Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War began on July 17th 1936 when fighting broke out between those loyal to the newly-established Popular Front government and those who wanted a conservative, militaristic system. The Popular Front, a coalition of Liberals, Socialists, and Communists, came to power earlier in the year with only a small majority, leading to further instability in a country already wracked by unrest, strikes and violence.

The conflict attracted large numbers of non-Spanish citizens, who fought in the International Brigades in support of the government. Many of the around 30,000 foreign nationals fighting in the brigades were communists or trade unionists, almost all fighting as volunteers. Generalisimo Francisco Franco, who led the forces against the government, was given large amounts of financial and military aid by Italy and Germany. He finally declared victory in a radio speech aired on April 1, 1939.