The Curtain Rises on the Civil War

Abstract

The principal instigators of the revolt in Spain were the army generals — Cabanellas, Queipo de Llano, Mola, Sanjurjo, Goded, Yague, Fanjul and lastly, Franco. There is evidence to prove that these Spanish generals met together to discuss a military coup as early as January, 1936 even before the Popular Front Government had been elected²). Goded’s son writes that his father was already plotting with Fanjul against the first Republican Government in August, 1932³).

“The second Great War of the twentieth century began in July, 1936 following the encouragement and experience which had been gained by Japan in Manchuria and Italy in Abyssinia in defying the League and developing the new technique of camouflaged war. The direct assistance which Italy gave with aircraft and which Germany gave with warships, in transporting Franco’s troops across from Africa to Spain, were the first operations of the present war¹).”