The Spanish Civil War: Causes and Consequences
Final Thought: Why All This?
The Remote Causes or Long-Term
– The military’s intervention in government and the suppression of the liberal revolution in Spain. – The conservative and reactionary attitudes of the army, especially towards Catalan and Basque nationalism. – The delay in Spain’s industrialization and economic modernization. – The high level of illiteracy and the lack of educational infrastructure. – The ideological dominance of the Church in education. – The influence of the Soviet Revolution and the myth of the proletarian revolution.
Causes Close or Short
– The democratic reforms that threatened the power of the traditional elites. – The rise of fascism and its aggressive nationalism. – The Communist Revolution and the model of the USSR.
Unit 8: The Franco Regime (1939-1975)
The Nature and Support of the Franco Regime
The Political Thought of Franco
– Franco’s military and Catholic background. – His belief in aggressive nationalism and the superiority of Spanish values. – His support from the Church hierarchy. – His view of Spain as a Catholic nation. – His identification of Spain with Castella and his opposition to regional differences.
The Nature of Dictatorship
– Franco’s personal dictatorship. – The suppression of political and trade union pluralism. – The division of the country between winners and losers. – The similarities and differences between Franco’s regime and other European fascist regimes.
The Support of the Franco Dictatorship
The support of the dictatorship were the Army, the Church, the Falange, the Carlin or traditionalists and conservative right. None of these groups was not strong enough to impose itself on others, and even there were disagreements and tensions between them. Franco astutely distributed the politicians, thus the game was effectively arbitrate the various families of political regime, without ever fully committing any amv and making a blind eye to corruption.The military were more determined and loyal support of Franco’s dictatorship. Many ministers, governors and senior civil bureaucracy were the military regime. .