In response to the army rebellion, an anarchist-inspired movement of peasants and workers, supported by armed militias, took control of Barcelona and of large areas of rural Spain, where they collectivised the land. The Soviet Union provided some limited assistance at the beginning of the war, but the result was a bitter fight between communists and other leftists in a series of events known as the May Days, as Joseph Stalin asserted Soviet control of the Republican government, ending in another defeat of anarchists at the hands of the communists.
In response to the army uprising, a peasant and worker-inspired anarchist movement, backed by armed militias, seized control of Barcelona and rural areas in Spain, where they nationalized the land. The Soviet Union offered some limited aid at the start of the conflict, but it led to a harsh struggle between communists and other left-wing groups in a series of events known as the May Days, as Joseph Stalin asserted Soviet dominance over the Republican government, ultimately resulting in another defeat for anarchists at the hands of the communists.