Political unrest

• conservative elites:

  • traditional elites: opposed to democracy
  • Catholic church: emphasised the importance of respecting and obeying God-given authority.
  • Aristocracy: did not support individual rights
  • m/c: feared a increase of w/c and peasantry.
  • feared democratic republic was not strong enough to repress radical groups.
• Anarchism:

  • highly influential
  • the only way to liberate the w/c was through the abolition of capitalism and the state.
  • banned by r/w groups until 1930
  • main group - CNT
• CNT - Anarchist:

  • grew in early 1930's.
  • 1933 - 1 million
  • 1934 - 1.4 million
• FAI - Anarchist:

  • convinced the Spanish elites and leading members of the armed forces that Spain's future, culture and key institutions were under direct threat
• PSOE - Socialist:

  • believed the republic was destined to become a mature capitalist democracy.
  • wanted to protect individual rights and allows workers to improve their position through the actions of unions and laws that protected workers rights.
  • fight for a better position within capitalism, rather than abolish it.
• PCE - Communist:

  • divided 2 ways : those who followed the policies set out by the Soviet Communist Party and by those who were inspired by Leon Trotsky.
  • PCE was small and had little influence within trade unions.
• Regional differences - Basque:

  • northern Spain
  • had its own unique culture and language
  • wanted autonomy
• Regional differences - Catalonia:

  • north-east of Spain
  • aspiration for independence was repressed during Primo De Rivera
  • Regionalist League: demanded self-government for Catalonia
• Political unrest:

  • emerged because of the way the republic was founded
  • radicals and poor- hoped it would deliver real change
  • power of elites was unbroken - in a strong position to resist change
• Political unrest - Accidentalists:

  • the best way to defeat the radicals was to use the democratic process. Gil-Robles believed r/w could win elections and resist change by forming democratic govs.
• Political unrest - Conservative monarchists:

  • should overthrow the new republic through violence and re-establish a monarchy
• Political violence:

  • May 1931 - church burnings
  • conservative right said it shows the new republic is lawless and determined to destroy the traditions of spain