Post by Niceto Alcalá-Zamora (Conrica) on Feb 24, 2012 13:27:56 GMT
1. Background to the Civil War
As with most civil wars, in most places, the causes extend far back before the actual outbreak of domestic war. The background to this civil war dates back to the 19th century.
During this period, Spain was dominated by owners of large estates, called latifundia. These local tyrants held most of the power in a land-based oligarchy. The landowners' power was unsuccessfully challenged by the industrial and merchant sectors, placed mostly in Basque territories, Catalonia and the industrialising north east.
The social injustices, lack of basic rights and freedoms eventually pushed Spain to boiling point. In 1868 popular uprisings led to the overthrow of Queen Isabella II of the House of Bourbon.
However the successful removal of the corrupt tyrant Isabella II didn't remedy the internal crisis in Spain. In 1873 Isabella's replacement, King Amadeo I of the House of Savoy, abdicated due to increasing political pressure. Pressures involving the failure to successfully challenge latifundia predominance. Conservatives opposed liberal forces and social progress largely continued to stall.
With the fall Amadeo I, the short-lived First Spanish Republic was proclaimed. It however proved totally unable to overcome the obstacles set by the assorted forces of the right. At this time Spain lacked a strong and coherent revolutionary left capable of forcing political change.
So, the monarchy was restored, in an attempt to control 'disorder'. (Interestingly, the interpretation of 'order' is largely one set by the rightists, and their landowner elite).
After the restoration of the Bourbons in December 1874, Carlists and anarchists emerged in opposition to the monarchy. Alejandro Lerroux helped bring republicanism to the fore in Catalonia, where poverty was particularly acute.
Important to note, Lerroux would go on to allegedly fail the forces of the left; through his increasingly corrupt behaviour (and eventual deal with the Rivera regime later).
But the growing resentment of conscription and of the military culminated in the Tragic Week in Barcelona in 1909. After the First World War, the working class, the industrial class, and the military united in hopes of removing the corrupt central government, but were unsuccessful. Fears of communism grew, as the working classes of the inner cities demanded political reform; to reduce the disproportionate influence held by rural landowner tyrants.
A military coup brought Miguel Primo de Rivera to power in 1923, and he ran Spain as a military dictatorship.
His dictatorship can be seen as the fundamental hinge which can be said to have begun the spiral into real social divides. His regime, and its eventual failure more than anything pushed Spain into two polarised halves.
Support for his regime gradually faded, and he resigned in January 1930. There was little support for the monarchy in the major cities, and King Alfonso XIII abdicated; the Second Spanish Republic was formed, whose power would remain until the culmination of the Spanish Civil War. Monarchists would continue to oppose the Republic.
Niceto Alcalá-Zamora became the first prime minister. The Republic had broad support from all segments of society; elections in June 1931 returned a large majority of Republicans and Socialists. With the onset of the Great Depression, the government attempted to assist rural Spain by instituting an eight-hour day and giving tenure to farm workers. Land reform and working conditions remained important issues throughout the lifetime of the Republic.
Fascism remained a reactive threat, helped by controversial reforms to the military. In December a new reformist, liberal, and democratic constitution was declared. It started a theme of anti-clerical actions by the government and committed Catholics opposed its leftist governments. In October 1931 Manuel Azaña became Prime Minister of a minority government whose actions were described as barbaric, unjust, and corrupt by opponents. The Right won the elections of 1933 following an unsuccessful uprising by General José Sanjurjo in August 1932, who would later lead the coup that started the civil war.
Events in the period following November 1933, called the "black two years", seemed to make a civil war more likely. Alejandro Lerroux of the Radical Republican Party (RRP) formed a government and rolled back changes made under the previous administration. Some monarchists moved to the Fascist Falange Española to help achieve their aims. Open violence occurred in the streets of Spanish cities and militancy continued to increase right up until the start of the civil war, reflecting a movement towards radical upheaval rather than peaceful democratic means as a solution to Spain's problems. In the last months of 1934, two government collapses brought members of the Spanish Confederation of the Autonomous Right (CEDA) into the government, making it more right-wing. Farm workers' wages were halved, and the military was purged of republican members and reformed. A Popular Front alliance was organised, which narrowly won the 1936 elections. Azaña led a weak minority government, but soon replaced Zamora as president in April. Prime Minister Casares failed to heed warnings of a military conspiracy involving several generals, who decided that the government had to be replaced if the dissolution of Spain was to be prevented.
They organised a military coup in July, which started the Spanish Civil War.
During this period, Spain was dominated by owners of large estates, called latifundia. These local tyrants held most of the power in a land-based oligarchy. The landowners' power was unsuccessfully challenged by the industrial and merchant sectors, placed mostly in Basque territories, Catalonia and the industrialising north east.
The social injustices, lack of basic rights and freedoms eventually pushed Spain to boiling point. In 1868 popular uprisings led to the overthrow of Queen Isabella II of the House of Bourbon.
However the successful removal of the corrupt tyrant Isabella II didn't remedy the internal crisis in Spain. In 1873 Isabella's replacement, King Amadeo I of the House of Savoy, abdicated due to increasing political pressure. Pressures involving the failure to successfully challenge latifundia predominance. Conservatives opposed liberal forces and social progress largely continued to stall.
With the fall Amadeo I, the short-lived First Spanish Republic was proclaimed. It however proved totally unable to overcome the obstacles set by the assorted forces of the right. At this time Spain lacked a strong and coherent revolutionary left capable of forcing political change.
So, the monarchy was restored, in an attempt to control 'disorder'. (Interestingly, the interpretation of 'order' is largely one set by the rightists, and their landowner elite).
After the restoration of the Bourbons in December 1874, Carlists and anarchists emerged in opposition to the monarchy. Alejandro Lerroux helped bring republicanism to the fore in Catalonia, where poverty was particularly acute.
Important to note, Lerroux would go on to allegedly fail the forces of the left; through his increasingly corrupt behaviour (and eventual deal with the Rivera regime later).
But the growing resentment of conscription and of the military culminated in the Tragic Week in Barcelona in 1909. After the First World War, the working class, the industrial class, and the military united in hopes of removing the corrupt central government, but were unsuccessful. Fears of communism grew, as the working classes of the inner cities demanded political reform; to reduce the disproportionate influence held by rural landowner tyrants.
A military coup brought Miguel Primo de Rivera to power in 1923, and he ran Spain as a military dictatorship.
His dictatorship can be seen as the fundamental hinge which can be said to have begun the spiral into real social divides. His regime, and its eventual failure more than anything pushed Spain into two polarised halves.
Support for his regime gradually faded, and he resigned in January 1930. There was little support for the monarchy in the major cities, and King Alfonso XIII abdicated; the Second Spanish Republic was formed, whose power would remain until the culmination of the Spanish Civil War. Monarchists would continue to oppose the Republic.
Niceto Alcalá-Zamora became the first prime minister. The Republic had broad support from all segments of society; elections in June 1931 returned a large majority of Republicans and Socialists. With the onset of the Great Depression, the government attempted to assist rural Spain by instituting an eight-hour day and giving tenure to farm workers. Land reform and working conditions remained important issues throughout the lifetime of the Republic.
Fascism remained a reactive threat, helped by controversial reforms to the military. In December a new reformist, liberal, and democratic constitution was declared. It started a theme of anti-clerical actions by the government and committed Catholics opposed its leftist governments. In October 1931 Manuel Azaña became Prime Minister of a minority government whose actions were described as barbaric, unjust, and corrupt by opponents. The Right won the elections of 1933 following an unsuccessful uprising by General José Sanjurjo in August 1932, who would later lead the coup that started the civil war.
Events in the period following November 1933, called the "black two years", seemed to make a civil war more likely. Alejandro Lerroux of the Radical Republican Party (RRP) formed a government and rolled back changes made under the previous administration. Some monarchists moved to the Fascist Falange Española to help achieve their aims. Open violence occurred in the streets of Spanish cities and militancy continued to increase right up until the start of the civil war, reflecting a movement towards radical upheaval rather than peaceful democratic means as a solution to Spain's problems. In the last months of 1934, two government collapses brought members of the Spanish Confederation of the Autonomous Right (CEDA) into the government, making it more right-wing. Farm workers' wages were halved, and the military was purged of republican members and reformed. A Popular Front alliance was organised, which narrowly won the 1936 elections. Azaña led a weak minority government, but soon replaced Zamora as president in April. Prime Minister Casares failed to heed warnings of a military conspiracy involving several generals, who decided that the government had to be replaced if the dissolution of Spain was to be prevented.
They organised a military coup in July, which started the Spanish Civil War.