Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) pitted the fascist forces of General Francisco Franco against the Spanish Republic. While the battle settled the fate of Spain for decades, it also marked the beginning of conflict between fascists, communists, and the rest of Europe. With the Nazis in Germany supporting Franco and Josef Stalin's USSR, providing assistance to the Spanish government, this domestic conflict came to be seen as having major international implications. It attracted fighters from the United States and became the subject of major works by leading authors, such as George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway.