Following the July coup by the generals in Spain a wave of atrocities swept the country on both sides; in Republican Spain the Red Terror was, in part, directed against the Church there. Ireland was awash with atrocity stories, leading to proposals to form a crusade to protect the Church and fight against the left-wing Republic. In fact, these atrocities against the Catholic Church -including, convents and schools and student residences- had already begun back in 1931, soon after the inauguration of the 2nd Republic. (See "Quema de conventos 1931").