Understanding Spanish History: Restoration to Franco’s Dictatorship
The Spanish Restoration (1874-1931)
The Restoration refers to the period that began in 1874 after the First Spanish Republic ended. Alfonso XII was restored to the throne following a coup d’état by Martinez Campos. This era concluded in 1931 with the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic.
The Turno System
The Turno System was implemented in Spain during the Restoration by Antonio Canovas del Castillo. It was a method of rigging elections and ensuring that both establishment parties had a turn in government.
Tragic Week in Barcelona
Tragic Week describes a series of bloody confrontations between the army and the working classes of Barcelona and other cities. These clashes were supported by anarchists, socialists, and republicans. The unrest was triggered by Prime Minister Antonio Maura’s call-up of reserve troops to reinforce Spanish military-colonial activity in Morocco during the Second Rif War.
Miguel Primo de Rivera’s Dictatorship
Miguel Primo de Rivera was a Spanish aristocrat, military official, and dictator. Appointed Prime Minister by the King, he ruled as a dictator for seven years, ending the Turno System of alternating parties.
The Republic
A Republic is a form of government without a king, where citizens elect their leaders.
The Second Spanish Republic (1931-1939)
The Second Republic was the system of government in Spain from 1931, when King Alfonso XIII left the country after local and municipal elections favored republican candidates in urban areas, until 1939. It ended when the last republican forces surrendered to nationalist forces led by Francisco Franco at the end of the Spanish Civil War.
Coup d’état
A Coup d’état is a military takeover of the government.
The Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that began after an attempted coup d’état by a group of Spanish army generals. They were supported by the conservative Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas (CEDA), Carlist groups, and the fascistic Falange Española de las J.O.N.S., against the government of the Second Spanish Republic. The war concluded with the victory of the rebel forces, the overthrow of the republican government, and the establishment of a dictatorship led by General Francisco Franco.
Dictatorship
Dictatorship is a form of government in which citizens cannot elect their own leaders.
Francisco Franco’s Dictatorship
Francisco Franco was the fascist dictator and Head of State of Spain from 1936 and de facto regent of the nominally restored kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in 1975. His rule was characterized by a focus on Spanish nationalism, right-wing ideology, and traditional values.
Additional Terms
- SS: Militarized units of the Nazi party, responsible for the development of racial policy.
- Constitución ecléctica y abierta: A constitutional text that does not strictly adhere to a specific ideology, making it more adaptable for different political tendencies to govern.
- Cacique: A person who exercises abusive authority or power in a town.
- CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo): An anarchist trade union founded in 1910, which became the labor organization with the largest number of members.
- CEDA (Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas): A coalition of Catholic parties led by José María Gil-Robles.
- Sacas y paseos: Repressive procedures carried out by both sides, consisting of taking prisoners out of jail or forcing them on a walk to be murdered.