Spain, WWI, and the Crisis of 1917: Neutrality and Social Impact

The First World War and the Crisis of 1917

In 1913, King Alfonso XIII named the conservative Eduardo Dato as President. Dato had to address the outbreak of the First World War (1914–1918).

Spain and the First World War: Neutrality and Alignment

Spain maintained a position of neutrality in the European conflict. This stance was supported by all political forces except the radicals led by Lerroux. This neutrality is explained by the traditional isolation of Spanish foreign policy, which had kept the country outside of the major European alliance systems.

Spanish society, however, took sides, leading to much controversy between *pro-Allies* and *Germanophiles*. The political alignments were generally as follows:

• Upper Classes: Supported the Central Powers, viewing them as representatives of conservative order and authority.
• Progressive Sectors: Sided with the Allies, seeing them as the incarnation of democratic ideals.
• Union Labor Forces: Defended neutrality, considering the conflict a struggle between imperialist powers.

Economic Expansion and Social Inequality

Neutrality favored the economic expansion of Spain, which became a supplier of industrial and agricultural products to the belligerent countries. The growth in external demand stimulated production but also resulted in a sharp increase in prices.

This foreign demand especially benefited the Basque industry, Asturian mining, and the Catalan metallurgical and textile industries, which achieved huge profits. This growth had a strong speculative component.

In contrast, the popular classes experienced a worsening of their living standards, as inflation was not accompanied by an equivalent rise in wages.

The Impact of the War and the Russian Revolution

Besides the economic consequences, the war left profound influences on Spanish society and politics.

The Russian Revolution (1917)

In 1917, the Russian Revolution erupted. For the first time, a labor party took power and began the construction of a "workers' state." The consequences were immediate:

• Labor organizations worldwide were encouraged by the prospects of the Russian revolutionary process.
• The bourgeoisie was frightened, fearing for their status and privileges, and demanded that governments adopt measures of repression against the labor movement.

This situation explains the high social unrest that followed the war.

Post-War Political Changes

The end of the war resulted in a great modification of Europe's borders. These changes influenced Catalan and Basque nationalists, who strengthened their positions to achieve autonomy, while encouraging the emergence of new, more radical political forces.