European states (Spain): Evaluate the successes and failures of Primo de Rivera’s government between 1923 and 1930. Flashcards
Intro/thesis
-Politically, Rivera tried to establish an authoritarian right-wing regime to address Spain’s problems, similar to the Italian Fascist model.
-Economically, he wanted to address Spain’s problem of violent and militant industrial disputes
-Despite taking power in a military coup, Rivera was not a typical coup leader in that some of his policies do seem to show a genuine concern for addressing Spain’s problems in addition to merely holding on to power.
-Nevertheless, while Primo de Rivera’s regime did have some decent ideas for resolving Spain’s social and economic problems, he failed to satisfy all social groups and his economic policies’ benefits were only short-lived.
-Politically, the regime was unimaginative and did not offer any serious solutions to the deep-seated and long-term political problems from which pre-civil war Spain, which was to be the critical factor behind his demise.
Paragraphs
-Rivera did not successfully address Spain’s political problems (political problems he caused)
-Rivera’s economic policies were largely successful in the short term, but not in the long term
-Rivera’s regime successfully addressed Spain’s social problems
Rivera did not successfully address Spain’s political problems- examples
-He set up his own political party, the Patriotic Union, but this never achieved much popular support.
-De Rivera’s strict censorship of the press and restriction of freedom of speech led to widespread opposition, and his withdrawal of concessions to Catalonia also led to deep resentment.
-Rivera failed to construct a lasting political replacement for the constitutional monarchy.
Rivera did not successfully address Spain’s political problems- explanation & historiography
-When the army withdrew its support, de Rivera resigned in 1930, having not resolved Spain’s economic problems or brought it long-term political stability.
-As Rivera was unable to sustain the constitutional monarchy, this conveys that his aims did not go beyond simply maintaining power. He did not have a clear ideological identity and therefore, did not aspire to make significant changes to the political state.
-Not only this, but Rivera’s inability to maintain the support that he had at the beginning of his rule demonstrates that there were actually negative developments.
-Paul Preston contends that a significant reason for Rivera’s fall was that he lost the support of the army and industrialists.
Rivera did not successfully address Spain’s political problems- counterargument
-Rivera was seen as a ‘savior’ by many people in Spain, leading a crusade against social problems, political corruption, and imperial humiliation.
Rivera did not successfully address Spain’s political problems- evaluation
Overall, Primo de Rivera was not successful in addressing the country’s political problems – though he was able to maintain power for the duration of his rule, he made no lasting changes to the political system, and lost all political support towards the end of his dictatorship.
Rivera’s economic policies were largely successful in the short term, but not in the long term- examples
-His tariffs on imported goods and state subsidies to local industries supported the Basque economy.
-Industrial production developed at three times the rate of output prior to 1923 and foreign trade also increased.
-However, Rivera’s regime ran up massive debts that put Spain in a dreadful situation when the Great Depression came.
-He had also not addressed the important issue of land reform in the countryside.
-When the Great Depression took hold, a food prices and exports fell and unemployment increased.
Rivera’s economic policies were largely successful in the short term, but not in the long term- explanation & historiography
-Fewer strikes meant greater trust between workers and management and higher productivity.
-Subsidies and infrastructure boosted economic output
-Basques had benefited from import tariffs and this created higher employment levels
-Growing trade would boost tax revenues and government funds
-Paul Preston: His legacy was the significant burden of excessive spending, borrowing, and government debt.
Rivera’s economic policies were largely successful in the short term, but not in the long term- evaluation
Fundamentally, despite the economic policies being well-intentioned and having long-term aims of reform, their positive impact was limited to the short-term. Crucially, they created structural debt problems in Spain’s economy that left the country very vulnerable to the withdrawal of credit following the Wall Street Crash and therefore should be seen as a failure overall.
Rivera’s regime successfully addressed Spain’s social problems- examples
-Rivera retained the support of the Basques by keeping local conservatives in power, improving social cohesion and unity
-Rivera built 2,000 new schools and modernized 2,000 old ones. The education system in Spain also became more regulated, thus improving its overall quality.
-Cheap housing was built for workers and there were increased maternity benefits for women.
-Rights of labor workers were protected by the 1926 labor code.
Rivera’s regime successfully addressed Spain’s social problems- explanation & historiography
-In some aspects, de Rivera could be seen as having been progressive towards women’s rights, but these views were often contradictory. He had sympathy for women’s rights, but they were not given the right to vote.
-This contradictory nature can also be seen with his policies towards regional autonomy. He seemed open to Catalan and Basque regional autonomy, but moved away from this under pressure from military centralists.
Rivera’s regime successfully addressed Spain’s social problems- counterargument
-The Dictatorship quickly enforced laws against separatism that banned the teaching of Catalan Language
-The dictatorship censored the media and removed free speech.
