Spain’s Transition to Democracy: 1975-1978
The Spanish Transition (1975-1978)
On November 20, 1975, Carlos Arias Navarro, head of the Government, informed the nation about the death of Franco. Following this event, Spain became the protagonist of a rare event in world history: a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. The desire to integrate Spain into European economies through the Common Market and the need to maintain a dynamic expansion was incompatible with the survival of a backward political system.
Juan Carlos I Proclaimed King
Two days after Franco’s death, Juan Carlos I was proclaimed king. His first speech as head of state before the Cortes was characterized by prudent caution. While expressing his intention to adhere to the current principles, which reassured those loyal to the Caudillo, he also hinted at a new spirit. This statement established the fundamental tone of the newly launched process: in the future, it would be necessary for all groups involved in the task of governing Spain to strive to achieve a great deal.
Social Unrest and Political Change
Between joy and anticipation, Spanish society and the democratic opposition took to the streets with demonstrations and strikes, harshly repressed by the forces of public order. The proclamation of Juan Carlos I brought a pardon for political prisoners who were not affected by violent crimes. From late 1975 and into 1976, there was a period of extraordinary conflict, with many strikes that affected factories, utilities, and communications.
The first feminist demonstrations in the history of Spain took place in January 1976, as a symbol of the liberating process that helped change the role of women in Spanish society. Tension gripped the streets, where mass amnesty demonstrations were demanded, while in Catalonia and the Basque Country, hundreds of thousands of citizens were mobilized in favor of autonomy.
The rights of assembly and demonstration were not yet regulated, and clashes between demonstrators and police continued. One of the tragedies took place in Vitoria-Gasteiz, with the fatal shooting of five workers during a demonstration, and another was the clash in Montejurra between Navarre Carlist liberals and reactionaries, which resulted in another two deaths by the ultra-right.
The Role of the Military
From the moment of the dictator’s death, eyes turned toward the Spanish soldiers. Inside the barracks, life under Franco had seen strict ideological control by ultra officers, who on occasion sanctioned those suspected of sympathizing with the democratic cause with military arrest, as in the case of the UMD (Democratic Military Union).
The task faced by men in the military sphere was decisive. It was necessary to turn off the main engine of Francoist nationalism, and this was done while struggling with terrorism that sought to provoke the military establishment into a coup to force an outcome. The attempt was unsuccessful; the King bet everything on the asset of his supreme command of the Army and made driving it towards democracy his personal cause.
The Church’s Position
Prepared to lend a hand, the Church stepped forward through its hierarchy to greet the draft of political coexistence that was little by little being designed. The anticlericalism that had always been nurtured in the field of the left was now almost a right-wing Francoist heritage, which did not forgive what it considered a betrayal of the Church by the founder of the regime.