Spain’s Tumultuous Early 20th Century: Political and Social Upheaval
Spain’s Tumultuous Early 20th Century
During this period, a new generation of politicians and social movements stormed Spanish life, giving rise to increased social and political conflicts. The colonial problem in Morocco and the impact of the Great War exacerbated the conflicts that erupted in the revolutionary events of 1917.
Maura’s Reforms and Setbacks
Alfonso XIII aligned with Antonio Maura of the Conservative Party, while José Canalejas of the Liberal Party, influenced by regenerationism, provided the most important impetus for reform projects. They sought to improve the system but feared accepting the risks of genuine democratic participation and maintained electoral distortions. Maura’s project was based on revolution “from above,” defending the need for the regime to reform itself from the government to prevent a popular revolution.
Maura implemented economic measures and passed laws in the social field. However, the defense of social equilibrium implied a very intransigent attitude towards the maintenance of public order, especially during the tragic events of the Tragic Week. The mobilization against the war started in the port of Barcelona with the shipment of troops to Morocco. A committee was formed to strike, but the strike resulted in a popular revolt that surpassed the main target of the protest and became a spontaneous outburst of accumulated social tensions. Street incidents multiplied, and a strong anticlerical sentiment exploded. The high number of deaths and injuries radicalized the movement.
The government’s repression was very harsh, leading to the murder of movement leaders. The repression of the Tragic Week triggered a wave of protests, leading Alfonso XIII to dismiss Maura and relay power to the Liberals.
Canalejas’ Liberal Government
The Liberals formed a new government, proposing a program to modernize politics and attract a segment of the population with social and ecclesiastical reforms. The most prominent social reform was the substitution of the consumption tax with a progressive income tax, which sparked protests from the wealthy. The conscription law was to be required in times of war, and a series of laws aimed at improving working conditions. The rest of the reforms were paralyzed by the assassination of Canalejas by an anarchist.
Political Decomposition: From 1917
From 1917, governments of concentration were often used as a solution. The differences between the allies prevented the government from carrying out reforms, curbing inflation, and restoring social order.
Conflict and Gunmen
The end of the Great War in Spain favored an abrupt change in economic conditions. Production decreased, unemployment increased, and prices rose, provoking workers’ mobilization and a spectacular growth of syndicalism. Strikes affected industrial regions like Barcelona. Employers responded with business closures and harsh repression against unions. In Andalusia, the misery of the peasantry and rising prices gave way to the bolchevique triennium, with anarchist and socialist-led peasant revolts. Labor disputes degenerated into the radicalization of unions and employers. Employers hired gunmen and founded the Sindicato Libre (Free Union), some groups responded with violent activism against the CNT. Barcelona experienced harsh repression against trade unionists. All of this resulted in an era of gangsterism.