Key Moments in 20th Century European History

Main Features of the Nazi Regime

The Nazi regime was a totalitarian dictatorship. Adolf Hitler dissolved all political parties and unions and closed the Parliament. Elections and individual liberties were abolished. Systematic persecution of political opponents began. The Nazi Party was the only authorized political party, and the National Labor Front was the only permitted union.

Public administration was purged through a law authorizing dismissal for political and racial reasons. The judiciary lost its independence and became subject to the will of the party. Local authorities in the different states were removed and their powers transferred to the Reich. The Nazi state sought total cohesion of German society, based on the supposed superiority of the Aryan race and National Socialist ideology. The cultural and educational systems, as well as art, were forced to adhere to Nazi slogans, and artists and intellectuals who did not comply were persecuted.

Causes and Characteristics of World War II

The Treaty of Versailles fostered humiliation and resentment among many Germans and Italians who did not accept its impositions. This sentiment fueled a desire for "revenge."

Starting in 1929, Benito Mussolini in Italy, and especially Adolf Hitler in Germany, developed aggressive foreign policies and pursued military expansionism, justified by economic necessity. The fascist powers also engaged in an intense arms race, creating a climate of tension in Europe.

Ultimately, the aggressive policies of authoritarian regimes, coupled with the reluctance of democracies to intervene in international affairs or their focus on internal problems, led to the outbreak of war.

Main Features of the 1931 Spanish Constitution

The 1931 Spanish Constitution recognized universal male and female suffrage and proclaimed the separation of church and state while respecting all religions and beliefs. It included a broad declaration of individual rights and freedoms, both public and private. It also recognized the right to private property but empowered the government to expropriate goods considered to be of public utility.

Legislative power resided in the Cortes (a single chamber), while executive power was held by the Council of Ministers and the President. The Constitution also affirmed the independence of the judiciary.

Upon the Constitution's approval, Niceto Alcalá Zamora was elected President of the Republic.

Consequences of the Spanish Civil War

In 1939, Juan Negrín's government attempted to resist, but a coup in Madrid established a board that tried unsuccessfully to negotiate with Francisco Franco.

The Republican defeat marked the beginning of a mass exodus, as people fled in fear of Francoist repression.

Thousands of Spanish Republicans exiled in France joined the resistance against the Nazis at the outbreak of World War II. Some were subsequently confined in concentration camps.

Another group of exiles was able to relocate to Latin America or seek refuge in the USSR.