Long-term causes of the Spanish Civil War
Political Issues
Socio-political Tensions
Regionalism
Economic Problems
Political Divisons
Rigged Elections
Supposedly ran by the monarchy but is really run by the wealthy
The military intervened in Spanish politics because of their powerful position due Spain's imperial past
The Catholic Church being extremely wealthy, powerful and having lots of political influence
Protests to lower the church's power among the middle-class and educated
Aristocracy really close with the church and made up vast majority of the clergy
Centralist states opposed to demands of autonomy from Catalonia and Basque regions, who wanted independence.
The Catalans and Basques were more independent from most of Spain
Economic strains between regions and central governments.
Key industries of Spain were in the Catalan and Basque regions
Spain was primarily an agricultural economy and was their main source of employment but is inefficient as most of it was seasonal.
Rural workers had to move into poverty to find work.
Landowners in the south had lots of power and dominated the political system.
Some of the poor would back away from the church and would turn anarchists to demand land.
Spain was in need of economic modernization.
Workers, especially in the rural poor lived in squalor
Unions who wanted change were divided into socialists and anarchists.
Liberal movement in Spain supported by the middle class that didn't do too well during the 19th century but remained a political force in the 1920s.
Rise in moderate socialist parties
Anarchists were more radical.
Large divide of political parties equivlent to a spectrum
Anarchists popular in the countryside.
Small communist founded by after Bolshevik revolution in 1917.
Two main parties with limited differences.