Absolutism In Spain Essay

During the 1930s, Spain was deeply divided into 2 groups. The left wing republicans and the right wing nationalists. The republicans consisted of the workers, the trade unions, the socialists and the peasants whilst the nationalists consisted of monarchists, landowners, employers, and the Roman catholic church. In 1929, the military dictatorship that governed Spain collapsed and in 1931 the king abdicated after the Second republic came to power. The creation of a coalition government of the left wing parties in 1936, sparked a revolt by the nationalists resulting to an attempted military coup against the elected government of the second republic. The war lasted from 1936 to 1939, killing over 500 000 civilians. The 2 general causes of the …show more content…
Catholicism was deeply entrenched in Spanish life, it was deeply linked to the power of the state and the survival of christianity. The catholic church held a powerful position in Spain, which was why the catholic church was very alarmed at the growth of anarchism and socialism. The church used its influence to promote social, political and economic conservatism. Spanish aristocracy had close ties with the spanish church as they funded the church, causing the catholic church to defend the interests of the upper class. Peasants and urban workers were unhappy with the power and wealth of the catholic church, the peasant and urban workers felt the church had too many privileges and were resentful. The army, like the church enjoyed privileges. The army believed they were the protectors of tradition, and frequently got involved with politics, halting reforms. The army was negatively seen by most of the spanish civilians, they were a form of repression, they were especially hated for their brutality. The middle and upper class tended to defend military interests whilst the lower classes attacked