Spain’s Popular Front: Prelude to Civil War (1936)

Popular Front (February-July 1936)

The Popular Front refers to the period of the Second Spanish Republic from February to July 1936. The name originates from the electoral coalition formed by Republicans and Socialists, later joined by Communists and Anarchists, as a strategy to counter the influence of Gil-Robles.

Origins and Stalin’s Influence

The origin of the Popular Front is closely related to the approach of Stalin’s policies.

The 1936 Election Campaign

The 1936 election campaign was highly virulent.

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Spain’s Political Framework: Monarchy and Parliament

Spain’s Parliamentary Monarchy

The political form of the Spanish State is the parliamentary monarchy. It is a monarchy because the Head of State is the King, and parliamentary because it is based on a bicameral parliamentary system consisting of:

  • The Congress of Deputies
  • The Senate

The King is the Head of State and is separate from the three branches of government (legislative, executive, judicial) and their relationships. To ensure political stability, the figure of the King is not subject to liability;

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Spanish Confiscations: Economic & Social Consequences

The Confiscation in Spain

Repossessing measures adopted by different liberal governments throughout the century found their concretion in Royal Decrees, laws, orders, etc.

Effects of Confiscation

The confiscation, by decoupling lands from their owners, broke the existing legal organization, making them suitable to be sold, alienated, or divided. With the introduction of private property and a free market in the area, a new stage opened in Spanish agriculture. However, the results were as diverse as

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The Rise and Rule of Primo de Rivera in Spain

Context and Causes of the 1923 Coup

The precedents for this dictatorship can be traced back to the Crisis of ’98 and the subsequent politics of regenerationism. However, the immediate causes lie in the crisis that began around 1917, when the political system of the Restoration entered a process of disintegration. This included:

  • Frequent shifts between governing parties (the failing turno pacífico).
  • Thirteen total and thirteen partial government crises.
  • Social unrest despite the illusion of economic
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World War II and Cold War: Causes, Events, Consequences

World War II

Causes

  • Underlying Causes: International instability, Germany’s desire for revenge following WWI.
  • Immediate Cause: Aggressive foreign policies of Germany and Italy.

Combatant Blocs

  • Axis Powers: Led by Germany and Italy, later joined by Japan.
  • Allied Powers: Initially led by Great Britain and France, later joined by the USA and the USSR.

War Characteristics

  • Global scale.
  • Powerful and improved weaponry.
  • Extreme brutality.

Stages of WWII

  • First Stage (1939-1942)

    Germany executed a “blitzkrieg” (lightning

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European Monarchs and Power Shifts: 16th-18th Centuries

European Monarchs and Power Shifts (16th-18th Centuries)

Philip II: Inherited Spain, the Spanish Netherlands, and the American colonies. He believed it was his duty to defend Catholicism.

Absolute Monarchy: Kings or queens who held all the power within their states’ boundaries.

Divine Right: The idea that God created the monarchy and the monarch acted as God’s representative on Earth.

Edict of Nantes: A document that granted religious freedom to the Huguenots in 1598.

Cardinal Richelieu: A strong minister

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