Good luck.  I find it one of the most confusing political situations in history with typical enemies aligned together.  

It was a mass confusion of relgion, land reform, and aristocracy reform over a number years that led to poverty and war.  Regardless of the party affiliations it was a war to over throw an elected government which succeeded.  

Reading who did what to whom will make head hurt.

Tj

Quoted: I don’t remember much of the Spanish Civil War history I learned 25+ years ago but I do remember Americans fought on both sides, more for the Socialist but they did fight on both sides. The Socialist/Communist/Stalinist get romanticized therefore you only hear about the American with that side.

I think that was primarily due to the fact the left which was mainly the Popular Front was the party that had ligitmately won the election.  It was made up of many different parties or polictical beliefs but its basis was in land reform and taking down the old aristocracy, fuedalism, and limiting the power of the church which in Spain was still pretty midevil in nature compared to the rest of Europe.  Its pretty easy to see how many Americans sided with the peasant over the landlord and an elected government over a military led take over of the government without really endorsing the politics which was confused anyway.  It was easy to romantize the Popular Front since the National Front, Franco, eventually became an avid Nazi supporter, however its really hard to draw comparrissons.  

Spain was like 100 years behind the rest of Europe in political reform.  The National Front had much of its strength in right wing support of both the church and aristocracy which was the exact opposite of the Facist movements in Germany or Italy.  Although a military Juanta, the comparrissons between the National Front and Facism in general drops off greatly.  Its one of the reasons that many historians see the Nazi invovlement as simply an excuse to try out their new war machine.  Its also explains how easily Franco could switch sides in the middle of the war.

I often think of it as the French Revolution meets Repulicanism, Socialism, and Communism like a bad horror movie.

Tj