The most important themes covered in this book centre on the origins of the Spanish Civil War, the nature of Franco's regime and the causes of Nationalist success. The issue of why democracy broke down in Spain, and which of the two opposing sides, left or right, bore the greater responsibility for the war has been extensively debated by historians, and the first two chapters of this volume cover Spain under the Republic from 1931 to 1936. The author also contests the nature of Franco's regime and questions the reasons for Nationalist victory in the war.