10primo Spanish Civil War

Session 10. Primo de Rivera. Spanish Civil War

SPANISH CIVILIZATION AND CULTURE CEA BARCELONA GLOBAL CAMPUS SUMMER 2007 PROGRAMME Instructor: Victor Lapuente e-mail: [email protected]

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Today’s session will cover: ► The

late Restoration crisis: Catalan and Basque Nationalism

► Dictatorship

of Primo de Rivera

► The

Second Republic

► The

Spanish Civil War

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4 threats to the Restoration System: ► Ideological

reactions: socialism,

anarchism ► Territorial reactions: Catalan and Basque Nationalism

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Catalan Nationalism ► At

the same time Catalan nationalism –and less importantly the Basquestarts to blossom. This is not necessarily Republican but it does represent an alternative to the Restoration system.

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Catalonia as a ‘nation’ rather than as a ‘region’ ► The

‘desastre’ reinforced the feeling among many Catalans that they had a separate national identity and a different historical destiny and that these were increasingly incompatible with Castile. ► Some begin to identify with Anglo-Saxons and Germans ► Refer to the ‘Semitic’ blood of the Castilians and Andalusians, their ‘Muslim inheritance’ and their ‘African’ attitudes towards work ► Anti-bullfighting begins as early as 1901 – still active today 5

Catalanisme starts as cultural phenomenon ► Renaixença

– response to the disruption and violence brought about by modernisation.

► The

past becomes an escape route to avoid confronting the problems of modernity – this involves a historicist reconstruction of an idealised past, focusing on the middle ages.

► How

will this affect political nationalism when it emerges later – how? 6

Political Catalanism ► When

Catalanism becomes political, there is already a historiography built up, fruit of the Renaixença

► In

other words, they had a pre-existing definition of Catalan identity to work with, already completed by cultural revivalists.

► But

how to ‘use’ the history moving forward was the site of controversy… 7

Catalanisme – Broad Church but intellectual by nature ►2

main sources – both believed in autonomy for Catalonia. What do you see as the difference?

► Moderate

and conservative but not fully democratic, and represented the Catalan industrial bourgeoisie. ► Republican federalists, more democratic, individualist and linked to the budding worker movements, whose intellectual leader was Francisco Pi i Maragall. 8

Catalan bourgeoisie ► The

most critical group in Catalonia They had bought into Spain as part of an imperial project. Were not inherently Catalan nationalists. Much of the Catalan middle class still depended on trade with Cuba and the Philippines, and on protectionist trade measures. After ’98, this important lobby begins to drift away from Madrid.

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Catalan Federalism ► Federalism

was a ‘Catalan project’ – administration needed to be reformed and decentralized. ► Catalan bourgeoisie would regenerate Spain from a politically resurgent Catalonia – they would show Spain the way, imposing their model on ‘backward’ Spain. ► They believed that federalism would regenerate all the Spanish regions. 10

Two Basic Principles of Catalanisme ► Rejection

of a centralized Spanish state, and the pushing for a decentralized one. Convert other regions and nationalities to their decentralized caused. ► The hecho diferencial (fet diferencial). The acceptance that Catalonia has specific characteristics, different from those of Spain - language, private law, culture, common history, and general cultural characteristics.

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Lliga Regionalista ► Lliga

Regionalista – Catalan political party. It was anti-restoration corruption, and not independentist but regionalist and regenerationist. ► They pressed for a constitutional reform, to include decentralization, democratic Senate elections, & nearelimination of royal power over parliament. 12

Basque Nationalism ► The

BC, together with Navarre and rural Cat, was a stronghold of antiliberalist Carlism (a struggle primarily over questions of male succession and constitution) in the mid-19th century, largely for religious reasons and due to peasant resentment of urban areas.

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The Basque Country

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‘Traditional’ Basque Country ► The

pink section is now the region called ‘the Basque Country’ ► The green section is another Spanish region called Navarre (which some Navarrese consider Basque, while others do not) ► The three yellow territories are French Basque country. 16

Basque country Basque fueros abolished in 1876 at the end of the final Carlist war (1873-1876) ► This directly contributed to the massive growth of Basque industry, which until then had industrialized more slowly compared with Catalonia (opened up Basque Country to rest of Spain economically, no customs barriers). ► BUT, in Basque countryside, the removal of foral customs destroyed inefficient agricultural industry. It was the sudden, drastic shock to traditional life which created unease amongst the middle-class bourgeoisie Basques who felt squeezed from above by the centralista oligarchies ►

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Basque nationalism ► Thus,

this was a defensive nationalism based on fears created by radical change.

► Rather

than the inclusive Catalan nationalism, this was exclusive; it was a racial defense of the purity of the Basque people and their culture and extreme in its ties to the Vatican. 18

Sabina Arana y Goiri (18651903) ► Few

nationalisms can be said to be so exclusively identified with one person. ► Bizkaya por su indepencia (1892) ► Becomes the inspiration for independence for the Basque Country, which for nationalists includes the three provinces in Spain, three provinces in France, and Navarre (Spain). 19

Arana and Basque Nationalism ► Formulated

BC’s first political program ► Coined its name ► Defined its geographical extent ► Founded its first political organization ► Wrote its anthem ► Designed its flag

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Arana and Basque Nationalism II ► Sabina’s

‘divine intervention’ – his political conversion to independence for Basque Country comes on Easter Sunday 1882. ► Thus, the resurrection has special meaning in Euskadi, and pays tribute to the idea of the Basques as a ‘chosen’ people. ► Arana is a traditional man living in a non-traditional world. Thus, his nationalism was a neo-traditionalist

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Arana the Racialist ►

Rather than encouraging the spread of the Basque language, they chose to mark an ethnic boundary. Language was not widespread enough to use as cultural or nationalist marker. Instead, the idea is to preserve sense of unique Basque racial purity.

►

Immigrants called Maketos – term of racist abuse meant to emphasize Basque purity as opposed to the irreligiosity and immorality of the Spanish.

►

Studies purported to show an unusually high % of type O blood, distinctive cranial formations, hair and eye coloring. 22

Arana the Racialist II ► This

is fed by the fact that people thought Basque was unlearnable, ethnically specific.

► The

devil visited the Basque country to learn the language and make disciples. He tried for weeks, but was defeated and returned to hell after having learned no more of the language than bai (yes) and ez (no). 23

Arana the Believer ► Basque

civil society was far less secularized than in Catalonia ► Advocated non-violent methods to achieve his goal. ► Espoused Social Catholicism’s concern for the poor and needy. ► Resented the materialistic attitude of the bourgeoisie 24

Territorial question linked to Religion ► He

derived from Catholicism a large body of thought which is still instilled in the Basque Nationalist Party today. ► Religious basis of Arana’s program can be found in the motto ‘God and the Old Law’ ► So centralization meant a conspiracy to deprive the Church of its hold over society and dilute Catholic values of piety and justice in the name of materialism and avarice. 25

Arana and language ► First

and foremost – race was always above language in Arana’s nationalism. ► Learning the language was not ‘integration’ as in Catalonia. Because learning the language did not necessarily mean changing a state of mind and acquiring Basque ‘values’. ► Thus, a language revival could be a ‘threat’ to Basques, as an immigrant learning Basque threatened the natives with moral contamination.

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From Nationalism to Politics ► Original

term in Basque for the Basque Country is ‘Euskal-Herria’. Refers to the of the people who speak Basque.

► Arana

creates the new word ‘Euskadi’, which changes the meaning from the land of the Basque ‘speakers’ to the Land of the Basques. 27

Basque Nationalist Party ► ►

Eusko Alderdi Jeltzalea (EAJ) (in Basque) Partido Nacionalista Vasco (PNV) (in Spanish)

►

One of the first Christian Democratic parties in Europe

►

The party was created in 1895 by Sabino as a Catholic conservative. He pledged to restore selfgovernment for the Basques.

►

When it was formed, minimal bloodlines were established for members - they had to prove Basque ancestry by having a minimum number of Basque surnames. Over time, Arana becomes less independent

►

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Arana’s legacy ► Arana

left a legacy of contradictions and ambivalences that sowed the seeds of future nationalist fragmentation. ► As a consequence, each of the opposing forces within the nationalist field claimed to be the true inheritor of his ideal ► no matter how moderate or radical, anti-capitalist or rapprochement with industrialists, or on language or

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► The

‘other’ two anti-Restoration system influences:

► Socialism ► Anarchism

A brief note on those two: 30

Socialism in Spain ► Socialism-

Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy. ► Socialist party (PSOE) formed in 1879, and its trade union the UGT in 1880. ► Both were inspired by Pablo Iglesias, and was hostile to bourgeois Republicanism. 31

Socialism in Spain II ► The

importance of the PSOE lay less in its power in representing organized labor, than in its standing as the heir of the Republicans as critics of a ‘feudal monarchy’. ► Moral alternative to a corrupt system. ► Most of support found in the north industrial areas, and mines of Asturias. ► Their meeting places (las Casas del Pueblo) would educate the working classes, and will promote abstinence from alcohol… 32

Anarchism ► The

political philosophy advocating a libertarian society without hierarchy, based on mutual aid and voluntary cooperation. ► Anarchism historically gained the most support and influence in Spain, especially in the seventy or so years before Francisco Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939. 33

Anarchism II ►

►

► ►

During the late 19th century, the success of the anarchist movement was sporadic. They would organize a strike, and ranks would swell. Usually, repression by police reduced the numbers again, but at the same time, further radicalized many members. This action/repression/action cycle helped lead to an era of mutual violence in the late 19th century, where anarchist "pistoleros" and police gunmen were both responsible for political assassinations. Anarchists vs. State Strong (an at times violent) anticlericalism. Anarchists vs. Church Result - more divided society.

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Anarchism III ► In

the 20th century, the movement gained speed with the rise of anarchosyndicalism and the creation of the huge libertarian union, the CNT. ► General strikes became common, and large portions of the Spanish working class adopted anarchist ideas.

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Primo Dictatorship 1923-30 ► In

order to solve the ‘problem of the nation’, the military Captain General of Catalonia, Miguel Primo de Rivera (1870-1930), proclaimed himself dictator of Spain in 1923, with the authorization of the king. 

► What

is this called? 36

Primo Dictatorship 1923-30 ► Establishes

a Military Directory (although two years later he becomes a government of civil politicians) and suspends the civil Constitution.  ► The Dictatorship welcomed with enthusiasm by almost everybody (including the King, and the Lliga Regionalista in CAT).  ► It was also initially successful in restoring public order. 37

Primo Dictatorship 1923-30 ► Public

work projects: railroads, highways, marshes, ports and reforestation, thus ending the jobs crisis.  ► Also the Banco de Crédito Industrial and the Banco de Crédito Local were established, stimulated the small businesses and savings.  38

Primo Dictatorship 1923-30 ► The

system of collection of taxes improves ► The national budget is balanced. ► Simultaneously, general Primo de Rivera manages to pacify the north of Morocco after two years military (1925-1927).  39

Primo Dictatorship 1923-30 ► BUT

- All this is coming on top of a culturally homogenizing, restrictive and authoritarian government. ► Despite the advances of the Dictatorship, the intellectuals, liberal and the revolutionaries complained the persistent suppression of constitutional guarantees 40

Effects of Primo Dictatorship in CAT ► Catalan

flag and language and banned ► Catalanist organizations dissolved, meetings prohibited ► Centralization of Spanish curriculum ► Dissolves the Mancommunitat (1925) ► Changed street names ► Banned language’s use on shops ► Becomes a model for Franco later on… 41

Primo Dictatorship 1923-30 ► The

Great Depression of 1929 ended the prosperity of the Directory (now public neither happy with social reforms or economy) ► King Alfonso XIII, fearing the future of the monarchy, rescinds his support of the dictator and, subsequently, Primo de Rivera is forced to resign his position in 1930.  42

Second Republic (1931-1936) In the elections of April of 1931, although the monarchic parties obtained a great majority in the rural countryside, the coalition of republican and socialist parties won in the cities and Catalonia.  ► The new government declares a Spanish Federal Republic (1931-1936) ► In order to avoid a civil war, the King leaves the country on the April 14th 1931 for France. The King dies later in Rome in 1941. ►

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2

nd

Republic (1931)

► The

Spanish Republic was established in 1931 when King Alfonso XIII decided to "suspend the use of (his) Royal Prerogatives" and leave the country. ► Weakened and discredited by many years of colonial war against the Riffs in Morocco (costing over $800 million), and in the throes of the world economic depression, the monarchy was no longer a viable form of bourgeois rule, and was superceded first by a bourgeois republic and then by Fascism. 44

► The

new regime introduced ‘real’ democracy. What did this mean? …. in a country governed by oligarchs, a privileged church & oppressive army. This represented the possibility of true change in power structure. ► Republic promised modernity & social justice. High expectations and hopes. ► The farmers of the south expected a land redistribution in order to improve their life standards. 45

For the (industrial) working class it meant an improvement in life conditions through increment of wages, union rights and more bargaining ability. ► For others, Republic implied social and cultural reform that would give rights to the minorities, recognize the minority rights of historical communities and would give power and education to regular people. ► For its supporters it implied a change, a historical movement (transformation) since power and wealth would be redistributed from ►

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The opponents: ► Land

and company owners were afraid in front of a labor cost increase and of a legislation that impose bargaining and union rights. ► The conservative army officials thought that the regional autonomy would be the beginning of the end: Spain would break, and they could not allow that. They were also worried for a more than necessary reform of the army, at least in the official scale. ► For many of the conservatives, democracy was not only against their interest but they thought it was also the anti-Spain.

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Session 14. Republic Three main reforms: ► Transformation of a non representative corrupted political system to a pluralist democracy ► Decentralization ► Social/political reforms in order to modernize Spanish society. From a top down perspective. What sort of perspective is this one? ► Let me give you some examples. 48

Session 14. Republic On the political side: ► The new Constitution abolished the Senate, which was not representative and created a unicameral Parliament. ► At the same time, the electoral rules –the way to transform votes into seats- was reformed in order to guarantee the practice of the democracy. ► Women could be in the Parliament and also could vote (which for some was not the wisest decision. Debates by Clara Campoamor and Victoria Kent).

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Building a new Spain or Disintegrating Spain

Decentralization: ►

In 1931, after the elections that caused the exile of Alfonso XIII of Spain and gave the local majority to his party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC), Francesc Macià proclaimed the Free Catalan Republic in Barcelona.

►

Members of the provisional Spanish government flew to Barcelona and assured Macià that as soon as the Constitution was passed, the Spanish Parliament would discuss an Statute of Autonomy for Catalonia.

►

Macià agreed to later negotiate partial autonomy within the new Spanish Republic.

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Social/political Reforms of 1st Gov’t of 2nd Republic 1931-33 ►

► ► ► ► ►

Made up of Republican left and the Socialists, led by Manuel Azaña, first President of 2nd Republic. Their aim was not merely reform or establishment of a new democratic consensus, but rather paying off old scores and building a sectarian leftist regime. The coalition had four goals: a) reform and reduction of the army b) separation of church and state and sharp restriction of Catholic rights as well as privileges c) reform of the unitary structure of the Spanish state to permit Catalan regional autonomy d) broad social and economic reforms

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Why didn’t 2nd Republic reforms work out? ► 1)

No Money - The inherited budget by Primo, made it even harder to finance the reforms. If this was not enough, in 1931 did not rain much, hence difficulties arose for those poor in the rural areas. Redistribution was even more urgent. ► The little industry that Spain had was also hit by the Depression. Iron and steel were especially hit as no-one had the money to pay for the products. Iron production fell by 33% and steel by 50%. 52

Why didn’t 2nd Republic reforms work out?

► Unemployment

in both agriculture and industry rose and those in work had to put up with a cut in wages as the economy struggled to survive the Depression. ► The Republic faced losing the support of those whose support it desperately needed – the working class. ► 2)

Weak state - Another important inherited problem (was not only from the Restoration) was the scarce penetration of the state in the society – contrary to Germany or France. 53

Session 14. Republic ► Bourgeoisie

and land owners are also a problem: former caciques and industrial bourgeoisie don’t believe in the Republic since it allows the entrance of socialists in the government

► Working

class felt it was their moment and obviously business owners did not like that

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►

Even on the left the social base support of the Republic was notably fragmented: (scarce urban middle classes), industry workers, small peasants, landless peasants … all of those had different interests and sometimes confronted.

►

One of the main problems of the Republic was of public order. Casas Viejas (agrarian reformers repressed). The Agrarian Law of 1932 - decreed to calm the anarchists, distributed land (large estates) between the farmers of Andalusia and Extremadura (angered the proprietors). 

►

Such social division implied political division inside the Republic: from conservative republicans, pushing for a modernization of the

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Fascism ►

►

►

A political regime based on strong centralized government, suppressing through violence any criticism or opposition of the regime, and exalting nation, state, or religion above the individual. a form of ultranationalism espousing a myth of national rebirth and marked by extreme elitism, mobilization of the masses, exaltation of hierarchy and subordination, oppression of women and an embrace of violence and war as virtues "Like you", said Mussolini to the Bolsheviks, "we consider necessary a centralized and unitary state which imposes iron discipline on all persons, with this difference, that you reach this conclusion by way of the concept of class, and we by way of the concept of nation." 56

The Reactionaries

►

Jose Maria Gil Robles Antonio Primo de Rivera

General Sanjurjo

Jose

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The Reactionaries ► Gil

Robles formed the rightist coalition CEDA (Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas) which won the elections of November 1933 ► Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera - in 1933, he founded Falange Española ("Spanish Phalanx"), a nationalist party inspired by the Fascist ideology. ► Falange - traditionalistic, revolutionary and Catholic and chose to be called a movement instead of political party. It was anti-capitalist and anti-Marxist. 

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Conservative stage 19336 ► In

1932, General Sanjurjo led a small group of monarchists, landowners, clericalists and army officers in a coup against the Republic, but lacking support from the major forces of the ruling class, it failed.

► Elections

were held in November, 1933. In this election, the right wing won a majority of support and the largest party in the parliament (known as the Cortes), was the Ceda lead by Gil Robles, which halted or reversed many of the earlier

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CEDA ► CEDA

was a coalition of groups under the leadership of Jose Maria Gil Robles, a law professor from Salamanca who had headed Popular Action (Accion Popular), an influential Catholic political youth movement. ► CEDA never succeeded in establishing a working-class base. Its electoral strength lay in the Catholic middle class and in the rural population. Gil Robles was primarily interested in 1932 in working for a settlement favorable to the church within

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This right-wing coalition (formed after 1933 elections) did not hide its desire for an authoritarian & corporatist to end the crisis in Spain, and created a mass party in order to win the elections in defense of the ‘prosecuted’ church. ► The new right wing government immediately over-turned all of the changes brought in by the Azaña government. This angered many but especially the Catalans who had their privileges withdrawn. GENERALITAT SUSPENDED. ► This was a serious error of judgment as the Catalans and Basques had supported the government in the elections. The way ahead for Robles became clear to many – an attack on the left wing parties of Spain. ►

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Revolt in Asturias ► Left

wing responds to defeat with strikes and acts of sabotage and terrorism against the government. ► In Asturias - full-scale insurrection--in one place, declaring a Soviet Republic. The government called in the Foreign Legion and Moorish Regulares, commanded by Generals Goded and Franco. 62

Last stage of the Republic 1936 -1939 ►

►

Spain appeared to be heading for all out chaos. In a last minute attempt to avoid serious trouble, a general election was called for February 1936. In this election, the Popular Front won and Azaña, once again became prime minister. Popular Front – broad coalition of several left-wing parties which presented a joint slate in 1936 elections: The Left Republicans, the PSOE, the Republican Left of Catalonia (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya), the communists, a number of smaller regional and left-wing parties, and the anarchists, who had boycotted previous elections as a matter of principle, joined to present a single leftist slate to 63 the electorate (Popular Front).

Last stage of the Republic 1936 -1939 ► The

rhetoric during the campaign in 36 promoted the vision that Spain was divided into two blocks. The two Spains? ► The propaganda from Gil Robles was: For God and for the fatherland, Conquest or death. ► Left is based in big cities, industrial areas and the south and southwest, where the agrarian unemployment and the demand for a best partition of land. ► The Popular Front (left wing coalition) won the election with a known picture …WHICH PICTURE IS THAT?

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Primo de Rivera clip ► Take

a look at the clip of Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera:

► http://www.youtube

.com/watch?v=Z-979vsPYZk

► What

three divisions does he speak of? ► What do you think is the best way to solve them? 69

Session 14. Republic ► The

1936 elections return the left to power (Popular Front), and immediately annulled most of the laws produced in previous years. ► However, the government of the Popular Front was a farce after the socialists withdrew their support from it; more and more public disturbances occurred and the government had clearly lost control of Spain. ► Increased tension between political factions. 70

Slide to War ► The

Spanish Popular Front was to be only an electoral coalition. Its goal was not to form a government but to defeat the right. ► Largo Caballero made it clear that the Socialists would not cooperate in any government that did not adopt their program for nationalization, a policy as which threatened to break Spain in two and to provoke a civil war. 71

Slide to War II ► Azaña

formed his minority government, but the front's victory was taken as the signal for the start of the left's long-awaited revolution, already anticipated by street riots, church burnings, and strikes. ► Workers' councils, which undertook to circumvent the slow-grinding wheels of the constitutional process, set up governments parallel to the traditional bodies. 72

Session 14. Republic ► Organized

confrontation - communist red shirts and the falangist blue shirts. ► The government closed the falange and jailed Primo de Rivera (son).  Guardia de Asalto (security force) were sent by agents in Republic to assassinate Calvo Sotelo (ally of Primo). ► Right wing politicians and their supporters believed that they were now in serious danger. They wanted to put their faith in a military dictatorship. ► the monarchic group Renovación Española (Spanish Renovation) abandons parliament permanently, blaming the government of complicity in the murder of Calvo Sotelo.  Gil Robles, head of CEDA accused the government 73

Slide to War III ► Calvo

Sotelo's death was a signal to the army to act on the pretext that the civilian government had allowed the country to fall into disorder. ► The army issued a pronunciamiento. ► General Franco assumed control of the military. He took control of Spanish Morocco after overthrowing the civilian government there. His next target was to invade mainland Spain, establish a military government there and rid the country of all those involved in left wing politics. The left would have to fight for survival. The civil war started in July 1936. 74

Slide to War IV ►A

coup was expected, however, and the urban police and the workers' militia loyal to the government put down revolts by army garrisons in Madrid and Barcelona. Navy crews spontaneously purged their ships of officers. ► The army and the left rejected the eleventhhour efforts of Indalecio Prieto (who had succeeded Azaña as prime minister) to arrive at a compromise. 75

Seeds of War ► July

18th 1936, the army, the Civil Guard, Carlists, Phalange, republican JONS declared in revolt opened against the government of the Republic.

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