The Triple Crisis of 1917 in Spain: Political, Military, and Social Upheaval
The Triple Crisis of 1917
The political tension reached a climax, as the constitutional reform of Spain was imminent restoration in many areas as increasing the strength of Catalan political republicanosocialista or coalition, but political tension grew even more time a protest organized by the army and the mobilization of the revolutionary movement. The revolutionary political change and the pressure led to what is known as the crisis of the restoration, from 1917 it was impossible to keep the game by the turn between liberal and conservative parties inherited from the previous century.
The military defense board meetings
They channel the protest of a very important part of low-ranking officers of the Army infantry weapon. The initial core and most important was Barcelona since 1916. The complaints were based before the power rating ofhigh official of the benefits of living close to the crown or the advantages of African colonial army already receiving most of the defense budget. The causes of the protest were many and the European war with the obvious attention issues as military focused on internal matters such as promotions, these changes came from the grounds that the war caused in the city life. The cost of living increased, the unions and the military benefits obtained were checked against the increased cost.
Discomfort was expressed together with the proclamations, manifestos and newspaper articles to radical tackle corruption, political instability, lack of social involvement … this was aggravated when the joints to the rest of “Spain wanted to control the movement even imprisoning some of their heads.
Military pressure was very strong and it took the sectors of the Conservative Party of Juan de la Cierva, and the military helped the government by participating in trade union repression in exchange for the government to reform the military rules by introducing the rise grade and salary according to seniority
The Assemlea Parliamentarians
The protest led to military thought the atmosphere was conducive to political change. Some political leaders also thought it essential that policy and modernization needed to end the maintenance of the resource to close the Cortes if she did not want wrecked in the storm of war and revolution that affected all of Europe. The Defense Military Juntas helped spread awareness regenerationist.
In this environment, and with the support of the Regionalist League, French Cambo led a reform movement that also sought to link the granting of autonomy to Catalonia. Although did not have the help of Maura and his followers, Cambo proposed the convening of a meeting of parliamentarians to discuss constitutional reform. The news of the collapse of the Russian Tsar was presented as an example of what happens when power bent on not moving, ignore popular demands.
In early July 1917 was urgently requested the reopening of the Cortes, and how that occurred was held for 19 days a meeting of parliamentarians in Barcelona. Despite being considered illegal by the government, the meeting was a testimonial act, before it was dissolved by the police, agreed to the opening of a constitutional process and an emergency government, based on fact the collaboration of all political forces.
The military junta, however, refused to collaborate in, and all areas where the Conservatives were scared that summer there were major workers’ demonstrations, although there was a second meeting in Madrid in the month of October, this political movement failed.
The strike breakthrough
The social unrest was not impacted by both volume and violence as the political nature which acquired, and that coincided with two other crises (political and military), and did feel that the country was at the door total crisis and revolution.
The collaboration between the anarcho syndicalist union CNT and the socialist UGT came late 1916. Was repeated during the 1917 kms away and added sectors of the same political republicanism and socialism (PSOE). All states agreed with the social demands for political reform demands made by the military junta and the parliamentary movement.
The strike broke out on August 13, the day he reaches 15 peak and 19 had been entirely suppressed. In fact, only had a real influence in Asturias, Biscay and Catalonia. In the north, the crackdown was directed by the young commander Francisco Franco, and Catalonia by Colonel Marquez, who was chief of the Military Juntas. The repression of the conjunction of political sectors republicanosocialista was also remarkable. Only the area of Barcelona, the facts were thirty-three dead and hundreds injured, in addition to numerous arrests.
The political radicalization was a fact. Under the aegis of the Comintern in November 1921 to create the Communist Party of Spain, with a significant core of people emerging from socialism, especially the Youth Socialistas. Between 1917 and 1920, a major wave of protests and riots in the country was completed in order to provide this general sense of crisis.