Editing History of Spain (section)

===Political and military balance===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-P0214-516, Spanien, Schlacht um Guadalajara.jpg|thumb|right|Advance of Italian [[tankette]]s during the [[Battle of Guadalajara]].]]
The Spanish Republican government moved to Valencia, to escape Madrid, which was under siege by the Nationalists. It had some military strength in the Air Force and Navy, but it had lost nearly all of the Army.  After opening the arsenals to arm local militias, it had little control over the Loyalist ground forces.  Republican diplomacy proved ineffective, with only two useful allies, the Soviet Union and Mexico.  Britain, France and 27 other countries had agreed to an arms embargo on Spain, and the United States went along. [[Nazi Germany]] and [[Kingdom of Italy|Fascist Italy]] both signed that agreement, but ignored it and sent supplies and vital help, including a powerful air force under German command, the [[Condor Legion]]. Tens of thousands of Italians arrived under Italian command.  Portugal supported the Nationalists, and allowed the trans-shipment of supplies to Franco's forces. The Soviets sold tanks and other armaments for Spanish gold, and sent well-trained officers and political commissars.  It organized the mobilization of tens of thousands of mostly communist volunteers from around the world, who formed the [[International Brigades]].

In 1936, the Left united in the Popular Front and were elected to power. However, this coalition, dominated by the centre-left, was undermined both by the revolutionary groups such as the [[anarchist]] [[Confederación Nacional del Trabajo]] (CNT) and {{lang|es|[[Federación Anarquista Ibérica]]}} (FAI) and by anti-democratic far-right groups such as the [[Falange Española de las JONS|Falange]] and the [[Carlists]]. The political violence of previous years began again. There were gunfights over strikes; landless labourers began to seize land, church officials were killed and churches burnt. On the other side, right wing militias and hired gunmen assassinated left-wing activists. The Republican democracy never generated the consensus or mutual trust between the various political groups. As a result, the country slid into civil war. The right wing of the country and high ranking figures in the army began to plan a coup, and when Falangist politician [[José Calvo-Sotelo]] was [[The Assassination of José Calvo Sotelo|shot by Republican police]], they used it as a signal to act while the Republican leadership was confused and inert.<ref name=abspc>{{Cite book|last=Beevor|first=Antony|url={{google books|plainurl=y|id=QdQOAAAACAAJ|page=49}}|title=The Spanish Civil War|date=2001|publisher=Penguin Books|isbn=978-0-14-100148-7|pages=49–50}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Stanley G.|last=Payne|title=Spanish Civil War, the Soviet Union, and Communism|url={{google books|plainurl=y|id=xAolA_AgCG4C|page=106}}|year=2004|publisher=Yale University Press|page=106|isbn=0300130783}}</ref>