Spain commemorates 90th anniversary of the 1936 Civil War

On 18 July 1936, General Francisco Franco and fellow officers launched a military coup against the democratically elected Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic, sparking the Spanish Civil War. In Catalonia, the revolt was met with a rapid, armed response from workers, trade unions and militia groups such as the CNT‑FAI, POUM and Estat Català, leading to several days of street fighting and the establishment of revolutionary workers’ committees.

The conflict drew international involvement: Italy and Germany supplied Franco’s forces, while the Soviet Union backed the Republic and volunteers from more than 50 countries formed the International Brigades. British writer George Orwell arrived in December 1936, was rejected by the International Brigades, and instead fought with the POUM militia, an experience that shifted his political outlook and later inspired his anti‑totalitarian works.

Ninety years later, Spanish media and commentators reflect on the war’s legacy, the depth of its social upheaval, and ongoing debates over historical memory and reconciliation in Spain.