A comprehensive description and analytical account of the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s. It reviews the historical debates surrounding the origins and outcomes of the War, focusing on the failure of both monarchy and republic to survive in Spain, the reasons for the Nationalist success during the War, and the extent to which Franco's regime can be regarded as fascist. The author not only compares Franco's Spain with the regimes of Hitler and Mussolini but also goes on to discuss the place of the Civil War in the context of 20th-century European history. She also provides a selection of source material and exercises.