Spain in the Early 20th Century: From Crisis to Dictatorship

1.5. The Impact of the Great War and the Crisis of 1917

In the first decades of the twentieth century, international developments had important consequences in Spain. World War I had significant economic consequences. The neutrality in the war allowed Spain to provide agricultural and industrial products to countries in conflict. This had two major effects: on the one hand, a great enrichment of the bourgeoisie, and on the other, the worsening of the living conditions of the working class due to high inflation, resulting in a more radical labor movement.

The Russian Revolution also had a profound impact, because it encouraged the revolutionary perspectives of workers and frightened the bourgeoisie who demanded the repression of the labor movement, creating social tensions. Woodrow Wilson’s principle of the right to self-determination of peoples, included in the peace treaties after the First World War and established as an international principle, reinforced the nationalist movements in Spain.

Under the influence of all these circumstances, there was the crisis of 1917, which was formed by three movements, all three anti-government, but not connected due to different interests.

Military Crisis

Low and medium-grade officers, very unhappy, formed Juntas to lobby for their interests. The government answered their demands and the army returned to fulfill their role as a pillar of the monarchy and the social problems facing the regime.

Political Crisis

The Regionalist League, before the government’s refusal to open the courts, closed for several months to avoid problems, brought together the deputies and senators to a meeting. Only representatives from Catalonia attended. The League proposed to transform the organization of the State with the recognition of autonomy for Catalonia to address the prevailing disorder. It was a revolt of the bourgeoisie against the oligarchy that exercised power. The Assembly was dissolved by the government and the movement continued for fear of the bourgeoisie to the attempted social revolution in the general strike.

Social Crisis: The Revolutionary General Strike

The strong dissatisfaction with the fall in wages led to a sharp social conflict. In August 1917, UGT, PSOE and CNT called a general strike to force the convening of a Constituent Assembly. The strike was a success in Madrid, the Basque Country, Asturias and Barcelona, but the peasantry did not participate. The government sent the army to repress the movement ending with dozens of deaths, injuries and sentences by military courts.

1.6. The Decomposition of the System

The Restoration could have ended with the crisis of 1917, but the problems continued to worsen. Political instability was manifested in the successive forms of government in a desperate attempt to save the regime. Constitutional guarantees were suspended, and the courts were closed, but the institutional crisis was inevitable.

In this situation, the army took an increasing role in political life, seen as the only solution to save the monarchy. The strength of the labor movement and social conflict were increasing. Trade unionism grew dramatically in the first decades of the twentieth century and became a mass unionism.

  • The UGT, with the PSOE, was strongly established in Madrid and in the north.
  • The CNT, the anarchist union, was severely repressed and took intermittent underground action. Nevertheless, its membership grew greatly, achieving hegemony in Catalonia, Andalusia and Valencia.

The Socialist Party increased its membership and moderated its goals, which led to the division of the PCE, in favor of supporting the Russian Revolution.

There was a widespread social conflict. The peasant movement spread across Andalusia, burning crops, occupying land, and controlling municipalities. Workers’ strikes occurred in many regions, but especially in Barcelona, which reached an extreme radicalization. The anarchist groups practiced a violent activism to which employers responded with gunmen, yellow unions, and business and government repression through the “Law of leakage.”

1.7. The Question of Morocco: The Disaster of Annual

After the First World War, the Army resumed the colonial war to control the whole territory, facing opposition from public opinion. Moroccan troops responded to the offensive and the Disaster of Annual occurred (15,000 casualties among newly recruited Spanish soldiers).

The consequences of the disaster were the extremism of the public, the government crisis and the start of a parliamentary process (File Picasso) to ascertain the political and military responsibilities, pointing to the Crown itself. The coup of Primo de Rivera ended the situation.