The bombardment of civilians from the air was a regular feature of the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939. It is estimated some 15,000 Spaniards died as a result of air bombings during the Civil War, most civilians, and 11,000 were victims of bombing from the Francoist side that rebelled against the Republican government, supported by German and Italian aviation that joined the rebellion against the Republic. In Catalonia alone, some 1062 municipalities experienced aerial bombardments by the Francoist side of the civil war. In cities across Spain, municipal and regional authorities developed detailed plans for civilian defense in response to these air campaigns. In Barcelona, the municipality created the Junta Local de Defensa Passiva de Barcelona, to build bomb shelters, warn the public of bombings, and educate them on how to protect themselves against aerial bombardment. They mobilized civilians around the concept of ‘passive defense.’ This proactive response by civilians and local government to what they recognized as a war targeting them is an important and under-studied aspect of the Spanish Civil War.

从空中轰炸平民是1936年至1939年西班牙内战的一个正常事件。据估计，在内战期间，空袭轰炸造成约15,000西班牙人死亡，大多数平民，还有11,000成为西班牙轰炸的受害者。在加入反叛运动的德国和意大利航空的支持下，反抗共和党政府的法兰克党。仅在加泰罗尼亚，内战的法兰克主义一方就对约1062个城市进行了空袭。在西班牙各地的城市中，市政当局和地区当局针对这些空战制定了详细的民防计划。在巴塞罗那，市政当局创建了巴塞罗那防卫军政府大楼（Junta Local de Defensa Passiva de Barcelona），以建造防空洞，警告公众不要遭受炸弹袭击，并教育他们如何保护自己免受空中轰炸。他们围绕“被动防御”的概念动员了平民。平民和地方政府对他们认为针对他们的战争的积极反应是西班牙内战的一个重要而未被充分研究的方面。