Spanish Civil War: Political Developments and Aftermath
Political Developments of the Two Areas of Conflict and Consequences
The uprising led to the resignation of the government led by Quiroga and President Manuel Martínez Barrio Azaña was commissioned to form a new government. His failure led him to resign the same July. Thus, Azaña entrusted Giral with the formation of a new government and began the delivery of arms to the people. Until the end of the war, Republican institutions functioned based on plurality and the Constitution in force. The dynamics of the Republican parties and organizations, with different positions, led to changes in government and fighting in the Republican camp itself. In September 1936, Azaña commissioned Largo Caballero to form a government, who formed a coalition cabinet composed of Basque and Catalan nationalists, the Republican parties, the PSOE, and the PCE.
In early November, the government left Madrid and moved to Valencia. Madrid was under the authority of the Defense Board headed by Miaja during the attempts made by Franco to take the capital. Caballero’s government undertook major reforms in the coming months. The confidence of victory was large, but new factors came to complicate the situation. The PCE was increasing its prominence for several reasons, such as internal discipline and the division among the other Republican forces. The PCE recommended the unit to face an enemy that was characterized by its unity of action and policy. The PCE sought partnership with sectors of the middle bourgeoisie, small businessmen, and farmers under the slogan “first win the war”, while other forces understood the necessity of revolutionary action and collectivization to have the popular support that would lead to victory.
The fighting came to a head in May 1937, with fighting in Barcelona between supporters of both groups. There were housing rents, industries were confiscated and nationalized by parties of the uprising, and basic industries like CAMPSA and railway companies were nationalized. The most striking aspect of the transformation that occurred was the collectivization of farms and companies, which were carried out by peasant unions.
From the crisis of May 1937, the Republican government came to be led by Negrín. Defeats further soured relations between the Generalitat of Catalonia and the central government, which wanted to regain skills to unify the war effort. Negrín’s government moved to Barcelona, while in the rear, the unit saw the marginalization of heterodox communist anarchists and the POUM. The support of the French Popular Front and the Soviet Union favored the Republican side’s Communist growth. In an attempt to reach an agreement with Nationals and agree on a negotiated peace, Thirteen Points were published, which were rejected by Franco. The Republican hopes were in bankruptcy. The concessions and appeasement policy maintained by the British against Hitler were realized with the sale of Czechoslovakia. At that time, the Republican government’s goal to hold out until the outbreak of the impending European conflict was not equally understood by all Republican combatants. It had been decided to surrender to Franco. This led to internal fighting in Madrid, once the fall of Barcelona and the collapse of Republican resistance in the center were known.
Regarding political developments in the rebel camp, it must be said that the death of General Sanjurjo brought to the fore the figure of Franco, who could only be shadowed by figures like Mola, who would also die. The technique worked together as the embryo of a new government. This year, a meeting of generals agreed on the appointment of Generalissimo Franco and the leader of a new state. In the months following, Franco managed to gain political and military leadership of the State. The revolt was gaining a new direction when it adopted the red and yellow flag and officially the cry of “Viva España”. The lack of clear direction in the phalanx allowed him to take the lead of the quota. Regarding the CEDA, Franco did not allow the presence of Gil Robles in Spain. Mola did not allow Don Juan, son of Alfonso XIII, to remain in their ranks.
All political activities were suspended in September 1936. In early 1937, all of Spain was available for revolt led by Franco. In February, after some skirmishes between Falangists, Franco was established as the national chief of the single party, the Traditionalist Spanish Falange and JONS.
Even a few months later, the technical board created in Burgos continued to operate, but in January, the government established the new state. All power would fall on the headquarters of Franco. Franco’s first government was an aggregate of conservative forces. At this end, the process of legitimization of the war, the Spanish episode was directed to Catholics worldwide with a collective letter to explain the religious nature of the war. He wanted to banish a sector of foreign Catholic intellectuals who insisted on revealing less worthy motives of the contest. Pastoral did not mean a blank check if allowing a glimpse of the misgivings of the Church in structuring the new state in the model of European fascist powers.
Consequences of the Civil War
The Civil War was the most traumatic episode lived in Spanish society during the twentieth century. The most pain and resentment of many was the common denominator of post-war Spain. In the last months of the war, thousands of Republican fighters and entire families had to leave Spain in haste. In summary, almost half a million died. After the war, more than 250,000 people entered prison or labor camps. There were tens of thousands of Spanish exiles. In culture, it was very important. Every effort was destroyed in the cultural and educational regeneration of the Silver Age of Spanish culture. More than 60% of teachers were executed or dismissed by Franco. Almost all the intellectuals of the Generation of ’27 and the most outstanding scientists and artists died or went into exile. The official culture returned to the times of clerical obscurantism, repression, and censorship, typical of the Inquisition. The economic consequences were disastrous for the country: the loss of reserves, the decline in the workforce. Most of the Spanish population suffered the effects of rationing or denial of consumer goods during the 1940s and 1950s. The political consequences were the beginning of a very long period of repression and suspension of fundamental rights of individuals. Internationally began twenty years of political isolation. Spain was out of the strong momentum of progress that began in Europe after 1945. Spain reached the half-century without having solved its problems of political life.