On the morning of July 18, 1936, the Western World awoke to a new and threatening development in European affairs. A cabal of generals in Spain had rebelled against the legitimate and democratically elected Republican government. While the conflict had its own unique Spanish causes, this was not just another military uprising. The Spanish Civil War served as the opening act of World War II. The Spanish insurgents received immediate military aid from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Soviet Russia supported The Republic, but the democratic countries of Europe and the United States opted for neutrality, denying military aid to either side. Spanish society disintegrated, and thousands were killed. The world was transfixed; the Civil War was the focal point of the mid-1930s, and ordinary people in all walks of life took sides in the highly charged emotional atmosphere.

Though the conflict ended some 60 years ago, its violent events still resonate in Spain. Brief biographies of major figures ranging from La Pasionara to Franco are included, as well as primary documents in translation, a timeline, a glossary, maps, and photos. For students, researchers, and general readers, this is the ideal place to begin investigating this exceedingly complex, fascinating, and ultimately tragic period in 20th century history.