The Spanish Civil War (Spanish: Guerra Civil Espa?

ola)[nb 1] took place from 1936

to 1939. Republicans loyal to the left-leaning Second Spanish Republic, in alliance
with the Anarchists and Communists, fought against the Nationalists, a Falangist,
Carlist, Catholic, and largely aristocratic group led by General Francisco Franco.
The war has often been portrayed as a struggle between democracy and fascism,
particularly due to the political climate and timing surrounding it. In early 1939,
the Nationalists achieved victory, and ruled Spain until Franco's death in November
1975.

The war began after a pronunciamiento (a declaration of military opposition)

against the Republican government by a group of generals of the Spanish Republican
Armed Forces, originally under the leadership of Jos� Sanjurjo. The government at
the time was a moderate, liberal coalition of Republicans, supported in the Cortes
by communist and socialist parties, under the leadership of centre-left President
Manuel Aza?a.[12][13] The Nationalist group was supported by a number of
conservative groups, including the Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Right-wing
Groups (Confederaci?n Espa?ola de Derechas Aut?nomas, or CEDA), monarchists such as
the religious conservative (Roman Catholic) Carlists, and the Falange Espa?ola de
las Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional Sindicalista (FE y de las JONS), a fascist
political party.[nb 2][14] Sanjurjo was killed in an aircraft accident while
attempting to return from exile in Portugal, whereupon Franco emerged as the leader
of the Nationalists.