947, to be the governing document of the country. According to the document, Spain became a monarchy with Franco as the regent and the chief of state. Franco remained the leader of Spain until his death in 1975 after succumbing to acute heart disease. Prince Juan Carlos de Borbon, who was selected as the eventual successor by Franco, took over power upon his death.
Film Review: Devil’s Backbone
Following the end of the Spanish civil war in 1939, with the victory of General Franco against the Loyalists government, Carlos, the son of a fallen Republican war hero and the protagonist in the film, is brought into a remote orphanage. The orphanage is run by Carmen, its headmistress, and Professor Casares, his assistant administrator. Despite many challenges, particularly bullying, Carlos manages to integrate into the school community successfully. Jacinto, the ambitious caretaker in the school, plans to steal a stash of gold stored in the orphanage. The gold was used to fund the republican forces during the Spanish civil war. However, following the end of the civil war, Carmen plans to offload the gold for liquid cash to help in running the orphanage. Carlos plays a key role in preventing Jacinto from stealing the gold and harming his fellow orphans. With the help of the ghost of Santi, Carlos manages to prevent the death of some orphans and brings Jacinto to justice for his crime of killing Santi and other people in the fire explosion. The film analyzes various themes, including conflict, oppression, superstition, and the Spanish civil war, through the eyes of Carlos.
The Spanish civil war, a huge event in Spanish history, is the reason why the boys are in the orphanage. Carlos, who is a son of a former Republican war hero, is left in the orphanage by his teacher, following the end of the civil war. The civil war made many children orphans following the death of their parents during the war. Furthermore, the violence of the war is evident through the large bomb that was lodged in the middle of the courtyard from a warplane. The bomb did not explode because it was deactivated early enough before detonation.
Nonetheless, having been deeply buried, it could not be pulled from the ground. Had it not been deactivated, the bomb could have caused the death of many innocent individuals. The stash of gold within the orphanage was meant to support the Republican forces, showing their sympathy for the Loyalists by Carmen and Professor Casares. Furthermore, Dr. Casares and Carmen decided to evacuate the children from the orphanage following the harsh war brutality experienced in the school’s vicinity. The Spanish civil war affected most children who lost their parents during the war and continues to affects the operation of the institution due to the prevailing insecurity due to war brutality.
The film also has oppression and bullying at the epicenter of its narration. Carlos, as a new student, was greatly bullied by Jaime and other boys. In addition, Jacinto killed Santi while trying to convince him to keep his mouth shut after seeing him try to open the safe where the gold was stored. Jacinto goes ahead and dumps Santi’s body into the cistern. Jacinto is again represented as a violent man when he scars Carlos’s face with a knife and forces him to secrecy. In the aftermath of the Spanish civil war, the republicans, their families, and sympathizers were oppressed by the new government of General Franco.
In addition to bullying, multiple conflicts have been presented in the film. The conflict between the Nationalists and the republican government has been depicted in the film through the orphans who lost their parents, and Jacinto’s hatred for the orphanage and his quest to steal the gold stash. These conflicts were marked with violence that had significant repercussions on the orphanage. Conflicts resulted in the blowing up of the school and the death of students and school staff alike.
Traditional and religious superstition has been depicted in the film on many occasions. Santi, the spirit of the orphan that was killed by Jacinto, was seen helping Carlos in protecting the students from harm and bringing Jacinto to justice. The ghost of Santi, which is represented as a pale figure of a young boy with blood oozing up from his head, helped Carlos in reducing the number of casualties from the fire that was started up by Jacinto. Also, another ghost of Professor Casares can be seen helping the boys escape from their room. Casares, who promised to never leave the boys, dies and decides to come back as a ghost to live up to his promise. The use of ghosts can also be interpreted to mean that even if the civil war came to an end, the war is set to continue as it continued even after the death of Santi or Professor Casares (Archibald, 2019). The film presents ghosts as good creatures that take up the role of guardian angels and protect the vulnerable.
The film depicts the transition from the traditional and Republican-led Spain to a new Spain that vouch for democracy. However, the transition leaves many people, particularly orphans, experiencing difficulty and violence due to the persisting violence even after the end of the war. Superstition, through the use of ghosts, has been depicted as a tool that can be used to guide and protect good people. Despite the evident changes in the country, people maintain their traditional and religious belief in ghosts.
References
Archibald, D. (2019). Ghosts of the past: El espinazo del Diablo/The Devil’s Backbone. In The War that Won't die . Manchester University Press.
Lines, L. (2017). Francisco Franco as Warrior: Is It Time for a Reassessment of His Military Leadership? Journal of Military History , 81 (2).
Seidman, M. (2020). Victorious Counterrevolution: The Nationalist Effort in the Spanish Civil War. National Identities , 22 (2), 213-215.
