The+Transition+to+Democracy+in+Spain

(Also called //La Transición Española)//

[[image:http://sitemaker.umich.edu/fascistpersonalitycult/files/franco4.jpg width="409" height="327" align="right"]]

 * **~Table of Contents~** ||
 * < The Spanish Civil War ||
 * < The Franco Regime ||
 * < Guernica ||
 * Armed Struggle ||
 * < Francoism Comes to an End ||
 * La Movida Madrileña ||
 * La Movida Madrileña ||

The Spanish Civil War
Long since the eighteenth century has Spain been split by two contrasting sociopolitical positions. This separation of the Iberian spirit continued into the nineteenth century, when the Empire began to loose control of its American colonies. Growing opposition between liberal, "enlightened" leftists and conservative, Catholic semi-feudalists led to an attempted revolution by mid-ranking officers of an American expedition in 1820. Their demand of reinstating the liberal 1812 Constitution was met, but over the next hundred and fifty years, the nation suffered a flip-flopping of sociopolitical organizations, dissolving of the empire as a whole (¹) and constant influx of politically related violence; violence commited by police force, militia and citizens alike (³). From 1923 to 1931, Spain was under rule of Miguel Primo de Rivera, who was the leader of the fascist political party Falange Española. This party held a strong opposition to democracy. With the end of Primo de Rivera's dictatorship came with the formulation of the Second Republic (²). Then, in July of 1936, a nation-wide uprising of government opposition sparked the infamous Spanish Civil War. Instigated by nationalist Generalisimo Francisco Franco, the revolt showed initial success in major cities throughout Spain. However, it resulted in civil warfare and hundreds of thousands of casualties. Although General Franco and his nationalist following arrived at victory in 1939, Spain remained in turmoil (³).

-Nicholas Ekblad Sources: ² //The Transition to Democracy in Spain & Portugal// by Howard J. Wiarda //**³**// //Symbol & Ritual in the New Spain// by Laura Desfor Edles
 * ¹** http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2878.htm