To What Extent Was the Nationalist Victory in the Spanish Civil War Inevitable?

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The Spanish Civil War ended with Nationalist victory: a victory that was certainly due in part to the overwhelmingly fortunate circumstances and odds that the Nationalists had from the very beginning of the war. There were both good tactical judgements made by the Nationalists during the war and bad tactical moves from the Republicans that resulted in these odds being tilted even more in the Nationalists’ favour, however. Whilst victory certainly favoured the Nationalists, it was only ensured by the successes and failings that occurred within the war itself. The first advantage that the Nationalists had were that their ideals ultimately proved to be more popular on an international scale than the ideals of the Republicans, leading to more support for their cause. Because of their right-wing standing, it meant that businesses would always favour their service rather than that of the left-wing Republicans, as the Republican ideals would pave the way for more intimidating economic circumstances. Likewise, the elite of Spain’s army naturally gravitated towards the generals that took the side of the Nationalists. Additionally, their right-wing standing meant that they also had the attention and favour of the fascist states of Germany and Italy. These were powerful allies for the Nationalists to have; they provided them with many additional ground troops and air superiority, both of which would prove to be of great assistance in the war. This air force was superior due to the Republicans not having particularly impressive air power at all – this too was inevitable, as the only country willing to provide support for the Republicans was the USSR, whose support was not nearly as impressive. This unbalance of arms that the two sides could attain due to the support they could receive is an indicator of the odds being greatly tilted in the Nationalists’ favour, and the
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