Long-term causes of Spanish Civil War- ln

Question 1

Long-term political/ideological causes

Answer 1

Role of Spanish Army in politics:

-After the loss of the Spanish empire in 1898, it saw its role as ‘protector’ of Spain and would intervene in internal politics if it saw fit. The Africanistas were especially nationalist, but most of the army was still conservative.

Question 2

Long-term regional causes

Answer 2

• Basque and Catalonian states wanted to become independent, instead of uniting with Spain -> they had their own languages and cultures -> conflict with rest of Spain
• Spanish government was weak, they held no actual power, as power was held by wealthy oligarchs
• There were already 3 military coups before the 1936 coup
• Primo de Rivera took back the self-governing rights of Catalonia and the Esquerra. By having taken away the autonomy that they had a taste of, people’s frustration built up and their appetite for self-determination increased.

Question 3

Long-term economic causes (add more statistics?)

Answer 3

• Wealth divide: Southern Spain was dominated by large estates where wealthy grandees (Spanish/Portuguese noblemen of the highest rank). North-Eastern Spain was a more industrialized are of Spain. Catalonia was the heartland of industry in Spain.
• Demand for modernisation: The economic situation in Spain caused widespread discontent, and the government was pressured to modernise and reform the economy in order to fix the low wages, long hours, unregulated working conditions, and poor welfare provision that workers faced. In addition to this, the failure of trade unionism would further the possibility of violent uprising as a means of changing the situation.

Question 4

Long-term social/religious causes

Answer 4

• Spanish liberals attempted to separate church and state and as a result the Church tended to link itself to the monarchy and the wealthy classes.
• The power of the Catholic Church in Spain had been progressively weakened by government reforms by left-wing coalition government 1931-3 The (i.e., the church lost control over the education system) which had upset the right-wing

Question 5

Cutoff between short term and long-term causes of the SCW

Answer 5

Long-term <1933

Short term >1933