The Falange Española

Abstract

It was not until the early 1930’s that authentically fascist movements appeared on the scene in Spain, a country that was beginning to move awkwardly from a feudalistic agrarian economy into the first stages of a semi-industrialized society. The emergence of various extremist movements of the radical right was brought about by the cumulative impact of several developments during the preceding decade. These included the Moroccan rebellion of the early 1920’s and the resultant military dictatorship in Spain; the pervasive economic depression that began in 1929; the political ferment that overthrew King Alfonso XIII in April, 1931, and inaugurated the anticlerical Second Republic; and the growing schism within the Spanish revolutionary syndicalist movement. The latter current had attracted considerable support in Catalonia and other parts of Spain during the previous generation; and just as had already been the case in Italy, its left wing was now moving increasingly in the direction of Marxian communism, while its right wing was assuming a nationalistic and fascist-like posture.