The 90th Anniversary of the Coup That Started a Never-Ending War

• July 18, 2026, marks the 90th anniversary of the military coup that sparked the Spanish Civil War against the Second Republic.
• Republican forces, supported by labor unions (CNT, UGT), resisted the initial coup, but the conflict escalated into a full-scale war.
• The conflict served as a testing ground for European fascism, with critical military aid from Nazi Germany and Mussolini’s Italy fueling Franco’s eventual victory.

Origins and International Dimensions

• The conspiracy to topple the Republic began shortly after its 1931 proclamation, with Italy involved from the outset.
• Over 32,000 international volunteers joined the Republican side, representing a global antifascist effort.
• The war shifted European geopolitics by encircling France and solidifying Axis collaboration, paving the way for World War II.

Social Revolution and Women's Agency

• During the conflict, Republican territories saw widespread social revolution, including collective management of the economy.
• Approximately 1.3 million people participated in collectives in regions like Catalonia and Aragon, experimenting with the abolition of money.
• Women, who had gained significant rights under the Republic, became active agents of social change, a history often erased during the Franco regime.

The Absence of Truth, Justice, and Reparation

• Tens of thousands of victims remain in mass graves, with domestic state-led recovery efforts moving slowly.
• In the absence of local legal outcomes, victims pursued justice through the "Argentine Complaint" (Querella Argentina) to investigate Franco-era crimes.
• Despite over 150 recent lawsuits filed in Spain under the new Democratic Memory Law, most have been archived due to claims of statutory limitation.
• Legal experts argue that these crimes are crimes against humanity—which never expire—and that political paralysis continues to prevent the healing of historical wounds.