Civil War in Spain
In the Spanish civil war, a coalition of nationalist, monarchist, clerical Roman Catholic, and fascist forces overthrew the elected Republican government and established General Francisco Franco’s Falangist dictatorship. The war lasted from July 1936 to April 1939, and became a testing ground and rehearsal for Nazi military aggression in Europe.
Pictured Below: This 1936 propaganda lettersheet pictures the flags of Spain, the Falange Española, Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and fascist Portugal. Inside are pictures of Falangist Generalísimo Francisco Franco and his allies – Benito Mussolini, António de Oliveira Salazar, and Adolf Hitler, the dictators of Italy, Portugal, and Germany, respectively. The colorful greetings foldout celebrates the Christmas holiday; the 1492 voyage of Christopher Columbus; and the generals’ July 18, 1936, revolt against the Spanish republic. On the back are emblems of Spanish Carlists and monarchists, partners in the Nationalist coalition.
Mailed from Pontevedra, Spain, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 23, 1936, the lettersheet bears a 10-centimos stamp of Republican Spain and a 10-centimos local charity and tax stamp of the Falange. The local stamp was issued at Coruña, province Galicia, but was used as a postage stamp throughout the Nationalist-controlled areas of northern Spain. Flap has been reinforced with archivists’ tape.
Additional Images
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