Key Figures of the Spanish Second Republic and Civil War
Posted on Oct 18, 2024 in History
Early 20th Century Figures
- Verdaguer, Aribau, Guimerá: Participated in the Floral Games, a literary contest that revived medieval Catalan culture.
- Torras i Bages: Bishop of Vic, who influenced the shift towards Catalan nationalism in the late 19th century.
- Cánovas del Castillo: After the 1874 proclamation of Alfonso XII as king, he designed the system of the Restoration.
- Valentí Almirall: Wrote the Memorial of Grievances, initiating the Catalanist political movement.
- Prat de la Riba: Led the Regionalist League in 1901 and later became the first president of the Commonwealth of Catalonia.
- Sivela: Proposed regionalist reforms, including the creation of indirect taxes.
- José Canalejas: Served as minister several times and eventually as Prime Minister.
- Dato: President of the Spanish Government and Conservative Party politician.
- Puig i Cadafalch: Second president of the Commonwealth of Catalonia.
- Alfons Sala: Following the 1923 coup of Primo de Rivera, he collaborated with the dictatorship and was appointed president of the Commonwealth, initiating its dismantling.
- Pompeu Fabra: Established standard Catalan and wrote the first Catalan grammar.
- Primo de Rivera: Led a military dictatorship in Spain (1923-1930). President of the Spanish government during that period.
- Berenguer: Oversaw a period of “Dictablanda” (soft dictatorship) under King Alfonso XIII.
Figures of the Second Republic and Civil War
Left-Wing Figures
- Durruti: Leader of the FAI (Anarchist).
- Federica Montseny: Leader of the CNT (Anarchist).
- Josep Diaz and Dolores Ibárruri: Leaders of the PSC and PSUC (Marxist).
- Largo Caballero: PSOE leader (Marxist), became Minister of Labor.
- Andrés Nin and Joaquin Maurín: Leaders of the POUM (Trotskyist).
- Francesc Macià and Lluís Companys: Leaders of the Republican Left of Catalonia (reformist left-wing).
- Casares Quiroga: Leader of the Republican Federal Party (left-wing).
- Manuel Azaña: Leader of the Republican Left (statist reformist left).
- Marcelino Domingo: Leader of the Radical Socialist Republican Party (statist reformist left).
- Ortega y Gasset: Leader of the Republican Action party (statist reformist left).
Republican Figures
- Niceto Alcalá-Zamora: Leader of the Progressive Republican Party (liberal republican).
- Gil-Robles: Leader of the Agrarian Party (republican).
- Francesc Cambó: Leader of the Regionalist League (republican).
- José Antonio Aguirre: Leader of the Basque Nationalist Party (republican).
- Clara Campoamor: Advocated for women’s suffrage (Radical Party).
- Margarita Nelken: Opposed women’s suffrage (PSOE).
- Alejandro Lerroux: Leader of the Radical Republican Party.
- Lluís Companys: President of the Catalan Parliament, Spanish Minister, and President of the Generalitat of Catalonia during the Second Republic.
Right-Wing and Nationalist Figures
- José Antonio Primo de Rivera: Leader of the Falange, a fascist party inspired by Mussolini.
- General Sanjurjo: Right-wing military leader who opposed agrarian reform and was a key conspirator in the 1936 uprising.
- Josep Tarradellas: Prime Minister of the Catalan government, dissolved the anti-fascist militias.
- Miguel Cabanellas: Chairman of the National Defence Junta.
- Francisco Franco: Member of the National Defence Junta, unified the Falange and JONS, became Head of State and imposed a military regime.
- Manuel Fal Conde: Carlist leader who was imprisoned.
- Manuel Hedilla: Falangist leader who was imprisoned.
- Emilio Mola: Military leader and one of the main planners of the 1936 coup.
- Calvo Sotelo: Murdered by Assault Guards in July 1936.
- Queipo de Llano: General and leading conspirator in the coup.
- General Domingo Batet: Shot for trying to stop the insurrection.
- Colonel Yagüe: Led the uprising in Morocco.
- José Giral: Replaced Casares Quiroga as Prime Minister, dissolved the army and armed the Popular Front militias.
- General Goded: Led the military coup in Catalonia.