The Civil War 1936–1939

Between 1936 and 1939, a brutal conflict tore Spain apart, leaving over half a million dead and transforming this Mediterranean city into a frontline of one of the 20th century's most devastating wars. In the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter and along the Ramblas, the Spanish Civil War began on July 17, 1936, when General Francisco Franco and other military officers launched a coup against the democratically elected Republican government.

Armed workers and trade unions quickly defeated the uprising here, and the city became a Republican stronghold throughout the war. What made this place unique was the revolutionary transformation that followed. Workers collectivized factories, trams, and services, running them without owners. The transport system improved so much that it carried 50 million more passengers in 1937 than the previous year, all while reducing accidents and lowering fares. But the war brought horror.

Between February 1937 and January 1939, Italian and German bombers launched 385 air raids, killing up to 3,000 residents. These were among Europe's first systematic bombings of civilians. Residents responded by building over 1,400 air raid shelters, many constructed by women and children. The city fell to Franco's forces on January 26, 1939, ending the Republican dream and beginning a dictatorship that lasted 36 years.