“The Spanish Civil War (The Crusade among Nationalists, Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans) was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939. An estimated total of 500,000 people lost their lives as a consequence of the War.

The war began after a pronunciamiento by a group of conservative generals under the leadership of Emilio Mola against the elected Government of the Second Spanish Republic, at the time under the leadership of President Manuel Azaña. The rebel coup was supported by the conservative groups including the Spanish Confederation of the Autonomous Right (Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas, or CEDA), monarchists known as Carlist groups, and the Fascist Falange (Falange Española de las JONS).

Following the only partially successful coup — barracks in important cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Oviedo, Bilbao, Badajoz, and Málaga did not join in the rebellion as did Morocco, Pamplona, Burgos, Valladolid, Cádiz, Cordoba, Seville, and Jerez — Spain was left militarily and politically divided. From that moment onwards Mola's successor, General Franco, began a protracted war of attrition against the legally established government, as loyalist supporters of the centre-left Republican Government fought the rebel forces for control of the country. There were bloody purges in every piece of territory conquered from the republic in order to consolidate Franco's future regime, and purges done by the communist republicans during May 1937.

The war ended with the victory of the rebels, who called themselves “Nationalists”, the overthrow of the Republican Government, and the exile of thousands of Spanish Republicans, many of whom ended up in refugee camps in Southern France. With the establishment of a conservative dictatorship led by General Francisco Franco in the aftermath of the Civil War, all right-wing parties were fused into the structure of the Franco regime”. – Wikipedia

Girl snipers, fighting for the government, during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). 1936

Refugees from the Spanish Civil War crowd the roads to Perpignan at Le Perthus, France. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images). 1936

One of 17 volunteers who fell during an attack in the Spanish Civil War. He was shot in the head. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images). 1936

A Spanish government soldier throws a hand grenade towards enemy trenches during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). 1936

Journalist Raymond Walker risks his life under a hail of bullets dashing across the International bridge from Hendaye, France, to Irun, Spain to save a baby, during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Horace Abrahams/Getty Images). 1936

A group of Loyalist Republican Spanish soldiers at the time of the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images). 1936

Soldiers read posters in Barcelona calling women to arms during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images). 1936

Women were among the Republican combatants during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images). 1936

After a successful attack, Nationalist troops capture communist troops entrenched on the crest of a hill on the Somosierra front, during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Horace Abrahams/Getty Images). 1936

Nationalist troops loyal to General Franco advance, bayonets fixed, through the debris of houses at Madrid wrecked in air raids during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images). 1937

Republican forces lying in ambush in a village near Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images). 1937

Nationalist troops escorting a group of captured Republican troops on the Samosierra front during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). 1936

Bodies of children awaiting burial after a Nationalist air raid on their school at Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). 1937

Victims of a sudden air raid lie in a street during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images). 1937

Republican and irregular loyal troops in Barcelona awaiting orders to advance to the Saragossa front during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images). 1936

Scenes of destruction along the roads leading from Franco's Spain during the height of the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images). 1936

The Fifth Division of Replacements arrive and give the word that the troops of Navarre have come to fight in the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Three Lions/Getty Images). Circa 1936

Crowds cheering government troops in Pamplona during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images). 28th August 1936

A militiaman chats with a woman in the doorway of her home in Extremadura or Estremadura in west central Spain, during the Spanish Civil War. The villagers have only recently been allowed to return to their homes in the area. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). 1936

General Franco's Falangist troops watch a man being carried past on a stretcher after their successful capture of the city of Getafe. Although only seven miles from Madrid, they would not take the capital until March 1939, marking the end of the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Horace Abrahams/Keystone/Getty Images). 10th November 1936

The Republican army make their way through Barcelona in home-made armoured vehicles, during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images). August 1936

A member of the French frontier troops helps a family of refugees cross the border from Spain during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images). Circa 1938

News reporters mingling with members of the International Brigade during the Spanish Civil War. Amongst them is American novelist and journalist Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) (far right). (Photo by London Express/Getty Images). Circa 1937

Residents of Gibraltar and Spanish refugees watch the bombardment of Algeciras. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images). 10th August 1936

Soldiers digging roads in the Guadarrama Mountains during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images). 19th September 1936

A wounded Republican soldier being treated at a field dressing station on the Guadarrama front near Madrid. (Photo by Ward/Fox Photos/Getty Images). 9th September 1936

Workmen paint a Union Jack flag on the roof of the British Embassy in Madrid, during the height of the siege by rebel troops. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images). 8th September 1936

Republican militia men searching through the wreckage of their barracks in Madrid after it was bombed by rebel planes. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images). 8th September 1936