The Spanish Civil War
THE CAUSES
THE LONG-TERM CAUSES
AIM – To clarify the long-term struggle between
the forces of modernisation and conservatism.
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ALL – of you should have an idea of the main argument
concerning the contribution of the years 1820 – 1931 to the
conflict of the Spanish Civil War
MOST – of you should see that the reasons there was a
struggle between modernisation and conservatism can be
divided up into categories to be analyses.
SOME – of you will be able to find evidence to fit into categories
and support arguments.
POINTS FROM IB PEARSON TEXTBOOK
Looking at the timeline on page 226…..
We see that the army was heavily involved in
politics in 1820….
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….. They overthrow the absolute monarchy
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…and replace it with a constitutional one….like
this lady’s
1820
So, recap….
1820. Army + Absolute Monarchy = MODERNISING
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REVOLUTION + Constitutional Monarchy.
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…… but immediately we have French forces
restoring absolute monarchy to Spain in a effort
to reinstate the OLD order.
1833
So we’re back to square one again after 13
years of bad luck for King Ferdinand.
 Then he dies.
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1833 - 69
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And no-one’s quite sure what to make of the ‘rule of the
Queens’. Basically the army’s influence increases. They
supported liberals before trying to oust an absolute King but
now they’d rather keep peace and
absolute Queens than have the
conservative factions have their
way…. But no-one was happy with
painting the palace pink.
1869 - 70
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So eventually the Anarchists have their way!
And …..
1870 - 71
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THE FIRST REPUBLIC IS ESTABLISHED!!!
1871
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The Army Restores a Constitutional
Monarchy…….
1871 - 23
ISSUES, ISSUES, ISSUES
 In these 50+ years we have a corrupt
Constitutional Monarchy. It’s not really
‘modern’. Real power stays with the oligarchs.
WW1, THE Economy falters and 12 (not quite
as unlucky as Ferdinand) governments fail to
solve the country’s problems. In 1921 there’s a
new low – the army, sent to crush a revolt in
Morocco is MASACCRED.
1923 - 30
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General Primo de Rivera is the unlucky number
13!!! The Bloodless coup!
TASKS
 Turn to page 227 in the IB textbook photocopy you were given.
Answer the 3 questions at the top of the page. For question 2 under
the ‘factors’ as sub-headings write evidence taken from the time-line
to show existence of the problem under discussion.
 Read ‘The Role of the Army’ and ‘The Role of the Church’. Summarise
what you read here in no more than two sentences.
 Read Economic Causes and write ten questions to pass to your
neighbour to try.
HOMEWORK
 Read page 229 and prepare for a quiz on it.
BEST BITS SO FAR 2.....
POINTS FROM SALVADO’S ESSAY
 NATURE - An essentially Spanish war between
opposing views of the country’s future.
 LONG-TERM CAUSE – Inability of the previous
regime to ease transition to modern
democracy.
 WW1 brought about the mobilisation of the
masses and the end of the politics of notables.
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Widespread social distress and economic
dislocation, the inability of an oligarchical
system to reform itself and the enthusiasm
generated by the Revolution in Russia meant
that Spain was caught in the spiral of popular
turmoil that swept the continent.
If you haven’t already highlighted this – do 
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So into this crisis state arises an Authoritarian
leader – Primio de Rivera. He failed to create a
viable political formula and his dictatorship
crumbled bringing the monarchy down with
it...... So what comes next.....
DEMOCRACY!!!!
 Agh, right place, wrong time! Democracy (and
the Second Republic) arrived in Spain at a time
when the political trend in Europe was towards
dictatorship and fascism.
They were a la mode baby! People love this guy
for one....
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And! There was a pretty depressing economic
depression!
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Yea for Democracy.
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Any other problems? For the reactionaries the
reformists programme was the first step
towards Bolshevism!
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And so the CEDA was formed.
Not the Catering Equipment Distributors
Association but the....???
But the Confederacion Espanola de Derechas
Autonomas