Spanish Civil War Aftermath: Exile, Resistance, and Opposition

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The Opposition: Exile and Resistance

The Path of Exile

In the final phase of the Civil War, little more than four hundred thousand people engaged in the Republic left Spain and came to France or fled to the north of Africa. The vast majority were interned in camps that French authorities had improvised in the south of France to house them. Some returned because the regime promised not to prosecute, which was not fulfilled. However, about two hundred thousand people remained in exile and only returned to Spain after the death of the dictator. In France, a large colony of Spanish emigrants was established. Their situation became more difficult during the German occupation of France, which involved the persecution of Spanish exiles, branded as dangerous Communists. Many chose to emigrate to Britain and America. Exile is a very important development of the political opposition to Franco. Political institutions of the Republic continued to operate in exile. Most Republican political and union organizations maintained their organization in exile but were characterized by internal divisions and the progressive alienation from the social reality of Spain. Thus, while some forces (Republicans, Socialists, and some anarchists) defended the need to create a united front and develop diplomatic efforts to force the fall of the Franco regime, others advocated guerrilla force as a stage before the popular uprising (Communists and sectors of the Plumistas anarchists).

The Evolution of the Opposition

After the war, opposition parties and unions to Franco had been completely dismantled. Their reconstruction was slow and difficult and had to be in hiding, dodging the police repression that constantly dislocated their organization and imprisoned their leaders. The PCE was the party that, to a greater extent, managed to rebuild their structure and maintain a certain clandestine activity. The actions of the opposition can be divided into three stages. The first, which lasted until early 1944, was characterized by the limited performance of internal resistance. The most significant was the persistence of guerrilla activity (maquis) starring a considerable number of Republican fighters who were not resigned to defeat and pockets of armed resistance remained. The second phase would include the period from 1944 to 1947, tied to the victory of the Allies. The potential Allied intervention in Spain led to the creation of platforms between different opposition forces unit. In 1944, the most democratic monarchist sectors were organized around Juan de Borbón in the hope of a quick restoration of the monarchy. This commitment led to the creation of the National Alliance of Democratic Forces, made up of Socialists, Republicans, and some cenetistas organizations. Other organizations (anarchists and communists) bet on the attempted armed uprising to end the Franco regime. From France, they organized guerrilla bands. The most dramatic action was the invasion of the Aran Valley, led by the PCE, although it ended in failure. Finally, in the third phase, from 1948 to 1951, there was a restructuring of the opposition movement because of the demoralization that led to the consolidation of the Franco dictatorship. Franco's police and Civil Guard had cleared almost all the political resistance at home. The culmination of the general crisis of Franco also appeared in the political world of exile, which was increasingly distant from the reality of Spanish politics.

The Resurgence of Social Conflict

In the late 1940s, Spain began to resurface in a timid popular protest movement, played by the working class against the poor living and working conditions. The PCE abandoned armed struggle and focused on clandestine political action inside the country. On the other hand, sectors like the HOAC Catholic workers began to raise social and labor demands. In 1946 there were disputes in the textile, metallurgical, chemical, and shipbuilding industries. The most significant industrial action was the popular Barcelona tram strike, which occurred because of the loss of life due to increased prices. In parallel, the student movement in 1956-1957 was waking up and unfolded the first student riots in the universities of Madrid and Barcelona.

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