<human>:  Could you give me an overview of the history of the Spanish civil war?
<bot>: The Spanish Civil War began in July 1936, when a group of right-wing Spanish military leaders led by General Francisco Franco overthrew the democratically elected Spanish Republic. The war, which lasted until April 1939, resulted in the victory of Franco's forces and the establishment of a fascist dictatorship that lasted until Franco's death in 1975. During the war, several powerful external forces intervened on both sides, with the Soviet Union and international volunteer brigades supporting the Republicans and Nazi Germany and Italy supporting Franco's forces. By the war's end, hundreds of thousands of people had died and many more were displaced as a result of the conflict. The Spanish Civil War had a profound impact on Spanish politics and society, and is often regarded as a prelude to the Second World War.