The Spanish Civil War, which lasted from 1936 to 1939, was a brutal conflict that tore apart Spain and left a lasting impact on the country and its people. The war was fought between the Nationalists, led by General Francisco Franco, and the Republicans, a coalition of left-wing parties and labor unions. The war was marked by intense fighting, atrocities committed by both sides, and foreign intervention from Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy on the side of the Nationalists, and the Soviet Union and other leftist countries on the side of the Republicans.