SpanishCivilWar:

TheSpanishcivilwarbeganonJuly181936whenasarevolttotherightwingSpanish
militaryofficersinSpanishmoroccowhichspreadtomainlandSpain.5yearsprevious
SpanishkingAlfonsoXIIIauthorizedelectionstodecidethegovernmentofSpain,and
voterscloselyabolishedmonarchysotheycouldhavealiberalrepublicAlfonsowent
intoexile,andtheSecondRepublic,initiallydominatedbymiddleclassliberalsand
moderatesocialists,wasproclaimed.DuringthefirsttwoyearsoftheRepublic,
organizedlaborandleftistradicalsforcedwidespreadliberalreforms,andthe
independencemindedregionofCataloniaandtheBasqueprovincesachievedvirtual
autonomy.FearingtheliberalswouldgiveintoaMarxrevolutioncitizensandarmy
officersseizedweaponsandweremakingaplanofrevoltagainstthem.ThenonJuly
17ththeplanofrevoltwasdiscoveredintheMoroccantownofMelillaitforcedtherebels
intoprematureactiononJuly18,SpanishgarrisonsroseupinrevoltallacrossSpain.
Workersandpeasantsfoughttheuprising,butinmanycitiestheRepublican
governmentdeniedthemweapons,andtheNationalistssoongainedcontrol.In
conservativeregions,suchasOldCastileandNavarre,theNationalistsseizedcontrol
withlittlebloodshed,butinotherregions,suchasthefiercelyindependentcityofBilbao,
theydidn'tdareleavetheirgarrisons.TheNationalistrevoltintheSpanishnavylargely
failed,andwarshipsrunbycommitteesofsailorswereinstrumentalinsecuringa
numberofcoastalcitiesfortheRepublic.Nevertheless,Francomanagedtoferryhis
ArmyofAfricaoverfromMorocco,andduringthenextfewmonthsNationalistforces
rapidlyoverranmuchoftheRepublicancontrolledareasincentralandnorthernSpain.
MadridwasputundersiegeinNovember.InJune1938,theNationalistsdrovetothe
MediterraneanSeaandcutRepublicanterritoryintwo.Laterintheyear,Franco
mountedamajoroffensiveagainstCatalonia.InJanuary1939,itscapital,Barcelona,
wascaptured,andsoonafter,therestofCataloniafell.WiththeRepublicancauseall
butlost,itsleadersattemptedtonegotiateapeace,butFrancorefused.OnMarch28,
1939,theRepublicansfinallysurrenderedMadrid,bringingtheSpanishCivilWartoan
end.Uptoamillionliveswerelostintheconflict,themostdevastatinginSpanish
history.FrancosubsequentlyservedasdictatorofSpainuntilhisdeathin1975.


Lorca:

LorcawasborninGranada,SpainonJune5th1898.HewenttoschoolatSacred
HeartUniversityandhestudiedlaw,literature,andcomposition.Hebecamevery
interestedintheaterandliteratureinhisearlieryears.Hedidnotbeginhiscareeruntil
hispianoteacherdiedin1916andthenhestartedmakingmusicals.Whenhewasin
NorthernSpainwithhisprofessorwhoalsohadconvincedhimtowritehisfirstbook.
From19191920hewroteanddirectedhisfirstplayElmaleficiodelamariposa(The
Butterfly'sEvilSpell).Hisfirstbookofpoemswaspublishedin1921andpublished
manypoetrycollectionsthroughouthislife.Lorcawasabrilliantandtalentedplaywright
poet.

Spain1930s:Atthestartofthe20thcenturyspainwasruledbyamonarchyandthe
catholicchurchalsoplayedahugerolealongwiththearistocraticofficercorps.In1929
whentheGreatDepressionhappenedspainfellintoaneconomiccrisisandayearlater
PrimoDeRiverawasforcedtoresignandKingAlfonsoXIIIcalledforademocratic
electionwhichstartedin1931.