Spain’s History: Monarchy to Franco (1875-1975)

Posted on Feb 17, 2025 in History

Timeline of Key Events in Spain (1875-1975)

1875-1939: Restoration, Crisis, and Republic

  • 1875: Monarchy restored.
  • 1876: Moderate constitution adopted.
  • 1877: Law of Association.
  • 1888: UGT (General Union of Workers) formed.
  • 1894: Loss of Cuba.
  • 1896: Loss of the Philippines.
  • 1897: PNV (Basque Nationalist Party) formed.
  • 1898: Spain signs the Treaty of Paris.
  • 1902: Alfonso XIII accedes to the throne.
  • 1917-1923: Crisis of the Cánovas system.
  • 1923: Coup d’état.
  • 1931: Second Republic declared.
  • 1931-1933: Reformist Biennium.
  • 1933-1936: Conservative Biennium.
  • 1936-1939: Spanish Civil War.

1939-1975: Franco’s Dictatorship

  • 1939: Franco establishes a dictatorial regime.
  • 1941: Franco sends Blue Division to Germany.
  • 1942: Law of the Cortes.
  • 1947: Law of Succession.
  • 1950: UN rescinds diplomatic isolation of Spain.
  • 1955: Spain enters the UN.
  • 1956: Independence of Morocco.
  • 1958: Law of Fundamental Principles of the Movement.
  • 1959: ETA (Basque separatist group) is created.
  • 1962: Munich Conspiracy.
  • 1968: Juan Carlos I designated as successor.
  • 1969: Closing of the border with Gibraltar.
  • 1973: Oil crisis.
  • 1975: Death of Franco.

Turnism

Turnism consisted of a pact of alternation in the government between the two parties that supported the monarchy: the Conservative and the Liberal parties. They devised a system of manipulating the electoral process through fraud. Republicans, Carlists, and the PSOE were excluded.

Primo de Rivera’s Dictatorship

The dictatorship of Primo de Rivera had two stages:

  • The Military Directory (1923-1925): Primo de Rivera suspended the constitution, dissolved the Cortes, prohibited political parties, suppressed the labor movement, and defeated the Moroccans after the Alhucemas landing (1925).
  • The Civil Directory (1925-1930): The military victory in Morocco and the economic boom of the 1920s helped Primo de Rivera maintain power until 1930.

Definitions

  • Frente Popular (Popular Front): A Spanish electoral coalition created in January 1936 by the main left-wing parties.
  • Pucherazo: Electoral fraud where ballot papers were kept in a ‘pot’ and added to or taken from the ballot box, depending on the desired outcome.

Franco’s Economic Policies (1960-1975)

  • Stabilization Plan (1959): An economic restructuring program to transition from an interventionist system to a capitalist one.
  • Policy of Economic Developmentalism (1964): Four-year development plans. Spain relied on foreign investment and technology, tourism, and money from Spanish emigrants. Economic sectors improved, and Spain became an industrial economy.
  • Population Growth: Sustained growth due to an improved economy, a rising birth rate, and decreased mortality.
  • Migrations: Continued rural exodus.
  • Society: The upper class lost influence, while the middle class grew.

Franco’s Political Repression

Franco harshly repressed the regime’s enemies. Many people went into exile or hiding. Others were assassinated, jailed, and tortured. They suffered degrading treatment and were punished for their association with the “reds.”

  • Totalitarianism (1939-1942):
    • Franco concentrated the leadership of the State and the Government and commanded the Army.
    • National Movement: single party.
    • Fundamental Laws approved without citizen participation, replacing the Constitution.
  • Stagnation (1959-1975):
    • Opening: to ensure the regime’s continuity.
    • Press Law (1966): abolished prior censorship but did not prevent control of publications.
    • Organic Law of the State (1967): separated the head of state and president of the government, reaffirming Spain as a kingdom.

Reforms of the Second Republic

  • Political: The government began political decentralization, passing a statute of autonomy for Catalonia.
  • Military: The number of military officials decreased, with forced retirement for those who would not swear loyalty to the Republic.
  • Economic: Agrarian reform, including confiscation of large, underexploited private landholdings, distributed among peasants.
  • Social: Improved labor conditions. A forty-hour workweek was established, wages increased, and insurance was provided.
  • Cultural: A strong push for public education.