--> FIRST REPUBLIC
On 11th february 1873, the First Republic was created due to the abdication of Amadeo de Saboya. After one year of constant problems and riots, the Republic was desmantled on 29th december 1874. This led to the rebirth of the monarchy, and the Borbones came back and started to rule. The Restauration was the best time for the kings, who stayed in power until 1927. In this year a provisional goverment was created in order to improve Spain's situation and increase its influence in Europe. Expantionist policies were used to try to encourage the international trade after the Disaster of 1898.
However, this goverment didn't remain in power long due to the various trade parties which were created, the different strikes and the murder of Dato. This resulted in a massive riot organised by Primo de Rivera, who took power creating an authoritarian dictatorship lasting from 1923 to 1930.
During this period, lots of opponents appeared on the scene. The Republicans stood out because of their well-organised parties. Two sides were in conflict: the republicans and the reformists. Besides the republicans, the workers' movement increased its influence. --> Primo de Rivera Another strong movememt against Primo de Rivera was the intellectualism and the progressive journalism, who defended freedom. The education proposed during the Republic-the main topic of this blog- was on this movement. The FUE ( Federación Universitaria Escolar) was created in order to outline the importance of the education in the spanish society. They organised numerous manifestations and strikes against this dictatorship. Additionally, the Republican Alliance was created in 1926, and a relevant catholic and conservative republican alternative appeared.
These social and political pressures led to a dismal failure of the Primo de Rivera's dictatorship. Furthermore, the future of the spanish monarchy was somewhat uncertain, due to the increasing power and influence of the republican side after the collapse of the dictatorship.
The republican and socialist sides organised a massive referendum to decide about the spanish monarchy, resulting in the abolition of the monarchy on 1931.
In these years, the spanish general way of thinking had evolved exponentially, thanks to different intellectual authors like Ortega y Gasset, who defended a new organisation of the education.
On April 1931, the Republic was created, having a wide range of controversial issues. Among these challenging issues, the relationship between the state and catholism stood out.
One of the first measures this goverment came up with was the reorganisation of the educational system. More than 7000 schools were created and religion became a non-compulsory subject.
The first problem the republic goverment had to encounter was the religious opposition. However, this didn't lead the system to failure. The economic crisis created a incredibly high social pressure. As a result of this huge problem, a military conspiracy started to boil in strict secrecy. On 17th July 1936, a riot broke out and started the Sapanish Civil war.
--> SPANISH CIVIL WAR
In this civil war two main sides confronted each other: the nationalists and the republicans. The nationalists were supported by the oligarchy (bankers, etc.), the catholic movement and the Carlistas and falangistas. On the other hand, the republicans were supported by different radical movements, like the communists or the anarchists.
This war ended, on April 1939, with the victory of the republicans, reorganising the spanish Republic. The ´red terror´ started, a policy that was completly against the religion.
This period didn't last long, as the 'white terror' party, lead by the nationalist movement, gained power. Franco took the power on 1st October 1936, becoming the supreme leader of everything. The social, economic and political situations were completly reorganised, with educacional aspects incredibly similar to different ideas of the restauration.
In conclusion, the historical context in which we are going to compare the education, is characterised by the political and ideological changes, which affected dramatically in the social situation of the country.
Below, you may find a brief documentary about Spain during the Republic and the Franquist dictatorship:
SOURCE: libro historia de 2°Bachillerato Santillana.
