News, August 2006

70th anniversary of Civil War start

18th July. Today marks the 70th anniversary of the military uprising which triggered Spain's most bloddy Civil War, between 1936 and 1939. A new survey shows that 30% of the population still consider the coup to have been 'justified', revealing how split Spanish society continues to be and how fragile democracy is. And a new law banning symbols of the dictatorship in in the pipeline.

On 18th July, 1936 a number of army generals, including Franco -who later became dictator of Spain for 39 years, until his death in 1975- declared a Coup d'Etat in the style of many which had taken place during the 19th century. For the preceding century, Spain's history had been marked by successive risings of generals with a variety of political colours, so in 1936 many believed all the trouble would be over within weeks and that some kind of stability would be brought to the country. But in the end the influence of new, more powerful political ideas combined with international support for each group led to a bloody 3 year civil war in which a million lives were lost, many more dieing in the repression and famine which followed and coincided with the 2nd World War.

Just a few months ago we were recalling the 75th anniversary of the start of the 2nd Republic, in April, 1932. The abdication of King Alfonso XIII had brought this into effect and a new constitution had been among the most advanced and democratic in the world, much of it based on the German Weimar constitution. However, few in Spain believed at this time in democracy, preferring to be strong supporters of one of the alternative political philosophies circulating at the time. There were a dozen or more significant Socialist parties, each supporters of differing views, suchas Marxism, Leninism, Trotsyism, etc.; there were several very conservative groups, representing the interests of the Roman Catholic church, land owners, monarchists and the army; there were a few middle of the road pro- order and democracy parties such as liberals and republicans; and there was the fascinating anti order party, the anarchists, who actually had a concept of order, based on the lowest possible size of commune; and there were the fascists: an unhealthy brew in any attempt to develop democracy! The result was an attempt to introduce a stonger socialist element -including land reform- into society after the 'Popular Front' (left wing coalition) won elections in the spring of 1936 followed by the National Rising on 18th July. Land reform has still not happened, such that the duchess of Alba and her family are still reputed to own half of Andalusia!

Survey

The survey, published today, shows that over half the population is set against the uprising, but 30% still consider it to have been necessary, due to the situation of totoal political and social chaos reigning at the time. Among those supporting the uprising it s not surprising to find many among the older generation, who had to live through it all and who anre still infulenced heavily by Franco regime propaganda. But it is more surprising to discover that supporters are not all right wing voters today. 18% of Socialist party PSOE voters are in favour, as are 13% of communist alliance IU supporters. Two thirds of practising Catholics support the uprising.

29th July. A new bill was agreed in yesterdays' cabinet meeting which will ban the symbols of the Franco dictatorship to museums. The 'Historic Memory' bill aims to finally give damages to those who suffered at the hands of the fascist regime between the start of the civil war in 1936 and its end, with the death of the dictator Franco, in 1975. Many towns still conserve street names as changed by the 'victors', such as General this or that. The Valle de los Caídos, a gigantic mausoleum where Franco and others are buried in the mountains overlooking Madrid also gets a specific statute. Thousands or prisoners gave their lives digging it out. Up to a million are thought to have died in the civil war and subsequent repression and drought years.

BBC comment on the memory bill.

Survey Source: El Mundo