Key Figures in Spanish Political History: 18th-20th Centuries
CALVO SOTELO, JOSÉ (1893-1936). Spanish politician, born in Tuy, Galicia. During the monarchy of Alfonso XIII, he was involved in politics within the ranks of maurismo, serving as a deputy to the Cortes and civil governor. He held senior positions during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, including Director General of Local Government, where he wrote the Municipal Statute of 1924, reorganizing local life. He was Minister of Finance from 1925 and created the Camps. Upon the arrival of the Republic, he went abroad, returning in 1934. He was elected to the Cortes and became known for his criticism of leftist politics. His assassination in Madrid on July 13, 1936, by members of law enforcement agencies, accelerated the military revolt a few days later.
CANALEJAS MENDÉZ, JOSÉ (1854-1912). Politician. Initially a Republican, he later joined Sagasta’s Liberal Party, gaining prominence and serving as a minister several times. Following Sagasta’s death, he led the Canalejas Democrat faction. In 1910, the King appointed him Prime Minister, and he initiated a policy of reforms, facing significant obstacles (e.g., the “padlock law” against religious orders, military service, communities). His work was cut short when he was assassinated by an anarchist in Madrid in November 1912.
CÁNOVAS DEL CASTILLO, ANTONIO (1828-1897). Politician, writer, and historian. He studied law in Madrid and began his political career in O’Donnell’s Liberal Union, for whom he wrote the Manifesto of Manzanares. He held various ministries during the later reign of Isabella II. He did not participate in the Revolution of 1868, and during the Sexenio Democrático, he organized the alfonsino party, advocating for the restoration of the Bourbons with Isabella II’s son. After Martínez Campos’s pronouncement in late 1874, he became the leading political figure in Spain for the last quarter of the nineteenth century. As leader of the Conservative Party, he served as prime minister multiple times. He was assassinated by an anarchist at a spa.
FERNANDO VII (1784-1833). King of Spain, son of Charles IV, succeeding him after the Mutiny of Aranjuez. The beginning of his reign in 1808 coincided with the French occupation of Spain. Fernando VII and his father were taken to France, where they resided until 1814. Upon his return, he overturned the liberal regime established by the Constitution of 1812 and restored absolutism. However, the army’s pronouncement in 1820 forced him to reinstate the 1812 Constitution. Despite swearing to defend it, from 1823, with the help of the French army, he canceled it again, ruling with absolute power until his death.
GODOY, MANUEL (1767-1851). Spanish politician born in Badajoz. His brilliant public career began after the death of Charles III, taking charge of leading Spanish politics. Although he performed with skill and goodwill, he became a much-hated figure. He declared war on revolutionary France but, defeated in 1795, had to sign the Peace of Basel, earning him the title of Prince of Peace. In 1798, he left office but returned shortly afterward, and in 1801, he led the war against Portugal. A new war with England in 1805 led to the defeat of the Spanish fleet at Trafalgar. In March 1808, the Mutiny of Aranjuez led to his downfall.
POSSE IGLESIAS, PABLO (1850-1925). Socialist politician. From a humble family, after his father’s death, his mother moved to Madrid, and he entered an orphanage. He was a printer and came into contact with Republicans and Socialists. In 1870, he joined the Workers’ International, and two years later, after its division, he supported the Marxists against the Bakuninists. In 1879, he was one of the printers who clandestinely founded the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), which was refounded legally in 1888. In 1910, he was elected to the Cortes. He became the undisputed leader of Spanish socialism, chairing both the PSOE and the UGT.
JOSÉ ANTONIO PRIMO DE RIVERA (1903-1936). Son of the dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera. A lawyer, he founded the Falange in 1933, initially a liberal and Marxist political group, which in 1934 became the Falange Española, merging with like-minded groups. He did not perform well in elections but became a deputy to the Cortes in 1933 as part of the CEDA. In March 1936, he was arrested, and at the beginning of the Civil War, he was transferred to Alicante, where he was executed in November 1936.
LARGO CABALLERO, FRANCISCO (1869-1946). Spanish politician. He joined the UGT and the PSOE at a young age. He held various positions and, in 1918, was appointed general secretary of the socialist trade union confederation. Concerned about defending workers’ interests, he collaborated with the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. In 1931, after the arrival of the Second Republic, he was Minister of Labor and implemented an intense policy of social reforms. In 1932, he became president of the PSOE and encouraged the radicalization of socialism. At the start of the Civil War in September 1936, he was appointed prime minister. Facing opposition from the Communists, he left office in May 1937. After the war, he was exiled to France but was taken prisoner during World War II and spent several years in German concentration camps.
MARGALL PI, FRANCISCO (1824-1901). Politician and writer, advocate for federalism as a form of social and political organization for Spain, guaranteeing freedom. During the First Republic, he was Minister of the Interior and then the second President of the Republic, but he resigned after a few weeks in office due to the cantonal uprising in the summer of 1873. During the Restoration, he was a Member of Parliament. Influenced by socialism, he wrote several political and historical works, including Las Nacionalidades (1876), where he systematized his federalist principles.