Research Question: To what extent was the Spanish Civil War caused by the long-term social

divisions within Spanish society?

Long-term social divisions within Spanish society were arguably a fundamental root of the
Spanish Civil War (1936–39) fought between the republicans and the nationalists, however they
were not the sole reason behind it. Instead, the key causes can be found in the failed attempts to
improve these conditions, in particular through politics, which were what ultimately propelled the
nation into civil war. The political power imbalance due to religious divisions, the glaring gap
between wealth and poverty, and lastly, the separatist movements coming from the Basques and
Catalans.

The Catholic Church presented an example of religious divisions, but their significance lies
in their role as a strong political power and ties to the Spanish aristocracy. However, since the
church was a symbol of wealth and predominantly aristocratic, this only drew a deep dislike from
the republicans, dividing the left and right-wing to a greater extent. The nationalists (the Church)
intensely hostile attitude towards left-wing ideologies and towards Azaña’s social and political
reforms also caused problems in the short-term, wherein the government, produced differing social
policies because of the opposing parties. Their attempt to undo these reforms of the Second
Republic when CEDA came to power in 1933, such as the separation of church and state, only
created a chaotic and inefficient government, unable to relieve the tensions caused by ideological
differences. This proves the historian, Paul Preston’s perspective that the right-wing was never
going to give the Second Republic regime a chance. On the other hand, one might argue that the
republicans’ problems were made worse just from being badly misrepresented or close to none
representation in the legislative branch of government. Nevertheless, the republicans were
impelled to get the job done through more aggressive means debatably as a result of the failure of
the political system, escalating the antagonism between the two sides and raising the likeliness of
a civil war.
 The stark polarization of wealth in rural areas of Spain, a result of the massively unpopular
latifundia system, was a source of dissatisfaction for the republicans and was the reason behind
the rise in anarchism and socialism, as well as the birth of unions like UGT and CNT. In the case
of the urban areas, the source was the poor working conditions of workers. Though the strikes they
led were largely unsuccessful due to a lack of real political power, it was significant in that it
created a further division between them and the nationalists. It was also a problem for the central
government in the short-term since the clashing interests of the national and republican parties
resulted in differences in economic policies which only led to failure to come up with a sustainable
agrarian reform, as is the case with Azaña’s Agrarian Law Reform in 1932. For this reason, along
with the republicans’ inherent lack of political power, violent uprisings like in the Asturias of
October 1934 – or the failed ‘October Revolution’ – appealed to them as the only way to provoke
change. As Paul Preston, historian, said, political system was stagnant, and this forced the
population into apathy or violent opposition. Hence, the failure to bring about change or an
improvement to the working class’ living conditions yielded to a divided and tense society,
increasing the chances of conflict and war.

The deep-seated cultural differences between the Basques, Catalans and Castilians
demonstrates the serious regional divisions within Spanish society, further presenting a fragmented
society. Their desire to officially separate from Spain fueled many movements, which was a grave
problem for the nationalists because it meant a loss of power and privilege, particularly since those
regions were thriving areas of industry. Similar to the socio-economic reforms previously
mentioned, laws passed in relation to the decentralization of those regions were rapidly reversed
when CEDA took over the short-lived Second Republic as the leading government party in 1933,
creating even more disorder in the nation and worsening the tensions between left and right. As
said by historian Frances Lennon, Spain had major regional problems exploited or ignored but
always exacerbated by unrepresentative and oligarchic politicians. Once more, the government
had failed to alleviate the tensions between the left and right, in this case between the separatists
and the conservatives, to the point where the hostility only grew more than ever before.
 The constant grapple for power between the left and right-wing governments left Spain a
fragmented nation, unable to solve any of their problems due to a distinct contrast in ideologies.
The unimproved or even worsened conditions of the republicans made them seek change through
increasingly aggressive tactics, up until it ended up in a civil war between the two sides. Although,
the failed reforms spawned during the Second Republic had ensured that Spain’s underlying
conflicts of socio-economic division were transmitted into national politics, as believed by Preston.
Therefore, the arguably intense social divisions within Spanish society, had its role in various
government reforms though the failure of these reforms were what ultimately led to conflict and
finally, civil war.