Key Figures and Movements of the Spanish Second Republic Era
Hedilla
Spanish politician affiliated with the Spanish Falange. In 1935, he was the head of Santander province, and in 1936, he became the leader of the northern area. During the Civil War, he was appointed chairman of the Joint Command of the Falange. He notably opposed the unification of the Carlists and Falangists into a single party.
HISMA-ROWAK
These were two companies (Rowak and Hisma) involved in supporting German nationals and trade. They were instrumental in the compensation mechanisms related to the *Legion Condor* (which involved 5,000–16,000 men). These companies continued operations during World War II.
Indalecio Prieto
Indalecio Prieto was a Spanish socialist politician who became a prominent figure of socialism in the Basque Country. Through his work, he developed the oratorical skills that were crucial to his subsequent political career. He was a fervent supporter of electoral cooperation with the Republicans, which helped him secure his first public office. He had to contend with an opposing socialist faction, led by [Name missing in original text], who drove the party’s agenda. Prieto was elected municipal councilor for Bilbao in 1914 and 1917.
IRA (Irish Republican Army)
The IRA was the “army” of the Irish Republic, seeking a sovereign state independent of the United Kingdom. The Irish Republic was proclaimed by the Dáil Éireann (Parliament) in 1919. The IRA first appeared during the Battle of Ridgeway.
Izquierda Republicana (Republican Left)
This Spanish political party was founded by Manuel Azaña on April 3, 1934. It was formed by merging several groups:
- Acción Republicana (Manuel Azaña’s party)
- The Radical Socialist Left sector (led by Marcelino Domingo and Álvaro de Albornoz)
- The Autonomous Galician Republican Organization (led by Santiago Casares Quiroga)
Jurados (Juries/Boards)
Corporations formed by delegates of the capitalists and representatives of the workers (*Obrers*). They were commissioned to resolve issues that arose between these classes concerning their relations within the industry.
JONS (Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista)
The Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista (Boards of National-Syndicalist Offensive) was a Spanish political movement rooted in fascist ideology.
Totalitarian in nature and opposed to traditional political parties, JONS advocated for the supremacy of the state, seeking to articulate this state around a vertical union structure. This extremist, nationalist, and imperial ideology culminated in the doctrine known as National Syndicalism.
Jiménez Fernández (1896–1968)
Following the proclamation of the Second Republic, he participated in the 1933 elections, winning a seat in the Badajoz constituency. He subsequently integrated into the CEDA, positioning himself within its most liberal and progressive wing.
He served as Minister of Agriculture. As a Democrat, he sought to ensure farmers had access to land while providing compensation to the original owners. His draft legislation on leases stipulated that peasants who had worked the land for 12 years could require the owners to sell the land to them. He was dismissed in 1935.
José Giral
During the Spanish Republic, Martínez Barrio and Azaña attempted to appoint Quiroga to a post, but the PSOE imposed José Giral on July 19 [1936]. Giral’s government authorized the surrender of weapons to government militias (*milicianos*). Giral was replaced later in 1936 by Largo Caballero.
Juan Negrín
Juan Negrín was a Spanish physician, physiologist, and politician who served as President of the Government of the Second Republic between 1937 and 1945 (in exile after the Civil War). His political career was atypical in Spanish politics. He joined the PSOE in 1929, leaving his research activities. He was appointed Minister of Finance in the first government of Largo Caballero, created on September 4, 1936, representing the PSOE and the Prietista wing.
Julián Besteiro
Julián Besteiro was a Spanish politician and student of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza (Free Institution of Education). He initially joined the Radical Party of Lerroux. He declined to participate in the provisional government of the Second Republic and resigned from his party and union positions in February 1936. He served as a deputy for the Socialist candidacy of the Popular Front.
During the Civil War, he remained in Madrid and favored signing a peace agreement with the rebel forces.