In 1931, the Spanish people overthrew the monarchy and replaced it with  the Second Republic of Spain. However, the Spanish people continued to suffer from poverty and the nation fell into violent chaos. Order needed to be restored - but at what cost?      Over the issue of restoring order, Spain polarized into two camps for the February 1936 elections: the National Front (monarchists and fascists) and the Popular Front (moderates and socialists). The Popular Front won the elections and in July 1936, General Francisco Franco launched a military uprising in reponse with the support of the defeated National Front.      Fascists, monarchists, extreme-Catholics, and rebelling soldiers made up the Nationalists.  Those who opposed the military uprising: loyal parts of the army, the Spanish people, and left wing parties made up the Republicans. The fascist coup failed to take Spain overnight and the country fell into a bloody civil war.      Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and fascist Portugal quickly came to the aid of the Nationalists by sending supplies and troops to fight in Spain. The Soviet Union responded by sending supplies and troops to aid the Republicans. All four nations were ironicly on a Non-Intervention Committee for Spain - which was created by France and Britain.      However, about  60,000 men and women from across the world rushed to save Republican Spain from fascism. Most of the foreign volunteers  joined the International Brigades and were motivated by anti-fascism, idealism, humanitarian, and political reasons. Many of the volunteers were left wing and a good number were, at the time, communist. 10,000 of them would be killed and 8,000 badly wounded by war's end.     In September 1938, the Republican Spain announced that she would withdraw all foreign volunteers - in hopes that Nationalist Spain would do the same with the 130,000 Morrocans, Italians, Germans, and Portuguese fighting for Franco. Nationalist Spain never did. 16,000 International Brigadiers and volunteers left in Spain began to leave in October and November 1938.     In March 1939, Republican Spain fell to Franco and six months later, World War II officially started with the invasion of Poland. Franco ruled Spain with a fascist regime until his death in 1975. In 1996, Spain gave honorary citizenship to the 600 surviving international volunteers, just like she had promised in 1938. Next year will mark the 70th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War.