Spanish Literature: Modernism, Social Criticism, and Historical Shifts

Benito Pérez Galdós and Romantic Drama

Benito Pérez Galdós renewed romantic drama with works of social criticism, such as Electra, which denounced religious fanaticism and uncompromising attitudes. He adapted novels to the theater, including Zaragoza, Doña Perfecta, and Gerona.

Theater of the Renaissance

Ángel Guimerá used prose to create a natural language based on popular speech. His work Terra Baixa is a rural drama based on emotional conflict that ends tragically.

Modernism and the Generation of '98

This period spans from the late nineteenth century until the 1930s, marked by unsteady political and social changes and the First World War (1914).

Global Context: Early 20th Century

• Great Power Division: The world divided into two blocks: the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy) and the Triple Entente (Franco-Russian alliance + England).
• Colonialism Rise: Colonialism began to rise around 1880 for economic, strategic, political, and prestige reasons. By the 1930s, Asia and Africa were largely partitioned.
• Government Forms: Forms of government where the people rule (popular government) were approved in Norway, Portugal, and England.

World War I and Aftermath

The outbreak of World War I occurred between 1914 and 1918. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian crown, on June 28th was the trigger. The real causes involved imperialist aims, massive armament, nationalism, and mutual suspicion among powers.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 led to the spread of communist ideology globally. Following this, the League of Nations was established to maintain peace, resolve disputes, and promote international cooperation.

The economic crisis of 1929, the "Wall Street Crash," caused economic chaos in Europe and the USA.

Rise of Fascism

Fascism rose with Benito Mussolini in Italy and Adolf Hitler, whose Nazi party won the German elections in 1933, leading to the start of World War II.

Social Context

This era saw the triumph of the market economy and private property. The bourgeoisie became the ruling class, consolidating the parliamentary system and ending aristocratic privilege.

Key social changes included:

• The rise of trade unions demanding better working conditions.
• Technological change reshaping the prevailing worldview.
• City growth due to migration from rural areas (creating the industrial proletariat).
• A decrease in the influence of the Church, countered by the influence of theories from Freud, Nietzsche, and Marx, which placed man at the center of the cosmos.

Spanish Social Historical Context

Spain experienced a crisis in the late century, culminating in the colonial disaster of 1898 with the loss of its last colonies, Cuba and the Philippines.

Political Instability

There was a struggle between two main parties: the Conservatives (representing the former regime) and the Liberal Party, both attempting to align Spain with European progress.

The period was unstable:

• 1868: The Glorious Revolution.
• Bourbon Restoration: The return of Alfonso XII, alternating governments between liberals and conservatives.
• 1931: Republicans and socialists achieved victory in municipal elections, which overthrew the monarchy and established the Second Republic.

Causes of the 1898 Disaster

Although the Republic was emerging, stability was lacking. Factors included population growth, limited industrialization, and the increasing economic importance of industrial sites in Catalonia and the Cantabrian region.