The Spanish Civil War began in July of 1936 and lasted until March of 1939. It was primarily the result of a failed military coup against the Republican government. The Nationalists were supported by the fascist nations in Europe at the time: primarily Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy. Meanwhile, the Republicans received support from Stalin’s Soviet Union and a mix of American and European volunteers. The number of casualties is unknown, but at least 500,000 people died in the conflict, and the true death toll is likely much higher. The Republicans lost, and Franco and his Nationalists ruled Spain for nearly 40 years. The Spanish Civil War is often named as a precursor to World War II, and although Spain was a noncombatant in World War II, the country nonetheless provided support to the Axis powers. Many of the volunteers who came from abroad to aid in the fight were writers, artists, and intellectuals who feared the spread of fascism. Several important books and works of art were born from the Spanish Civil War.

World War II affected England far more intensely than the United States. The primary powers before the US joined the war were Germany and Italy as the Axis powers, and Britain and the Soviet Union as the Allied powers.