Spanish Republicanism and Labor Movements in the Restoration Era
Republicanism in Restoration Spain
The Restoration era severely impacted the Republican Party, leaving it fractured and weakened. Faced with internal crises, repression, and disillusionment among followers, the party’s opposition to the Restoration became increasingly ineffective.
Many Republicans were exiled to France, where the Third Republic served as a model. However, these exiled groups lacked cohesion and were heavily reliant on their leaders, preventing a unified agenda.
Spanish republicanism was divided into several factions:
- Republican Possibilists (Castelar): Collaborated with the Restoration regime, aiming for universal suffrage and jury trials. Castelar, a prominent orator, initially criticized the regime but later advocated for collaboration and praised its evolution.
- Republican Federalists (Pi y Margall): Rejected the regime and promoted federal republicanism, opposing Canovas.
- Progressive Republicans (Ruiz Zorrilla, Salmerón, Figueras): Organized opposition from exile, advocating for force to impose a republic, but lacked popular support.
- Radical Republicans (Salmerón, Azcárate): Became more effective after 1890, criticizing the system from a political theory perspective.
Despite attempts to unite in 1890, Republican parties failed to adapt and declined after 1895, recovering only in the late 20th century.
Evolution of the Labor Movement
The working class and peasantry, disillusioned with political parties, divided into Marxist and anarchist streams. Labor organizations were outlawed during the early Restoration, forcing them underground.
The state largely ignored social issues, with high illiteracy rates (71.5% overall, 81.16% for women). Intellectuals criticized the situation, leading to the creation of the Free Institution of Education and works by Joaquín Costa.
Marxist Labor Movement
Following Marx’s advice, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) was founded on May 2, 1879. It comprised 20 workers and 5 intellectuals and was registered under Sagasta’s Liberal government, taking advantage of the new law of associations.