Second Republic, Civil War and Francoism
This domain tests the Republican reform project, the Civil War and the Francoist regime. You should be able to explain the reforms and their opposition, the international dimension of the war, and the shift from autarky to desarrollismo, including the Valencian experience of war and dictatorship.
The Second Republic
- The municipal elections of 12 April 1931 led to the proclamation of the Republic on 14 April. The Constitution of 1931 established a secular, democratic state with universal suffrage and broad social rights.
- Republican reforms included agrarian reform, military reform, education and autonomy statutes for Catalonia (1932) and the Basque Country (1936). The Valencian Statute was approved in 1937, during the war.
- Political polarisation grew: the right consolidated, the left divided, and the 1934 Asturian revolt and the Popular Front victory of 1936 deepened conflict.
Civil War
- The military coup of 18 July 1936 failed in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona but divided Spain. The Republic received Soviet aid and International Brigades; the rebels received German and Italian support. Non-intervention did not prevent foreign intervention.
- Valencia became the capital of the Republic from November 1936 to October 1937, which made it a target of aerial bombing. The war ended with Franco’s victory in April 1939.
Francoism
- The regime was authoritarian, Catholic and anti-communist. Autarky, rationing and the INI (1941) characterised the 1940s; repression and exile continued.
- The Plan of Stabilisation (1959) opened the economy; desarrollismo in the 1960s brought industrial growth, tourism and rural exodus, especially in Valencia and its metropolitan area.
- Opposition grew from strikes, student movements, Comisiones Obreras and regionalist and democratic groups; Franco died in 1975.
Worked example
A line graph shows Valencian industrial employment rising from 1960 while agricultural employment falls. Classify it as a statistical source. Explain the trend: the Stabilisation Plan, foreign investment, tourism and rural exodus. Then assess consequences: urban growth, wage labour and new social tensions. The reasoning must distinguish correlation from cause and avoid treating desarrollismo as general prosperity.
Traps that cost marks
- Claiming the Valencian Statute was approved in 1931; it dates from 1937.
- Presenting the Civil War only as an internal conflict, ignoring foreign aid and non-intervention.
- Treating autarky as successful economic policy.
- Saying desarrollismo benefited all regions equally.
- Forgetting that opposition to Francoism existed throughout the regime, not only after 1960.