Political and Social Ideologies in Late 19th Century Spain

Anarchism: A Dominant Force in Spain

Anarchism was the mainstream ideology in Spain during this period. The Federation of Workers of the Spanish Region (FTRE) was founded in 1881, with Anselmo Lorenzo as a prominent figure. The new federation augmented its membership and developed significant union activism and demands.

Internal disagreements and the continuing repression of the worker and peasant movement led a part of anarchism to choose "direct action," i.e., the revolutionary or violent strike and attack against the ruling classes. Anarchism was accused of being behind the Black Hand. The authorities' forceful response only fueled a cycle of actions. The defining moment of this spiral was the Montjuïc Trials. Direct action allowed the ruling classes to label all anarchism as violent. The proliferation of attacks deepened the division within anarchism.

Since 1901, various groups organized around the publication Solidaridad Obrera (Worker Solidarity). Finally, at the Congress of Barcelona, the National Labor Confederation (CNT) was founded. Anarchists defended a collectivist, libertarian, revolutionary, anti-clerical, and apolitical ideology.

Socialism: A Minority Ideology

Socialism was a minority ideology during that period. After the repression of 1874, socialists in Madrid reorganized around a nucleus of printers, who managed the press and publishing. Still clandestinely, it was the printers in Madrid who founded the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in 1879, with Pablo Iglesias as its principal figure.

Socialism had a troubled development in areas dominated by anarcho-syndicalism and did not penetrate the world of agriculture. In 1888, the General Union of Workers (UGT) was founded. Since then, a clear boundary marked the party with political objectives and the UGT union.

Opposed to the anarchists, socialists initially advocated three main objectives:

• The abolition of social classes and the emancipation of workers.
• The transformation of property into collective ownership.
• The conquest of political power by the working class through social revolution.

In 1890, the first celebration of May 1st, International Workers' Day, took place, giving rise to numerous demonstrations.

Regionalism: Nationalist Claims and Self-Government

Until the Restoration, the foralist or nationalist claim was channeled through federal republicanism, being progressive, and through Carlism, being conservative. Catalonia and the Basque Country were considered nations and therefore entitled to self-government. This affirmation was based on the existence of differential realities:

• Languages
• Historical rights
• Cultures
• Customs