thumb|Organization chart of the Central Committee of Antifascist Militias, 1936. As president of Catalonia, Companys governed a large number of competing and fractious political groups, while nurturing Catalan autonomy. When the Spanish Civil War began, Companys sided with the Spanish Republic against the Nationalist faction. Responding to the coup attempt in Barcelona, several Catalan political and workers parties independently fought to defeat the local Nationalist forces, subsequently causing tensions in political power. As a consequence of the independently organized resistance, by the end of the fighting on 21 July some of the political parties wielded considerably more power than the government. These parties included: the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT), an anarchist syndicalist trade union; the Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI), a Spanish anarchist organization; the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM), a revolutionary anti-Stalinist communist party; and others.Preston, Paul. The Spanish Civil War. Reaction, revolution & revenge. Harper Perennial. London. 2006. pp. 253–254 Companys was instrumental in organizing an umbrella collaboration between these diverse groups called the Central Committee of Anti-Fascist Militias (CCMA). CCMA was formed on 21 July and sponsored by his Catalan government to reconcile the political tensions, recover the control of the situation, and organize the war effort.
thumb|Organization chart of the Central Committee of Antifascist Militias 1936 As president of Catalonia Companys governed a large number of competing and fractious political groups while nurturing Catalan autonomy When the Spanish Civil War began Companys sided with the Spanish Republic against the Nationalist faction Responding to the coup attempt in Barcelona several Catalan political and workers parties independently fought to defeat the local Nationalist forces subsequently causing tensions in political power As a consequence of the independently organized resistance by the end of the fighting on 21 July some of the political parties wielded considerably more power than the government These parties included the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) an anarchist syndicalist trade union; the Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI) a Spanish anarchist organization; the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification (POUM) a revolutionary anti-Stalinist communist party; and othersPreston Paul The Spanish Civil War Reaction revolution & revenge Harper Perennial London 2006 pp 253–254 Companys was instrumental in organizing an umbrella collaboration between these diverse groups called the Central Committee of Anti-Fascist Militias (CCMA) CCMA was formed on 21 July and sponsored by his Catalan government to reconcile the political tensions recover the control of the situation and organize the war effort