Before the United States entered World War II, Puerto Ricans were already fighting on European soil on both sides of the Spanish Civil War. The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted "coup d'état" committed by parts of the army, led by the Fascist General Francisco Franco, against the government of the Second Spanish Republic. Puerto Ricans fought on behalf of both of the factions involved, the "Nationalists" as members of the Spanish Army and the "Loyalists" (Republicans) as members of the Abraham Lincoln International Brigade.