The Spanish Civil War started in July 1936 with the military coup leaded by General Franco, which started a rebellion against the democratically elected Republican goverment. Since the establishment of a Republic and the abolition of the monarchy in 1931, mostly left-wing parties and progressisf leaders had won the elections.
The most conservative sectors of the army followed the fascist general Franco who, during the war, received the support of Hitler and Mussolini, specially, of their aviation military units. The democratic European states refused to help the Spanish Republic and only the URSS contributed by sending some armament.
The war ended in 1939 with the victory of the fascists and the establishment of a military dictatorship that would last until the death of Franco, the dictator, in 1975.