Spain Under Primo de Rivera: A Historical Analysis
The Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera (1923-1930)
After a coup, Alfonso XIII commissioned Primo de Rivera to form a new government. Primo de Rivera dismantled the Cánovas system (dissolving the courts, annulling the 1876 Constitution, and outlawing political parties) and introduced a one-party authoritarian regime, the Patriotic Union, following the model of Italian fascism under Benito Mussolini. The social groups supporting the new regime were the bourgeoisie, landowners, industrialists, the Church,
Read MoreEconomic Downturns & Political Shifts: 1920s-1930s History
The Great Depression and the New Deal Era
Causes of the Great Depression
- Poverty: More than half the population was too poor to share in the prosperity of the 1920s, living “below the poverty line.”
- Overproduction: Due to mass production, more goods were produced than could be sold, leading to market saturation.
- Tariff Policy: When the USA placed tariffs on foreign imports in the early 1920s, foreign governments retaliated by placing tariffs on US goods.
- Speculation: Americans bought shares on credit
Workers’ Movements and Spain’s Old Regime Crisis (1808-1814)
Workers’ Associations and Early Labor Movements
The Rise of Workers’ Associations
The initial reaction of workers, due to their opposition to mechanization, which they considered responsible for low wages and protest strikes, often resorted to the destruction of equipment and the burning of industrial establishments (Luddism). To defend their interests, some sections of workers created the first mutual aid societies.
Workers’ societies were outlawed by liberal governments. However, in 1825, Britain
Read MoreEconomic Transformation: The Roaring Twenties to the Great Depression
The Roaring Twenties: Post-WWI Economic Shifts
Unequal Economic Growth & American Dominance
After World War I, the USA emerged as the global economic powerhouse. In Europe, the destruction caused by the war led to widespread inflation and high unemployment. The crisis was especially severe in Germany, where the mark was extremely devalued, and the country experienced hyperinflation. From 1924, the standard of living improved across Europe, though less significantly than in the USA. Thanks to this
Read MoreSpanish Civil War: Republican Resistance and Francoist State Formation
The Republican Zone: Revolution and Resistance
Facing the rising insurgency, the nascent Republican government of José Giral had to hastily organize a military force capable of opposing the rebels. This involved arming militias of political parties and unions, and decreeing the creation of volunteer battalions to be integrated into these militias. Consequently, trade unions and leftist parties became the primary armed forces defending Republican legality.
In the summer and autumn of 1936, the power
Read MoreDecolonization and Asia’s Post-War Emergence
Causes of Decolonization
Several factors contributed to the widespread decolonization process:
Weakness of Colonial Powers
A national process seeking independence emerged during the interwar period. Conditions for achieving the objectives of liberal movements were created during the Second World War. The war shattered the myth of invincible colonial powers when Great Britain and France suffered defeats in their colonies, often at the hands of the Axis powers. Criticism also arose against the colonial
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