List of battles in the Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil War was fought between July 17, 1936, and April 1, 1939, between the Second Spanish Republic and the Nationalist Rebels. Republicans tended to align with left-leaning political beliefs, and their faction consisted of Republicans, anarchist, communist, socialist, and separatist groups. The President of the Second Spanish Republic was the politician Manuel Azaña. In contrast, the Nationalist faction consisted of more right-leaning groups such as monarchists, traditionalists, conservatives, and Falangists. Their faction was led by a military junta, which came to be under the control of General Francisco Franco. The war began on July 17, 1936, with an attempted coup organized by generals in the Spanish Republican Armed Forces. The rebellion failed to overthrow the government quickly, however, the rebels gained control over large sections of the country. Their power bases were centered in the west and south of the country. The Republican government still maintained control over important cities such as Madrid. By 1937, the rebels had captured much of Spain's coastline and had laid siege to Madrid. They also conquered the remaining areas in the north. This sector of the war is known as the War in the North. Throughout 1938 the rebels marched to the east of the country, capturing Aragon and Catalonia. This cut off the Republican government from their primary source of supplies in Catalonia. By this point in the war, the Republicans had lost hundreds of thousands of men, and their morale was wavering. Colonel Segismundo Casado staged a coup against the government and hoped to take control and negotiate peace with the Nationalists. However, Franco rejected all offers. Franco had conquered Madrid on April 1, 1939, declaring victory. Afterward, Franco punished those who had associated with the Republican faction in a series of purges and executions known as the White Terror.