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SECTION I
POLITICAL SITUATION
1.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.
For a century and a half, the Spanish people have struggled against oppression.
Their history during this period is a record of poverty, insurrection, administrative
incapacity, class warfare, declining world influence, and determined resistance to foreign
domination. Above all, there has been a conflict between authoritarians and liberals,
between the desire of the Church, the Army, and the propertied classes to preserve
the medieval Spanish Catholic tradition by the discipline of a powerful government
and the wish of anti-clerical intellectuals and workers to modernize Spain and free it
from traditional backwardness and misgovernment. This conflict of classes and ideas
has been intensified especially in the 20th century by parallel movements for regional
autonomy in Catalonia, the Basque provinces, and Galicia. Since 1800, the Spanish
people have fought two of the bloodiest civil wars of modern times, while five monarchs
(from three different dynasties) have been exiled. Two republics have been short-lived
and unsuccessful experiments. Military dictators, after several years of rule, have
had to abandon power and take refuge abroad. Stability of government has thus,
at best, been measured by decades rather than by generations, and instability has gone
so far that in one year (1873) Spain had five Chiefs of State.
This record of change is the outward manifestation of deep maladjustments which
are as yet far from corrected. It is noteworthy, however, that after several centuries
of disintegration, culminating in the war with the US, Spanish thinking began to alter
in response to the loss of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The "Generation
of
'98" was awakened to a critical analysis of its country's plight and produced the first
large group of distinguished, progressive intellectuals and writers Spain had known
since the 17th century. Simultaneously, a demand developed throughout the nation
for a more representative government.
It was not until 1931 that these developments had a directing influence on public
affairs. In April of that year the municipal elections resulted in an overwhelming
victory for the Socialists and Republicans who stood for the establishment of a republic.
On the evening of the 14th the leader of the emerging provisional government advised
King Alfonso XIII that he should leave Spain. To avoid bloodshed, the King departed
immediately.
There followed, between 1931 and 1936, a republican period in which the liberal
and leftist forces of the nation attempted to establish long-needed reforms. Such
changes required, among other factors, a considerable period of political education
conducted in a favorable atmosphere, which was denied by the situation itself and the
personalities involved.
Whether or not the Republic could have succeeded in modernizing the Spanish
state remains an academic question. The reforming elements were opposed, then
1
SECRET
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"ocrText": "SECRET\nSECTION I\nPOLITICAL SITUATION\n1.\nHISTORICAL BACKGROUND.\nFor a century and a half, the Spanish people have struggled against oppression.\nTheir history during this period is a record of poverty, insurrection, administrative\nincapacity, class warfare, declining world influence, and determined resistance to foreign\ndomination. Above all, there has been a conflict between authoritarians and liberals,\nbetween the desire of the Church, the Army, and the propertied classes to preserve\nthe medieval Spanish Catholic tradition by the discipline of a powerful government\nand the wish of anti-clerical intellectuals and workers to modernize Spain and free it\nfrom traditional backwardness and misgovernment. This conflict of classes and ideas\nhas been intensified especially in the 20th century by parallel movements for regional\nautonomy in Catalonia, the Basque provinces, and Galicia. Since 1800, the Spanish\npeople have fought two of the bloodiest civil wars of modern times, while five monarchs\n(from three different dynasties) have been exiled. Two republics have been short-lived\nand unsuccessful experiments. Military dictators, after several years of rule, have\nhad to abandon power and take refuge abroad. Stability of government has thus,\nat best, been measured by decades rather than by generations, and instability has gone\nso far that in one year (1873) Spain had five Chiefs of State.\nThis record of change is the outward manifestation of deep maladjustments which\nare as yet far from corrected. It is noteworthy, however, that after several centuries\nof disintegration, culminating in the war with the US, Spanish thinking began to alter\nin response to the loss of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The \"Generation\nof\n'98\" was awakened to a critical analysis of its country's plight and produced the first\nlarge group of distinguished, progressive intellectuals and writers Spain had known\nsince the 17th century. Simultaneously, a demand developed throughout the nation\nfor a more representative government.\nIt was not until 1931 that these developments had a directing influence on public\naffairs. In April of that year the municipal elections resulted in an overwhelming\nvictory for the Socialists and Republicans who stood for the establishment of a republic.\nOn the evening of the 14th the leader of the emerging provisional government advised\nKing Alfonso XIII that he should leave Spain. To avoid bloodshed, the King departed\nimmediately.\nThere followed, between 1931 and 1936, a republican period in which the liberal\nand leftist forces of the nation attempted to establish long-needed reforms. Such\nchanges required, among other factors, a considerable period of political education\nconducted in a favorable atmosphere, which was denied by the situation itself and the\npersonalities involved.\nWhether or not the Republic could have succeeded in modernizing the Spanish\nstate remains an academic question. The reforming elements were opposed, then\n1\nSECRET"
}