Comment by Zardoz84 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Zardoz84 | Hacker News Reader

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Spaniard here. There was reactionary right wing military coup d'etat that try to take control of the country, and failed. So, we had endured a bloody civil war. On the one side, the nationalists, there was mix of right wing factions... Carlists, monarchic, right wing republicans, falangists (Spanish version of nazis). On the other side, there was a mix of force loyal to the republic and far left wing factions... socialists, communist and anarchists.

Both sides, did some awful and unmoral things, but the nationalists did a lot more awful things. Like bombing fleeing refugees. Also, the nationalists ended consolidating around the falangists and pro-nazis ideologies, and getting military help from fascists Italy and Nazis. When we ended the civil war, we had to endure a fascist regime to the end of 70's. And we endure yet some sequels of this.

So, please, don't reduce the civil war as "hate and violence between neighbors in the name of extreme political ideas". It's was an bloody military uprising against the legit government that the people elected, that ended with fascists on power.

I wouldn't be so fast in claiming that the "Nationalist" faction was worse:

- Bombing of Cabra: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Cabra

- Sinking of SS Castillo de Olite https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Castillo_de_Olite

- Paracuellos Massacress: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracuellos_massacres

Edit: However, fighting because of what faction was worse in a conflict that ended more than 80 years ago is nonsense. This comment was made only to remind all that both factions made war crimes.

Franco supporters' oppression aginst the losers side ("Republicans" and Communists) was worse after the war, from what I know.

One of the factions can be worse without the other being perfect.

All my grandparents were pro-Franco (some more openly than others). I have done my own research and I have concluded that no, they were the baddies. Of course the other side were not all angels. They never are.

> ended more than 80 years ago

The problem is that that conflict from 80 years ago had ramifications that continue to exist today, even present in our Constitution.

I don't know, but for anarchists and for POUM [1], Franco could be part of "the baddies" (things are never so simple like good and bad), but "Republican" (with support for the URSS) members were the ones that killed them.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Days

The simple idea of “the political faction I don’t like did more unmoral things” completely disqualifies your argument. In the case of Barcelona and Levante the lack of a strong Spanish State during the war and the prevalence of anarchists had as a result a lot of “experiments” around governance. These “experiments” lasted from a few months to years, and ranged from forbidding private property to killing the land owners and businessmen. It was not the land of freedom and peace described by some Anglo journalist and writers. It was a hell on earth because it was a Civil War.

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