Galician Nationalism and Demographic Change in Early 20th-Century Spain

Galician Nationalism and Political Shifts

Aranda, at the end of his life, changed his position: he no longer advocated independence, moderated his rhetoric, and supported autonomy within the GNP. Galician nationalism developed differently from Catalonia and Euskadi. Unlike those regions, Galician society was mainly rural; there was virtually no sizeable middle class, and the ruling groups continued to be the church and the nobility.

Social Structure Compared to Catalonia and Euskadi

Galician nationalism developed later and had less impact on the general population compared with the Catalan and Basque movements. The small middle class that identified as Galician maintained traditional rural lifestyles: fields, ancestral houses, and local customs.

Galician Renaissance and Cultural Revival

In the mid-nineteenth century a Renaissance or cultural movement emerged that sought the recovery of the Galician language and traditions, similar to the Renaissance in Catalonia. One of the main writers of this movement was Rosalía de Castro. As this cultural revival developed, a group of Galician intellectuals began to argue that Galicia's backwardness was the result of Spanish centralism.

Intellectuals and Political Awakening

By the late nineteenth century the Galician movement became more political. Important figures such as Manuel Murguía and Alfredo Brañas stand out. At this time Galician identity began to spread into the cities and among intellectual circles. Until the early twentieth century, the first Galicianist organizations appeared; Alfonso Castelao would later become a major leader of Galician nationalism.

Economic and Demographic Transformations (1900–1930)

Economic and social transformations marked the first third of the twentieth century, alongside an important demographic evolution.

Demographic Transition in Spain

The demographic transition in Spain was characterized by a slow decline in mortality. In 1830 the mortality rate was still about 20 per thousand. This decline occurred because of improved nutrition, hygienic practices, and sanitary measures. Infant mortality fell and life expectancy rose to around 50 years. The decline in the birth rate was much slower, and birth rates remained fairly high well into the mid-twentieth century. By 1890 the birth rate had dropped to about 30 per thousand. Despite the falling rates, the Spanish population grew considerably, rising to 23.5 million inhabitants by 1930.

Key Demographic Points

• Mortality declined slowly from the early nineteenth century onward.
• Improvements in food, hygiene, and sanitation reduced infant mortality.
• Life expectancy rose to around 50 years by the late nineteenth century.
• Birth rates decreased more slowly; population continued to grow.
• Spain's population reached approximately 23.5 million in 1930.

Catalonia's Earlier Transition and Industrialization

In Catalonia the demographic transition occurred somewhat earlier than in Spain as a whole, with lower mortality (about 15.5 per thousand) and lower birth rates (about 23 per thousand). Industrialization in Catalonia began much earlier and the region was considerably more urbanized than the rest of Spain. Catalonia's population also increased sharply due to large numbers of migrants, reaching around 2.8 million inhabitants.

Summary

The distinctive rural structure of Galicia shaped a different path for Galician nationalism compared with Catalonia and the Basque Country. Cultural revival in the mid-nineteenth century—led by figures such as Rosalía de Castro—gave rise to a political movement critical of Spanish centralism. Economic and demographic changes in the first third of the twentieth century further transformed Spanish society, while Catalonia experienced an earlier industrial and demographic transition fueled by migration.