IB History Home
Term 1
Term 2
Term 3
Term 4
Term 5
Forum
TOK
Skills
Exams
Coursework

Results

Syllabus
Shop

The Spanish Civil War

Key Questions Activities Resources
What was the Spanish Civil War? An introduction.  What is the link between the following 4 sources?

Make an electronic copy of the summary diagram in Knight page 7. Read pages 1-6 filling in the detailed content as you go. 

Source 1, Source 2, Source 3 and Source 4

More about the anthem Cara al Sol

Patricia Knight - The Spanish Civil War Chapter 1.

See Higher Level past essay questions on this topic

What was Spain like before the Civil War? 

How successful was the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera? (Higher Level only)

Make a electronic copy of the summary diagram in Knight page 26. Read 8-25 filling the detailed content as you go using both textbooks.  Patricia Knight - The Spanish Civil War Chapter 2.

Andrew Forrest - The Spanish Civil War (Chapter 1 esp. 3-6)

What were the long-term causes of the Spanish Civil War?  Read the relevant sections of the textbooks and compile a table that explain the long-term causes of the war.  Knight Chapter 2. 
Farmer 183-184. 
Culpin and Henig 221-225. 
What were the short-term causes of the Spanish Civil War? an alternative way phasing this question is to ask 'why did the Second Republic of 1931 fail?'. An essay plan on the failure of the Second Republic. 

You also need to explain the failure of the attempted military coup in 1936. If Franco had been successful there would not have been a civil war. Make a electronic copy of the summary diagram in Knight pages 8-25 filling the detailed content as you go.

Knight Chapter 3.
Farmer 183-184. 
Culpin and Henig 226-229. 

Forrest The Spanish Civil War chapter 2.

Chapter 3 of Forrest deals with the question of the military uprising.

How was the war fought and what was its impact on the Spanish people? This is a key section because the way the war was fought marked a turning point in 20th century warfare. The most obvious focus point is Guernica.

Watch the  film:  Land and Freedom

Farmer 183-184. Culpin and Henig 229-236. 

Forrest Chapters 4 and 5

Spanish Civil War: Literature, Art and Cinema.

Ken Loach's Land and Freedom (Library)

Why did the Nationalists win? There are two aspects to this question:  the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Nationalists and Republicans and the importance of foreign intervention. Farmer 190-193. Culpin and Henig 229-235. Forrest 56-62, 73-78.

'Did the Nationalists win, or Republicans lose the Spanish Civil War?' Forrest (112-114)

See Higher Level past essay questions on this topic