A big part of the Spanish Civil War was how the Spanish Communist Party, took control of the Popular Front government. Part of the control was the use of violence against other Leftists. The most infamous was the destruction of the Anti-Stalinist POUM, Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista. A major factor in the defeat of the Republican Government was this civil war among the Left. The Spanish Communist Party was following Stalin’s instructions and worked closely with NKVD and other Soviet security services sent to Spain.
Spain became the first People’s Republic’