Political Unrest

• The Conservative Elites:

  Powerful landowners, leading members of the Catholic Church and some senior army officers viewed reform and modernisation as a threat to Spanish culture. They were also ideologically opposed to democracy and greater equality. In addition, the Spanish middle class was very small, yet tended to side with old elites as they also feared democracy would lead to an increase in the influence of the working class and peasantry. They also thought the republic wouldn't be strong enough to suppress radical groups, such as the anarchists.
• Anarchism:

  Anarchism was a highly influential ideology in Spain and argued that the only way of liberating working people was through the abolition of capitalism and the state. They were regularly banned by RW governments until 1930. This included the CNT (National Confederation of Workers), which was Spain's main anarchist group. The CNT grew quickly, from 1 million in 1933 to 1.44 million only a year later.
• Socialists:

  Spain's main socialist party was the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Worker's Party). They believed the Republic was destined to become a mature capitalist democracy in a society that protected individual rights and allowed workers to improve their conditions through unions and laws that protected worker's rights.
• Communists:

  The most significant communist group in Spain was the PCE (Communist Party of Spain), although they were divided in who followed the policies set out by the Soviet Communist Party and who was influenced by Leon Trotsky. Compared to other parties, the PCE was small and had little influence within Spain's trade unions.
• Regional Divisions - Basque:

  The Basque region (northern Spain) had its own language and culture, meaning that they had a separate national identity to Spain.
• Regional Divisions - Catalonia:

  Catalonia (north-east of Spain) has its own language and has a history of resisting control by the central government. The region was most known for its rapid industrial development, which began in the 19th century. Catalonia wanted greater autonomy and a political group, called the Regionalist League, demanded self-governing for Catalonia.
• Opponents to the republic advocated for two main methods of ensuring the existing elites retained their power:

  • The accidentalists believed the best way to defeat the radicals was to use the democratic process. This included Gil-Robles, who argued that RW groups could win elections and resist change.
  • Conservative monarchists believed they should overthrow the republic through violence and re-establish the monarchy.
• Political Violence:

  Political violence began in May 1931 with a series of church burnings. The conservative right claimed the burnings showed that the republic was lawless and determined to destroy the traditions of Spain. Throughout 1932, the Spanish government experienced political and social unrest across the country.