Introduction

The Spanish Civil War is viewed as one of the forces behind the start of World War II. The war was fought entirely in Spain in 1936-1939 between forces that wanted to maintain the Spanish Republic and those that wanted Spain returned to a more traditional society. In the end, over 500,000 people were killed in this war, and the result of the war was a dictatorship in Spain that lasted into the 1970s. This WebQuest will introduce you to the reasons for the war, the forces of the war, the leader most associated with the war, and the reaction to the war in the United States.


Objective: Navigate through the various sections of website information on the Spanish Civil War, answering the questions in each section. Each section of the site (such as “Causes of the War”) will be completed in-class at the computer lab, and we will attempt to finish each section in a one hour period.

After these in-class assignments are done, you will devise a timeline and a report described at the end of the site. These assignments will be done out of class and are due two weeks after the in-class activities are finished.

The required report and websites featured are in English. However, some of the sites feature Spanish language areas which can be beneficial.

(For copyright purposes, all photos are linked to their original source.)



Causes of the War

The Spanish Civil War causes section. From the UK history site “History Home” and written by Stephen Tonge, professor of history in the UK.

Spanish Civil War Exhibition. A large history of the causes of the war and the art of the war, presented by the Imperial War Museum.

The Spanish Civil War- An Overview. A basic overview of the war as told on the University of Illinois English department site.

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/causes_spanish_civil_war.htm. A very basic coverage of the causes of the war and the failed Spanish Second Republic on the British site “History Learning Site.”

Civil War Background. Spartacus Educational, a large British learning site, details the events leading up to the Spanish Civil War.


1. What was the name of the king that gave up his throne in 1931?
2. What was the two word name of the ruling government of Spain during the period between 1931 and 1939? Who were the two presidents during this time? Who were some of the other prominent government officials during this time?
3. Name at least three causes for reform that led to the Civil War.
4. Name at least two names that each fighting force was given.
5. In what ways was the role of the Catholic Church downplayed by the Spanish government in the years leading up to Civil War?

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