Primo de Rivera’s Dictatorship & Spain’s Path to Republic
Primo de Rivera’s Dictatorship & Path to the Republic
This text provides a description of the salient features of Miguel Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship, the decline of the Bourbon monarchy under Alfonso XIII, and the proclamation of the Second Republic in Spain. Chronologically, we are primarily situated in the 1920s. For an optimal presentation of the content, we will establish three major interrelated thematic blocks:
The Advent of Dictatorship
This section presents the background to the arrival
Read MoreSpain’s 17th Century: Validos, Wars & Habsburg Decline
The Role of the Valido in 17th Century Spain
A distinctive feature of the Spanish seventeenth century was the Valido (or Private). This figure was a de facto ruler, though not a legal one, interposed between the monarch and state institutions, making key decisions. Introduced under Philip III, who entrusted governance to the Duke of Lerma, one of the great Validos alongside the later Count-Duke of Olivares. They were aware of their position’s unpopularity, and successors like the Duke of Uceda and
Read MoreFascism, Nazism, and Hitler’s Rise to Dictatorship
Core Tenets of Fascism
Fascism, an ultra-nationalist, illiberal, and undemocratic movement, emerged in Italy after the First World War. The term originates from the political organization founded by Benito Mussolini in 1919: The Italian Fasci di Combattimento, whose members were known as Blackshirts. Fascist movements later appeared not only in Germany but also in Spain, Poland, Austria, the United States, and other countries.
General Characteristics:
- Radical nationalism evolving into imperialism,
Spain’s Democratic Sexenio: Revolution & Change (1868-1874)
The historical period 1868-1874 is known as the Democratic Sexenio because, for the first time, the ideas of universal suffrage and social rights appeared in Spanish political life. It has also received the adjective “Revolutionary” because, during these six years, the country experienced a turbulent period of political changes, social movements, armed conflict, and failed attempts at solutions.
In this short span of time, numerous political changes occurred, including frequent changes in government,
Read MoreSpain’s Restoration Era: Politics, Society, and Crisis
Electoral System and Turnismo
Elections were manipulated to ensure a majority for the governing party through the influence of local bosses (caciques), who controlled voters directly through pressure or various forms of vote-buying. If this failed, they resorted to electoral fraud (pucherazo), manipulating results by falsifying vote counts, swapping ballot boxes, and employing other fraudulent methods to ensure the government’s preferred candidate won. This system persisted for several reasons:
- Widespread
Spain’s 1936 Election: Popular Front Victory & Road to War
The Triumph of the Popular Front
The harsh repression against leftists during the Two Black Years led to the unification of forces against the conservative government. In the elections of February 16, 1936, two clearly antagonistic blocs formed: the right and the left.
The February 1936 Elections
To contest the election, the leftist parties (Republicans, Socialists, and Communists) grouped together in the Popular Front. This electoral coalition was based on a common agenda advocating amnesty for those
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