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The nations that supported the Nationalists were more justified in their support than those nations who supported the Republicans because of the nationalists’ promise of peace and protection of country. Francisco Franco, leader of the Nationalists, “made considerable efforts to ensure that the same tranquility was enjoyed by all of his collaborators” (Preston 82). By making sure peace was established for all who supported the Nationalists, Franco created a strong support for Nationalists. Supporting the Nationalists meant that a greater amount of peace could be spread across Spain, benefiting not only the Nationalists, but the Republicans as well. Nationalists were also able to better protect Spain and its people. Wilhelm von Thoma, the commander of all the German ground troops used in the war, stated that the German ground troops “were used to train Franco’s tank force and to get battle experience themselves” (Thoma 1948). A better educated tank force would be advantageous to Spain because it would be able to protect Spain and its people more efficiently. By supporting the Nationalists, nations like Italy, Germany, and Portugal can provide protection for Spain and themselves. Nations that supported the Nationalists were more justified in giving their aid because they were protecting Spain, themselves, and the peace.

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During the Spanish Civil War, the Nationalists were more justified in that actions as they

attempted to improve aspects of life failed by the Republicans. Prior to the war, policies

instilled by the government allowed the wealthy to take vast sums of capital. As a result,

"this created an economic crises...which damaged trade and tourism...prices rising,workers

[also] demanded higher wages" (Simken). By having this crisis take place during Republic rule,

it demonstrated their incapability to manage economy, going as far as to raise prices on the

workers they were meant to serve. In addition, the demand for high wages would also rally the

people to Franco, giving him further support for his cause. In fact, the rising of prices would

even lead to strikes. Franco used this to expose the weaknesses of the republic, claiming "the

most series crimes are committed in the cities and countryside , while the forces that should

defend public order remain in their barracks" (Franco). The police's supposed inaction to these

violent acts provided Franco with reason to overthrow the republicans. Complacency from the

Republicans would mean that they did not hear the people they were meant to serve, giving

Franco reason to believe that he had a better way of rule.

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The Spanish Civil War was a military revolt against the justified Republican government of Spain. After Alfonso XIII left Spain in the early 1930s, a coalition of political parties called the Popular Front took control of Spain. The radical Popular Front wanted to instill democracy in Spain and aimed to accomplish  “the restoration of Catalan autonomy, amnesty for political prisoners, agrarian reform, an end to political backlists and the payment of damages for property owners who suffered during the revolt of 1934”. The popular front did implement many of these reforms to the dismay of the conservatives. These policies were undermined when the wealthy took much wealth out of Spain, causing an economic crisis and a series of strikes. When the civil war broke out the popular front, or the Republicans were backed by the Soviet Union while the opposition, while the conservatives, or the Nationalists, received aid from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. After much death, terror, and a bloody and ferocious civil war, the Nationalists rose to power. In Paul Preston’s The Spanish Holocaust, the Nationalist leader Franco disregarded the lives of Spanish citizens and showed no evidence that “Franco’s sleep was ever interrupted by concern for his victims… The Francoist one was constructed in three stages before, during, and after the Civil War. It was based on the need to justify the military coup against the democratically elected government and military oath of loyalty to the government was justified by the assertion that Spain had to be saved from the ‘Jewish Bolshevik-Masonic conspiracy’ which was allegedly the responsible for the greatly exaggerated breakdown of law and order.” The Nationalists caused strife and bloodshed throughout their own country and their authoritarian leader had no qualms about it. The Republicans were justified because they sought out democracy and social reform in order to better Spain while the Nationalists sought to take power for themselves and establish another authoritarian government headed by a single dictator.

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Francisco Franco, the leader of the Nationalist party, was ultimately justified for his actions of terror, ruthlessness, and violence, as he brought great successes to the Spanish people. By "[regarding] . . . problem[s] with the same icy ruthlessness that underpinned his succcesses in the colonial wars," Franco maintained an insight to achieve his goals (Preston 82-83). Franco's use of an icy personality and the armed forces to deal with issues was indeed cruel, yet his goal was to maintain the revolutionary spirt that would crush the opposing parties. Thus, he was justified for his military control, as his intentions involved not only recreating former successes through the use of a method from the past but also wanting to support his political party. Furthermore, Franco was merely using "the methods used by the colonial army" in order to "[paralyze] the civilian enemy" (Preston 82-83). This inevitably demonstrates the justified actions of Franco, as his motive involved the elimination of the Communists, Liberalists, and Republicans: the enemies of the revolution. Although his use of violence was slightly irrational, his intentions to maintain control over the people through this harsh method successfully restricted the civilian enemy. Franco was ultimately justified in his actions because he needed to eliminate the rebels to maintain the ideals of the revolution, and his intentions were to support the nationalistic ideals.

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The tools and tactics of Francisco Franco were not
justified, because of the unnecessary brutality of their use. During his campaign
through Basque, Franco used German airplanes to destroy Guernica, which “like
the other Basque country towns, was absolutely defenseless” (Manchester
Guardian). Franco destroyed Guernica solely to help test the powers of the
German airplanes. Franco had no actual reason to ruthlessly attack the unarmed
civilians. Once Franco had control of Spain, he continued his methods, and would
regularly unleash “a wave of brutality that had more to do with…normal practice
when entering Moroccan villages that any threat from the defeated Spanish
rebels” (Preston 82-83). Franco did not terrorize towns to threaten rebels, he
did it to terrorize the people. This means that this cruel treatment of civilians
had no real purpose at all. Franco had no reasonable justification at all in
the use of brutal tools and tactics to terrorize civilians.

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The Nations who supported the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War, which included the United States and the Soviet Union were more justified in doing so than those nations who supported the Nationalists. One man describes the supporters of the Nationalists as "The Hitlers and Mussolinis of this world" that "are killing Spanish people who don't know the difference between communism and rheumatism" (Bailey 1937). This depiction of the Republicans as innocent people who just wanted to survive is a prime example of why they were justified. The Nationalists wanted their way of life to be influential and dominant everywhere around the world, but where forcing this onto innocent people who just wanted representation. A man also describes the Nationalists' effect in Spain as a "growing alienation from a society that had failed miserably to meet the needs of so many people and because their deep repugnance of books in Nazi Germany, the persecution of individuals, the glorification of war and the whole philosophy of fascism" (Alexander 1948). With this assumption that the Nationalists would not give the people the representation they so wanted, the thing they were fighting to get, it seems ridiculous to allow Franco to take power in Spain and to support this cause. In and of itself, fascism really does not represent its people in the first place, making it completely against t he cause of the Spanish people. The countries who supported the Republicans were in the right because they were supporting people who just wanted simple rights and representation and combating against a greedy and destructive fascism.

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During the Spanish Civil War, both the Republicans and the rebels looked to foreign countries for aid. The Republicans sought help from the Soviet Union and Mexico, while the Nationalists were supported by Italy, Germany, and Portugal. However, the Soviet Union and Mexico were more justified in defending Spain because the Republicans wanted a classless society, worldwide, making it relevant for them to intervene. In one instance, Bill Bailey, a soldier in the Spanish Civil War writes to his mom saying he has come to fight, “to help these poor people…[so] one day it would be easier for [her] and the mothers of the future” (Bailey, 1937). Involving foreign countries causes more chaos and casualties than necessary. The only reason the Soviet Union and Mexico are more justified is because they are fighting for a cause that directly impacts them. In addition to this, the rebels wanted to institute a dictatorship that would, “justif[y] Franco…on the extreme right for the use of troops against Spanish civilians as if they were a foreign enemy” (Preston, 1936). A dictatorship is cruel and deprives people of freedom, and under such rule, there would be censorship and indoctrination. Therefore, the Republican supporting countries are more justified with stepping in to prevent dictatorship in Spain.

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Franco's actions in the Spanish Civil War were unjustified and displayed nothing but unnecessary and excessive force on his own people. One example of this excessive force was in the small town of Guernica had "been reduced to ruins by rebel planes of German make...killing hundreds of the 10,000 inhabitants"(Manchester Guardian). Franco's decision to bombard the town of Guernica was not because of the town's aggression towards his offensive, but as a pure threat, a message to the entire opposition of what he is capable of with the help of his allies. The town did have some anti-rebel feelings among the citizens, but nothing that would justify the cruel destruction hailed upon them , the poor helpless citizens of this small town, many of which took neither side of the war. Franco was ruthless on his warpath and he and his forces "left a trail of slaughter as they conquered towns and villages along their route from Sevilla to the capital"(Preston). Franco is once again, destroying the country and leaving towns and villages in ruin, the same towns and villages that he is fighting to protect and restore once he is done with the war. Franco's actions do not reflect his persona as the fascist benefactor that had come to save Spain and bring it back from to its once glorious state, now unattainable due to his destruction of the entire country. Franco was unjustified in his rise to power because he caused more damage than he could ever mend and his methods of war against his own people were excessive and cruel.

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During the Spanish Civil War, the Republicans were more justified than the Nationalists because they were merely defending their power. In Bill Bailey's letter to his mother explaining why he was fighting in the Spanish civil war, Bailey explains that "in Spain, there are thousand of mothers like yourself who never had a fair shake in life. They got together and elected a government that really gave meaning to their life." (Bailey 1937) When King Alfonso XIII left his throne in 1931, the Spanish population were given the opportunity to vote for a new government. Because the majority of the Spanish voted Republicans into office, the Republicans had the rightful power to rule. Additionally, In Bill Bailey's letter, he also explains that "a bunch of bullies decided to crush this wonderful thing... The Hitlers and Mussolinis of this world are killing Spanish people who don't know the difference between Communism and rheumatism" (Bailey 1937) By bullies, Bailey is referring to the Nationalists, who by using violence and committing atrocities on innocent, oblivious people, were trying to over through this newly elected government. As the elected and righteous ruler of Spain, the Republicans naturally had the right to defend themselves against threats posed by any group. Therefore, the Republicans were the more justified group during the Spanish Revolution.

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The nations who supported the Nationalists were more justified in their support than those who supported the Republicans because the latter had negative political motives for Spain and plans to strip the country of its rich culture. In The Spanish Holocaust, Paul Preston outlines Franco’s approach to the Spanish Civil War and includes how the Nationalist army believed that the Socialists, “with technical instructions from the Communists, thought they were going to be able to install a dictatorship” (Preston 82). Franco’s belief portrayed the Republicans as evil Communists that countries such as Italy, Germany, and Portugal needed to stop. By supporting the Nationalists, these countries would be preventing the installation of a communist dictatorship that would harm the country and negatively affect daily life for citizens. Later in the war, Spaniards had a deep fear of “untrammeled violence allegedly masterminded by Moscow, with a view to destroying Spain and its Catholic traditions” (Preston 519). Religion was a very important aspect of Spanish life and since the Republicans (backed by Russia) were threatening it, other countries felt the need to step in and save Spanish culture and innocent Catholics. Since Communists oppose religion, having the Republicans take over would mean losing the strong Catholic faith Spain had had for hundreds of years. Countries that supported the Nationalists were merely trying to help keep the ‘reds’ from destroying Spanish nationalism and unity while the Republicans and their supporters were trying to destroy it.

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The tactics and strategies used by Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War were completely unreasonable and unjustifiable. In John Simkin's overview of the civil war, he explains how "nothing was done to help rescue Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera from captivity. However, when Jose Antonio was shot by republicans in November 1936, Franco exploited his death by making him a mythological saint of the fascist movement"(Simkin, 2014). As chief of state, Franco's first step was to eliminate all of his enemies for the leadership of the Nationalist party; many were sent into exile. In this special case, Franco couldn't care less about Jose Antonio's imprisonment. However, when Antonio was killed by the Republicans, Franco used him to gain public adoration. Franco displayed posters of himself and Antonio to manipulate people into thinking he desires the best interest for his fellow nationalists. Manchester Guardian, a newspaper for UK news, shows an excerpt of a man who visited the remains of Guernica after the German bombardment and informed that h was shown a "bomb shelter in which over fifty women and children were trapped and burned alive"(Manchester Guardian, 1937). The Germans used the people of Guernica like experimental rats to see what it takes to destroy a city. The defenseless city was threatened to surrender or else they would experience severe consequences. Franco used terror and brutality to establish his dictatorship. Evidently, Franco's tactics and tools used in the Spanish Civil War were uterrly unreasonable.

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Natalya Oveysi

Mr. Cook

HH9

June 8th, 2015

Between 1936 and 1939, the Spanish Civil war was taking place and the Republican party was more justified than the Nationalists because the Nationalists had committed horrific atrocities. A soldier who fought in the Spanish Civil war in 1937, named Bill Bailey wrote a letter to his mother explaining, “The Hitlers and Mussolinis of this world are killing Spanish people who don’t know the difference between Communism and rheumatism. And it’s not to set up some Communist government either. The only thing the Communists did here was show the people how to fight and try to win that is rightfully theirs” (Bailey). In his letter, Bailey describes how the Nationalists are killing innocent civilians while the Republican party is trying to emancipate them. In The Spanish Holocaust written by Paul Preston, he writes “ The atrocities were committed by the rebels and their Falangist and Carlist allies were encouraged as part of the prior plan of extermination and also by the way of sealing a covenant of blood among the perpetrators (Preston 519-520).  The Nationalists that was lead by Francisco Franco were anti-communist and their ideals were brutal and consisted of several violent actions, leading to the fact that the Nationalists were the more justified party during the Spanish Civil War.

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During the Spanish Civil War, Franco used unnecessary and unjustifiable brutality as tools and tactics for getting compliance of the people. When Guernica resisted against Franco's rule, German planes were sent to bomb the town and those that survived were "systematically pursued and machine-gunned from the air by swooping fighters (Manchester Guardian 1937). These people had not violently protested against Franco, yet the whole town was murdered due to being affiliated with resisters. It was completely unnecessary and horrific that Franco helped to murder an entire town, and he used this event to demonstrate his power and authority over the people. During the aftermath of the Guernica bombing, the gentry of Falange ordered a man to lie down in a coffin and "fired on him and without seeing if he had been killed, ordered the grave digger to fill in the grave" (Sender). This shows the cruelty of officials towards helpless and innocent peasants that had just lost many of their family members during the bombing. This is completely unjustified, as the peasants had done nothing wrong but,were still being killed. The unjustifiable and horrific tactics of Franco and his supporters led to the deaths of thousands of innocent people.

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Nations supporting Franco's Nationalists were more justified in their aid than those who supported the Republicans because it was not intended to have a major impact and was a result of excessive support for the Republicans. Wilhelm von Thoma, commander of German ground troops in Spain, states that his troops "were used to train Franco's tank force and to get battle experience themselves" (Thoma). The Germans did not intend to have a major impact on the Spanish civil war. Their support was merely a way to educate the Nationalists and give German troops some battle experience. At one point in the war, Wilhelm von Thoma argued that "Russian tanks began to arrive on the other side even quicker... and I offered a reward of 500 pesetas for every one that was captured, as I was only too glad to convert them to my own use" (Thoma). Foreign support for the Nationalists, specifically from the Germans, was a result of unfair Republican aid from Russia. Part of the Nationalist aid was just Nationalists hijacking Russian tanks that were originally sent for the Republicans. Foreign aid to Nationalists is justified by its intentions and Russian influence.

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During the Spanish Civil War that raged in the 1930s, the countries that aided the Republicans were more justified in their support than those that assisted the Nationalists because they were fighting to preserve a republic that had been trying to represent its people’s opinions. In explaining his reasoning behind supporting the Nationalists, Bill Bailey wrote back to his mother that “thousands of mothers like yourself who never had a fair shake in life...got together and elected a government that really gave meaning to their life” and that this uprising was just “a bunch of bullies” that wanted “to crush this wonderful thing” (Bailey 1937). Starting in 1931, Spain had been under a republic, a government that was elected by its people, after overthrowing a militarily based ruler; by putting the Nationalists back on the throne and allowing facism to rise, it was all just going to go full circle, taking away the meaning that a republic had been able to give the Spanish people. Countries that supported the Republicans housed supporters like Bailey that thought for the individual freedom and rights of the citizen, something that fascism went against and would have prevented, were it allowed to spread. Furthermore, even though Franco’s fascism was only on the rise, according to British commander Bill Alexander, it had already cause “growing alienation” because it strived for “a society that failed miserably to meet the needs of so many people and because of...the burning of books in Nazi Germany, the persecution of individuals, the glorification of war and the whole philosophy” itself (Alexander 1996). It is more that unlikely that dictators and totalitarian leaders would support the representation of the common man, and such is the case in the Spanish Civil War, for it would not have been outrageous to assume at the time that Francisco Franco would become Spain’s dictator. To support the rise of fascism, a philosophy that emphasizes some form of dictatorship, in a society where many thought it correct to encourage the representation and individual rights of the people is unjustifiable, because it ruins the root thought process of society that the government should be there for the people. Overall, the moral cause that supporters of the Republicans were fighting for in addition to the immoral society that countries aiding the Nationalists fought for made the former more justified than the latter.

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Throughout the Spanish Civil War, two main parties rose to

power after the downfall of King Alfonso XIII and his abdication to the

throne. The two parties were the Republicans and the Nationalists.

Republicans were strongly radical and took a stance on the democratic nature of

government. Nationalists, however, were supportive of much more conservative

measures and desired ideas of singular authoritarian rule. Republicans lied on

the side to protect the rights of the people and they were on the right

throughout the Spanish Civil War. The takeover by the nationalists proved to

threaten the very society in Spain as leaders of the party, like Francisco

Franco, manipulated the people and rallied the people with speeches that

persuade people into stepping into their own imprisonment, seeing this, an

American activist, Bill Bailey wrote that the Spanish had once “got together

and elected a government that really gave meaning to their life. But a bunch of

bullies decided to crush this wonderful thing” (Bailey 1937). The world around

Spain would recognize the downfall of a blind Spain to the hands of corruption and

would try to guide their way. However, the manipulation of society would

continue to convince the Spanish peoples’ ideas to be persuaded towards

nationalism and authoritarian methods of rule. This manipulation would prove to

be the march towards the extermination of all enemies to fascism and would lead to

the Spanish Holocaust with targets that “were not just personnel identified

with the revolt but also the wealthy, the bankers, the industrialists and the

landowners who were regarded as the instruments of oppression” (Preston,

Prologue xiv). This processed elimination of all enemies established dominant

rule upon the nationalists and showed their ruthless rise for corrupt power.

The very image of corruption is shown as, once the nationalists gain it, it

turns into a slow extermination of all opposition, showing their inability to

rule with a just hand. The suppressed republicans are forced into hiding and

what was once a direction toward democracy and equality turns for the worse

with a step towards monarchy and its absolute rule.

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Based on the context of the Spanish Civil War, Franco and his Military’s tools and tactics were justifiable. Franco had impressed the generals involved in the military uprising that they had “came to conclusion that Francisco Franco should become commander of the Nationalist Army. He was also appointed the chief of state” (Simkin 2014).  Franco had not seized power; he had been given it due to his actions. This supports how Franco and his military’s tools and tactics were justifiable because he had earned his power by the people of Spain, so he was doing it for the citizens not himself. After being appointed these new positions, “Franco forced the unification of the Falange Española and the Carlists with other small right-wing parties to form the Falange (fascist party)” (Simkin). The generals who had gave Franco power wanted Franco to unite Spain and make changes which is why he forced the unification of two parties, so that Spain can be one instead of divided. Franco was justified for this forced unification because he was doing it for the greater good and for the unification of Spain as a whole. Although Francos tools and tactics seemed extreme, Ultimately they were justifiable because they were for the greater good.

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The nations that supported the Nationalists and their movement were more justified than those who supported the Republican movement because they trained Franco's troops to fight for themselves to stop a Communist regime. When Soviet help arrived in the form of large, new tanks, the German government had to help Franco and his men from utter destruction. The German commander Wilhelm von Thoma describes his experiences in Spain when he explains, "I was soon able to train a large number of Spanish tank-crews. I found the Spanish quick to learn though also quick to forget" (Thoma 1948). Thoma describes that the Germans were there to train the Spanish to fight for themselves and give them the tools they need to further complete their political actions. The Soviets did similar things to the Republican faction, however most other countries saw their help as a way to install a communist government. This idea was used by many as a justification to support Franco's ideas and the help he received from other fascist leaders. In Paul Preston's book The Spanish Holocaust , he describes the thoughts of many European people as he writes, "the workers' uprsising had been carefully prepared by the agents of Moscow and that the Socialists, with technical instructions from the Communists , thought they were going to be able to install a dictatorship" (Preston 82). Ending the Soviet help would be to the benefit of most Europeans at the time. The spread of Communism to them was a far worse threat than that of Fascism. This idea would allow Franco to commit violent actions against the public with the help of German and Italian military instructors.

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During the Spanish Civil War, Franco and his military used unnecessary
and unjustifiable tools and tactics. In Manchester Guardian,it goes over when the rebels bombed the city of Guernica leaving the town, “in ruins. The buildings left standing can be counted almost on the fingers of one hand.” Franco’s military knowing destroyed Guernica with no reason except for Germany to test their modern air force and weapons. The rebels killed the defenseless civilians only to send a message to the government that they mean business. The document The Spanish Holocaust by Paul Preston highlights how, “Franco himself lead twelve Legionaries on the raid from which they return carrying as trophies the bloody head of twelve tribesman. In the case of military rebels, a programme of terror and extermination was central to their planning and preparations” (Preston). For Franco, not only was raiding a defenseless tribe not enough for him, he had taken back the decapitated heads of his victims as a trophy of his violence. Franco used cruel tactics such as fear to drive the actions of his enemies and to eventually win the war. Clearly, Franco and his military used unjustifiable tools and tactics in the Spanish Civil War.

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During the Spanish Civil War, the nations who supported the Republicans were more justified in their support than those nations who supported the Nationalists. Although Britain did not actually declare her support for the Republicans, in Memorials of the Spanish Civil War, Bill Alexander expresses the many imperative reasons as to why thousands of British would volunteer to side with the Republicans: “They went because of their growing alienation from a society that had failed miserably to meet the needs of so many people and because of their deep repugnance at the burning of books in Nazi Germany, the persecution of individuals, the glorification of war and the whole philosophy of fascism” (Alexander 1996). After witnessing or enduring the anguish caused by a government who had forsaken its people, British men came to fight for a government that offered order and stability in civilian life. Not only this, but also they fought for an individual’s freedom and liberty, which completely clashed with the ideals of fascism. In addition, Bill Bailey wrote to his mother justifying why he decided to fight in the Spanish Civil War, explaining that he wanted to help "poor people win this battle, [so that] one day it would be easier for you and the mothers of the future” (Bailey 1937). Bailey, along with other Americans who had volunteered to side with the Republicans, was fighting for the poor, whose lives would become meaningless under a fascist government that made allies among the wealthy and lower middle class. They were fighting for equality and the principles of communism, for the impartial distribution of power amongst all the people. International supporters, as well as the nations fighting for the Republicans, were absolutely more justified as they fought in the best interest of the people.

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CLAIM B

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Based on the context of the Spanish Civil War, Franco and his military's tools and tactics were justifiable. Once Franco had gained power from the King Alfonso XIII, he began to paralyze "the civilian enemy by terror" (Preston 82-83). When a new government, like Franco's, forms, it is important to get rid of any small armies forming beneath the new governement to help the new government stay stable. Franco had to put an end to the civilians that rebelled against his rule so that he could help Spain to become a better and wealtheir country. Additionally, he had "announced what Madrid could expect if surrender was not immediate" (Preston Prologue xiv). Even though Franco had warned the towns and villages of what was to come if they did not compy, they continued to rebel. Therefore, it was not immoral for Franco to use his tools and tactics, though harsh, since the civilians were informed of what they were getting into beforehand. Franco was justified for using his tools and tactics during the Spanish Civil War since he believed he was doing it for the betterment of the country.

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During the Spanish Civil War, Soviet Union and Mexico, the nations that sided and supported the Republicans were more justified than the nations that supported the Nationalists. In a letter of a soldier, Bill Bailey, who fought with the Republicans, he explains to his mother why he decided to join the Spanish Civil War and wrote that “the Hilters and Mussolinis of this world are killing Spanish people who don’t know the difference between Communism and rheumatism” (Bailey). All that Mexico and the Soviet Union were trying to do was to help protect people that were being stripped of what was rightfully theirs, justifying their support. Those nations got together to keep the Spanish people from going back under an abusive hand, to save their chance to have a voice in government, and give meaning to their lives. Not only that but in Paul Preston’s The Spanish Holocaust, he explains that the Nationalists asserted “that Spain had to be saved from the ‘Jewish-Bolshevik-Masonic conspiracy’” (Preston 519). With that, the Nationalists falsely accused and put responsibility on the Jewish-Bolshevik Masonic conspiracy for the exaggerated collapse of the country’s law and order in order to justify themselves of their military coup against the democratically chosen government and their violence and slaughter they planned to have happen. The support of the nations on the Nationalists’ side meant that they supported these cruel actions and therefore, made Soviet Union and Mexico justified as they fought against the Nationalists.

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Franco’s tools and tactics could be seen as justifiable, especially considering the era and influence from countries. In The Spanish Holocaust, Preston states that,”Because of the numerical superiority of the urban and rural working class, they believed that the immediate imposition of a reign of terror was crucial.” (Preston 14). This view suggests that dictators were required to show their control by taking harsh measures. Though they may have taken extreme measures, it is justifiable that some action of control had to be taken especially as there was a “numerical superiority”. So, while there were more people in the lower classes, there was more power for the smaller upper class. In addition, it was not only Franco that committed brutal acts as, “it had been calculated that the Nationalist Army executed 75,000 people in the war…the Republican Army accounted for 55,000. These deaths takes into account the murders of members of rival political groups,” (Simkin 2014). Though this doesn’t completely justify Franco’s actions, the Republican Army was also responsible for a number of deaths and their actions aren’t justified either. Both sides suffered heavy losses, and many civilians were killed in this process as well, but not all could have been avoided considering the alternate (which would be to let the opposing side of communists turn Spain into a Stalinist like country).

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Franco and his military’s use of police terror was justifiable considering the context of the Spanish Civil War. In John Simkin’s An Overview of the Spanish Civil War he highlights the importance of Franco propaganda with the slogan, “‘One State! One Country! One Chief! Franco!’” (Simkin). Propaganda was used to glorify Franco because the nationalists believed he would save Spain’s economy and be a good leader, and were trying to spread their message to their opponents and the middle class. When they realized that propaganda would not persuade others into joining the nationalist side, they were forced to use police terror to make their wish of a fascist government come true. To ensure his dictatorship, he planned on using “post-war machinery of trials, execution, prisoners and concentration camps” on those who challenged his authority (Preston xvii) Franco believed that he could turn Spain into a prosperous and wealthy country as their leader. He was not able to do so without conflicting with the liberal’s ideals and goals, so he decided to get rid of anyone who opposed him in any way being dangerous or cruel because he sought for a better Spain. In conclusion, Franco and his military forces fought for the betterment of Spain in the Spanish Civil War.

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During the Spanish Civil War, the nations who supported the Nationalists; Germany, Italy, and Portugal, were more justified in their support than those nations who supported the Republicans; Soviet Union, and Mexico. The nationalists thought the Republicans were given, “technical instructions from the Communists...they were going to be able to install a dictatorship”(Paul 82). This means that the nationalist were more justified because they were stopping a Communist dictatorship from taking over. This would benefit the Spanish people greatly, as they would not be crushed under a Communist regime. Also, when Wilhelm von Thomas was in command of the German troops helping the Nationalists, he saw how, “they[German troops] were used to train Franco’s tank force and to get battle experience themselves.” (Thoma 1948). This shows how the nations helping the Nationalists were helping because they wanted to help the Spanish people, as seen in the quote when they trained the actual Spanish troops. The nations helping the Republicans were less justified because they were only fighting for their own benefit in the disorder in Spain.

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-Mock Trial

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The nations who supported the Nationalists, which were the Germans and Italians, were more justified in their support than those nations who supported the Republicans, which were the Soviets and Mexicans, because of the Soviet communists' selfish intent for being involved and also because the German and Italian nations desired to train Franco's troops. Paul Preston, explained the Communists reason for involvement in the Spanish Civil War, in his book The Spanish Holocaust, by recalling that the Socialists, " ' with technical instructions from the Communists, thought they were going to be able to install a dictatorship,' "(Preston 82). Preston displays the real reason for Soviet intervention in Spain, which justifies Germany and Italy's retaliation and protection of Franco's troops and movement. The Germans and Italians were also justified as Wilhelm von Thoma recalls his experience as a commander of the German ground troops: "Their [the Germans] numbers were greatly exaggerated in the newspaper reports...They were used to train Franco's tank force and to get battle experience themselves" (Thoma 1948). Not only were the Germans and Italians involved for some battle experience, they also wanted to support the Spaniards by training them and giving them skills to defend their cause and country. This justifies the nations that supported the Nationalists as they looked after the well being of Spain altogether, unlike the Communists that only sought after installing a dictatorial government.

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Simran Bajaj's Answer to Question B

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Claim F:      The tools and tactics used by Franco and his
military were NOT justifiable considering the context of the Spanish Civil War.
(First, include your groups names, then write your sentences that support your claim.)

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Claim F:      The tools and tactics used by Franco and his
military were NOT justifiable considering the context of the Spanish Civil War.
(First, include your groups names, then write your sentences that support your claim.)

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Claim E:.     
The tools and tactics used by Franco and his
military were justifiable considering the context of the Spanish Civil War.
(First, include your groups names, then write your sentences that support your claim.)

# data[].attributes.subject
Claim E:.     
The tools and tactics used by Franco and his
military were justifiable considering the context of the Spanish Civil War.
(First, include your groups names, then write your sentences that support your claim.)

# data[].attributes.headline
Claim D:      The nations who supported the Republicans were
more justified in their support than those nations who supported the Nationalists.
(First, include your groups names, then write your sentences that support your claim.)

# data[].attributes.subject
Claim D:      The nations who supported the Republicans were
more justified in their support than those nations who supported the Nationalists.
(First, include your groups names, then write your sentences that support your claim.)

# data[].attributes.headline
Claim C:      The nations who supported the Nationalists were
more justified in their support than those nations who supported the
Republicans.
(First, include your groups names, then write your sentences that support your claim.)

# data[].attributes.subject
Claim C:      The nations who supported the Nationalists were
more justified in their support than those nations who supported the
Republicans.
(First, include your groups names, then write your sentences that support your claim.)

# data[].attributes.headline
Claim B.     
The Republicans were the more justified side
during the Spanish Civil War.
(First, include your groups names, then write your sentences that support your claim.)

# data[].attributes.subject
Claim B.     
The Republicans were the more justified side
during the Spanish Civil War.
(First, include your groups names, then write your sentences that support your claim.)

# data[].attributes.headline
Claim A.     
The Nationalists were the more justified side
during the Spanish Civil War.
(First, include your groups names, then write your sentences that support your claim.)

# data[].attributes.subject
Claim A.     
The Nationalists were the more justified side
during the Spanish Civil War.
(First, include your groups names, then write your sentences that support your claim.)