Primo de Rivera’s Dictatorship and the Spanish Civil War

Posted on Feb 9, 2024 in History

PRIMO DE RIVERA’S DICTATORSHIP:CAUSES: authoritarian exit from problems of liberal state and demands for further democratization. Similar trends in Europe. Coup d’état: to achieve public order, solve Morocco problem and to fight corruption. METHODS: support of Alfonso XIII. Head of state but in a dictatorship regime. MEASURES: suppression of constitution, congress, parties and trade unions. Action in Morocco to pacify the colony. Search for long-term permanence. Creation of national consultative assembly. Unique political organization allowed (patriotic union). Calm because of public investment as long as there is prosperity. TROUBLES: crisis of 1929 (indebtedness and international opposition) Growing liberal and republican opposition. Resignation due to lack of support. Alfonso XIII wants to return to the restoration. The opposition didn’t want the way back, nor the king (pact of San Sebastián, republican solution). Abdication of Alfonso XIII and proclamation of 2nd republic. Means: 1st military pronunciation (failed) and 2nd electoral route (urban victory in municipal elections). 2ND SPANISH REPUBLIC: ANOUNCEMENT AND CONSTITUTION: formation of provisional government among members of pact of San Sebastián. Drafting of a constitution. Aims: improved conditions for day laborers, freedom of worship, decentralization and subordination of army to civilian power. REFORMIST GOVERNMENT: coalition between republicans and socialists. Manuel Azaña head of government. Types: territorial: decentralization autonomy states. Centralists serial groups. Military: loyalty, reduce macrocephaly. Africanist general. Agrarian: create new landowners and reduce big farmlands. Large landowners. Educative: building schools and increase literacy people. Upper classes. Religious: secularism (ending church’s funding) and Jesuit’s exile. Church. Social: improve quality of job’s conditions (8h day, minimum wages and paid holidays). Industrial bourgeoisie. Opponents: power groups and anarchists. The government eventually resigns. CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT: new government after elections. Radical party (centre republicans). CEDA (conservative-accidentalist). Aim: stop or reverse the reforms. Troubles: founding of the falange española, violent actions against worker’s groups. Counter-reforms + fear of destruction of liberal democracy, revolutionary movement with the entry of the CEDA into government. Asturias revolution. Catalonia’s revolution: army’s intervention. Consequences: Asturias subdued and repeal of the Catalan statue. Corruptive government. POPULAR FRONT GOVERNMENT: new elections February 1936. Left-wing groups, fearing fascism Europeans and their reforms being stopped reached an electoral union. Members: republican left, peripheral nationalists and worker parties. Electoral victory. Measures: 1934 revolution prisoners and amnesty. Restored reforms from 1st biennium. Catalan statue is reinstated. Disorder and violence: anarchists = lord occupation. Falange = attacks to worker organization. Business = employers lockout. Conspiracy against government. Coup d’état plans (mola in Pamplona and Franco in Canarias). Aim: dictatorship and reforms. Rebellion starts the 17th July in Melilla. SPANISH CIVIL WAR: UPRISING WAR AND REVOLUTION: beginning of coup in Moroccan protectorate. One day later on peninsula. Failure of coup, it fails to achieve its objective, succeeds in some areas but not in all. Popular front couldn’t recover the rebel areas. Division into war fronts, the government no longer controls the whole country. Workers support the government, social revolution. INTERNAL SUPPORT: non-intervention committee: attempt by France and Britain to prevent the civil war from leading to a new world war. Weapons can’t be supplied from abroad. It doesn’t work, there was external support on both sides. INSURGENT SIDE: earlier and higher quality assistance. Germany: aircraft. Italy: army troops. REPUBLICAN SIDE: not so prominent support. Soviet Union. International brigades: workers volunteers from all over the world and saving the republic and stopping the rise of fascism. CONSEQUENCES: destruction of infrastructure. Economic collapse. Terror of population (urban bombings and repression). Similar numbers killed in combat and repression. Repression also in the post-war period. FRANCOISM: ECONOMY: autarchy and centralization. Liberalization. POLITICS: no transformation. SOCIAL: 40’s repression and silence of triumph. Later: acclimatization, either settle down or go underground. Maintenance, reduced, of executions and control of the press. POLITICAL SYSTEM: single party. Undisputed supreme leader. Moral support of church. Political liberalism was part of the enemy. Absolute power: military root. Until the 1970’s everything depended on him. Strong cult of personality (coins, images). Political irresponsibility. Franco = Spain: his idea is Spanish, the rest is anti-Spain. Single party: movement. Organic democracy: corporatism, 3 bodies functioning as representatives. Cortes: no legislative capacity and direct appointment, hierarchy and corporations. SOCIAL FOUNDATIONS: landowners stop the agrarian reform. Business oligarchies hold back worker’s action. Church curb on secularization. Middle classes “let me stay as I am”. Francoised army. Enriched by situation (black market). REGIME JUSTIFICATION AND IDEOLOGICAL CONTROL: control of ideas. Raising of regime followers. Elimination of nationalism. Family, representation of the regime. CULTURAL POVERTY: exile or silenced in order to continue living. Disconnection from abroad. AUTARCHY AND ISOLATION: end of war = purge + repression + shortages. $40’s 1st half return to favor. 40’s 2nd half international isolation. Economic autarchy: international blockade and domestic propaganda. Stagnation. 1950’s END OF INSOLATION: cold war. U.N admits Spain, lifts isolation. USA: initiates diplomatic relations and economic aid for military bases. 1959 end of autarchy: stabilization plan (foreign purchases, currency devaluation, migrant outflows). 1960 DEVELOPMENTALISM: change leaders: phalangists out, technocrats in. Change of economy: industrial. GROWTH DUE TO: fiscal advantages (taxes). Low wages and no claims. Concentration in industry and services. Emigration to Europe: reduces unemployment and inflow of foreign currency. Tourism: + foreign money, + consumption, + construction sector. TROUBLE GROWTH: foreign dependence: technology and money. Neglected primary sector. Spanish companies are multinationals. CHANGE IN POPULATION DISTRACTION: change in the rural hinterland, rural exodus. Exodus to the periphery and Madrid. CRISIS OF THE REGIME: Oil crisis: company closures + unemployment = protests. Assassination of Franco’s political successor. Division in Francoism: bunker vs liberals. Franco’s health worsening: paralysis and uncertainty, Internal worsening: increased terrorist activity, anti-terrorism law. External worsening: surrender of the Sahara. Death of Franco. VOCABULARIO:REGENERATIONISM: stage of restoration, took place in Spain, beginning 20th century. was an attempt to reform and increase social support. ANNUAL’S DISASTER: military defeat happened in Morocco, ending of restoration. Because of high amount of casualties, it was the trigger to Primo de Rivera coup. PACT OF SAN SEBASTIAN: alliance of political parties, happened in Spain, last years of Primo de Rivera dictatorship. Its aim was to end the monarchy and introduce the republic. 1931 SPANISH CONSTITUTION: fundamental law in Spain through 2nd republic. The most important articles say that there was a popular sovereignty, laicism and decentralization. NON.INTERVENTION COMMITTEE: international institution, created by England and France during Spanish civil war. That wanted that no country was involved in that civil war in order not to have a world war. NATIONALS MOVEMENT: single party in Spain during Franco’s dictatorship. That was in all the institutions of Spain. ruled the government in the 1st stage. RATION CARDS: document given to Spanish people during autarchy which distributed food in such a low amount that increased the black market. DEVELOPMENTALISM: 2nd stage of Franco’s dictatorship that took place in the 60’s. And created an economic growth because of the liberal measures.