Collapse of the Spanish Republic, 1933-1936: Origins of the Civil War

This book focuses on the short but crucial period that led to the collapse of the Spanish Republic and set the stage for the ensuing civil war. Stanley G. Payne, an internationally known scholar of modern Spanish history, details the political shifts that occurred from 1933 to 1936 and examines the actions and inactions of key actors during these years. Using their own memoirs, speeches, and declarations, he challenges previous perceptions of various major players, including President Alcaland#225; Zamora.

and#160;

The breakdown of political coalitions and the internal rifts between Spainand#8217;s bourgeois and labor classes sparked many instances of violent dissent in the mid-1930s. The book addresses the election of 1933 and the destabilizing insurrection that followed, Alcaland#225; Zamora's failed attempts to control the major parties, and the backlash that resulted.and#160; The alliances of the socialist left with communism and the right with fascism are also explored, as is the role of forces outside Spain in spurring the violence that eventually exploded into war.and#160;and#160;

and#160;

"This is the most compelling analysis of the origins of the Spanish Civil War that I know."and#8212;Michael Seidman, University of North Carolina-Wilmington

"An outstanding book by one of the most distinguished scholars in the field."and#8212;Juan J. Linz, Yale University

Stanley G. Payne is Hilldale-Jaume Vicens Vives Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author of fifteen books, including The Spanish Civil War, the Soviet Union, and Communism, published by Yale University Press.