who fought on the side of the republicans in the spanish civil war brainly
Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War) Italy under the Fascist leadership of Benito Mussolini supported the overthrow of the republic and the establishment of a regime that would serve as a client state to Italy. Italy distrusted the Spanish Republic due to its pro-French leanings and prior to the war had made contact with Spanish right-wing groups.[31] Italy justified its intervention as an action intended to prevent the rise of Bolshevism in Spain.[32] Italy's Fascist regime considered the threat of Bolshevism a real risk with the arrival of volunteers from the Soviet Union who were fighting for the Republicans.[33] Mussolini provided financial support as well as training to the Alfonsists, Carlists, and Falange.[20] Mussolini met Falangist leader José Antonio Primo de Rivera in 1933 but did not have much enthusiasm in the establishment of fascism in Spain at that time.[7]