Post-Franco Spain Background Guide

Transcription

1 Post-Franco Spain Background Guide

2 Hello Delegates! My name is Drew Niccum and I'll be your Crisis Director for the Post-Franco Spain committee. I'm from Newark, Ohio and I'm a junior at Ohio State. I'm majoring in history and political science and minoring in city and regional planning. I joined CCWA last year and currently serve as the creator of our weekly jeopardy quizzes (such a high-ranking and important job, I know). This is the first OSUMUN committee I have had the pleasure to direct and I'm excited for you to be joining us for OSUMUN I've always been fascinated with Spanish culture and politics and I'm looking forward to applying this interest to the committee. I'm warning you now that I will make many references to Spanish football, so just be prepared for that (I'm a huge fan of Real Madrid). I'm looking forward to a great weekend of Spanish politicking and I hope you are too. If you have any questions at all, feel free to contact me at niccum.4@osu.edu.

3 History The Spanish Civil War In 1936, five years after the abdication of King Alfonso XIII and the establishment of the Second Republic, Spain was plunged into a bloody civil war. The war began after a pronunciamiento, or declaration of opposition, from a group of generals of the Spanish armed forces. The generals eventually came to be led by Francisco Franco, with support from right-wing political parties, monarchists, Spanish nationalists, fascists, and religious conservatives. The government of the Second Republic was supported by left-wing parties, as well as communists and regional nationalists. Both sides attracted international support, with the Franco-led Nationalists receiving support from Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Portugal. The Republicans were supported by the Soviet Union and Mexico and also welcomed volunteer troops from around the world. Some of the most well-known of these volunteers were Americans, who served in aptly named Abraham Lincoln Brigades. The Nationalist coup began on July 17, 1936 after some of their plans were discovered. They quickly gained control of Spanish Morocco and the Canary Islands. They also gained control in a number of Spanish cities such as Pamplona, Seville, and Córdoba and established a capital in Burgos. The Nationalists claimed control over the southern coast and the northwest of the country, but the Republicans maintained control of the eastern coast, the central regions, and most of the major cities. The Republicans kept control of the capital of Madrid and worked quickly to protect the city. The Nationalists soon began to lay siege to the city. Madrid remained under siege for most of the war, draining resources from the Republican forces. The Nationalist forces, with assistance from the Germans, worked to capture the northern coast and subdue the Basque Country. From there, they began to focus on dividing the Republican forces. By April 1938, they had reached the Mediterranean and divided the Republican territory in two. Franco s forces quickly captured Catalonia in 1939, crippling the government. On March 28, 1939, the Nationalists finally occupied Madrid and Franco declared the war over on April 1 following the surrender of the last of the Republican forces. Franco s Reign Following the end of hostilities, Franco worked quickly to consolidate his rule over the Spanish state. He declared himself Caudillo, roughly translated to dictator or strongman, of Spain. Many of the former Republicans and leftists fled Spain and many who remained experienced the White Terror, a Francoist repression that saw dissenting ideas suppressed and thousands were killed or forced into essentially slave labor. Franco s nationalist movement, the Falange, was declared the sole legal party in Spain. Soon after the end of the Civil War, World War II began in Europe. While Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy had supported the Nationalists during the Civil War, Franco remained neutral at the outbreak of World War II. Franco s regime was often labelled as fascist but was better described as simply authoritarian. He did provide military support to the Axis Powers, despite Spain s lack of participation in the war. He allowed Axis ships to enter Spanish ports and allowed Axis spies to gather intelligence in Spain on Allied activities. Despite this support, Franco refused to join the war and even refused Hitler s request to meet with him in

4 Spain. Instead they met in a train car on the French border. As the tide of war turned against the Axis, Franco began to withdraw his support in order to protect his regime at the end of the war. During this time, the Falange, which had originally held fascist views, began to distance itself from fascism as part of this attempt to protect the regime. Franco s regime managed to survive the war, despite his support of the Axis and the grumblings of fellow generals. Following the war, Spain entered a decade of international isolation. Spain was kept out of the United Nations, the Marshall Plan, and NATO. During this isolation, Franco s regime had evolved from brutal totalitarianism to an authoritarian system. Almost all public or governmental decisions were made in Madrid and regional languages and cultures were suppressed in order to promote the superiority of the Spanish nation-state. In 1947, Franco reestablished the monarchy, but left the position vacant until the appointment of Juan Carlos as Prince of Spain in He proclaimed himself regent for life. During this period, Franco emerged as a staunch anticommunist. This led to an eventual alliance with the United States, cemented by the Pact of Madrid in 1953, its admission to the United Nations in 1955, and a visit from President Eisenhower in This alliance was beneficial to the United States as it assisted its policy of containment for stopping the spread of communism. Franco s regime received support from the West and Spain saw progressive economic growth. The final years of Franco s regime saw tensions grow between different factions of Spanish politics who were jockeying for power in the post-franco era. The Basque terrorist group ETA also began a series of bombings throughout Spain, one of which resulted in the death of the prime minister. Franco grew increasingly frail and Juan Carlos took over as Acting Head of State for four months in Franco s Death Generalissimo Francisco Franco died on November 20, He had been fighting Parkinson s Disease and he fell into a coma at the end of October. He was put on life support and his family chose to disconnect the life support machines in November. Franco was buried at the Valley of the Fallen, a massive memorial built by political prisoners to honor the casualties of the Civil War. Two days after Franco s death, Juan Carlos was declared King of Spain. He chose to retain Prime Minister Carlos Arias Navarro but appointed his political mentor, Torcuato Fernández- Miranda, as Speaker of the Cortes. After a power struggle between Juan Carlos and Arias Navarro over political and societal reforms, Juan Carlos dismissed him as prime minister and appointed Adolfo Suárez to the post in July Committee This crisis committee will begin on July 17, 1976, two weeks after Adolfo Suárez became Prime Minister and 40 years after the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. This committee is tasked with bringing about political reform and writing a new constitution for the nation. This must be done while also addressing crises, both foreign and domestic, ranging from Cold War conflicts to unruly generals. The goal is to maintain stability in the Kingdom of Spain after 40 years of dictatorship.

5 Each delegate will be assigned to a position and each position will come with unique powers. While some positions may grant more power than others, each delegate is equal when votes are called. For example, the King may have more military or political powers than the leader of a party, but both will have an equal vote on directives. However, constitutional changes will require that the King grant royal assent or approval. In the event the King does not provide assent, a two-thirds majority can overrule this veto. Positions King Juan Carlos I Grandson of King Alfonso XIII, Juan Carlos was appointed by Franco in 1969 as Prince of Spain, designating him as his heir. Franco chose to skip over Juan Carlos father, Juan, viewing him as too liberal to be his successor. Despite this, Juan still holds that he is the rightful King of Spain. Juan Carlos returned to Spain in 1947 after spending his childhood in Italy. He began military training in 1955 and married Princess Sophia of Greece in Franco had previously reestablished the monarchy and appointed himself as regent and gave himself the right to appoint an heir. After a lengthy process during the 1960s, Juan Carlos was chosen as heir. He began to exercise stately duties and even took over temporarily as head of state when Franco fell ill in Upon Franco s death, Juan Carlos was declared King. Expected to carry on Franco s legacy, King Juan Carlos has taken a number of steps that hint he welcomes reform in the country. His recent dismissal of Arias Navarro as prime minister and the appointment of Adolfo Suárez have shown that he wishes to move the country in a new direction and break from Francoist policies. Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez Adolfo Suárez was viewed as an inexperienced politician when he was chosen to be Prime Minister by King Juan Carlos. He had previously served as the Civil Governor of Segovia and as Director-General of the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation. At the end of the Franco regime, he became Minister Secretary General of the National Movement and served in this role until he became Prime Minister in July His appointment has been viewed with disdain by leftists and some centrists due to his Francoist history, but the King has noted he believes Suárez is the right man to lead the country forward. Suárez is characterized as a conservative but he has indicated that he wishes to work from the center. Commander in Chief of the Army General Staff Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado Gutiérrez Mellado was a member of the Spanish Army during the Franco regime and supported his cause during the Spanish Civil War. He eventually achieved the rank of lieutenant general, a promotion awarded to him by King Juan Carlos. He became well known for demanding that his troops show absolute respect towards civil power and declaring that the military was subordinate to the national government. He was appointed Commander in Chief of the Army General Staff in July 1976 after gaining the favor of the King and the Prime Minister. He is viewed as a reformer and ally of the King and Prime Minister, despite his membership in the Spanish armed forces. He

6 commands respect in both military and political circles and has expressed interest in joining the government to assist with reforms. Former Prime Minister Carlos Arias Navarro Franco s last Prime Minister, Arias Navarro was appointed to the position on December 31, 1973, following the assassination of the previous prime minister by the Basque terrorist group ETA. Portrayed as a moderate in the waning years of Franco s rule, Arias Navarro was in fact a hard-liner of the Francoist government and signed the death warrants of thousands during the Spanish Civil War and the years after. These deaths were part of a large-scale scheme of repression and became known as the White Terror. Arias Navarro continued to hold his office as prime minister following the death of Franco but was dismissed by the King following a power struggle between the two. He resigned on July 1, He kept his membership of Franco s National Movement, but also aligned himself with the People s Alliance, led by Manuel Fraga, following his dismissal. He is staunchly opposed to any reforms of the Franco government and will work to restore a Francoist regime by any means necessary. Speaker of the Cortes Torcuato Fernández-Miranda Fernández-Miranda served in a number of positions during the Franco regime, at one point serving as interim prime minister. But the most important job given to him by Franco was educating Prince Juan Carlos. This was mainly a political education and Franco was hoping it would lead to Juan Carlos continuing his legacy. Following the death of Franco, Juan Carlos chose to appoint Fernández-Miranda as Speaker of the Cortes, the Spanish congress, as a token of appreciation for his mentorship. Fernández-Miranda, while a political conservative, has shown interest in moderate reforms and the establishment of a stable two-party system. He however remains deeply opposed to the Communist Party. He retains a good deal of influence over the King and hopes to move the country towards a democratic system. People s Alliance President Manuel Fraga The People s Alliance was a conservative party founded by Manuel Fraga, and six other former Francoist officials. Founded shortly after Franco s death in the beginning of 1976, the party was formed to bring gradual conservative reform and to establish itself as a mainstream conservative party. It has however been viewed as authoritarian due to the number of former Francoist officials that it counts as members. The party s president, Manuel Fraga, has served as a government minister for information, tourism, and the interior, as Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and as Deputy Prime Minister under Arias Navarro. He views himself as one of the main leaders of reform during this governmental transition but has not advocated for sweeping changes, instead opting for a slow and gradual democratic transition. Secretary General of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party Felipe González The Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) is the oldest political party in Spain, having been founded in Despite being outlawed during the Franco regime, the party maintained a

7 number of underground networks and connections during this time. The party continued to hold meetings and, choosing González as Secretary General at a party congress in Although the party remains illegal, it has begun to reassert its place in Spanish politics. González has been a member of the party his whole adult life and is the most prominent member of the left-wing opposition. González and his party are committed to bringing about democratic reform in Spain. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain Santiago Carrillo The Communist Party was outlawed by the Franco regime and has operated in exile since the end of the Civil War. The party split multiple times for reasons of both ideology and differing opinions on how to best oppose Franco. Carrillo has served as General Secretary since 1960 and has established relations with the Soviets and communist groups throughout Europe. He distanced the party from the Soviets in 1968 however, after the Warsaw Pact invaded Czechoslovakia. Since the death of Franco, he has secretly left his exile and returned to Spain. He is currently working to rebuild the party and promote leftist reforms, particularly the legalization of the Communist Party. Minister Secretary General of the National Movement Fernando de Santiago y Díaz The National Movement operated the Spanish government during the Franco regime. It was made up of the Falange, the only legal political party, the vertical trade unions known as syndicates, and the civil servants of the regime. The National Movement was based on Franco s nationalistic ideology that was based in Falangism, a conservative and authoritarian ideology, widely considered fascist. Santiago served as a general under Franco during the Civil War and the regime. He served as Governor-General of the Spanish Sahara, known today as Western Sahara, from 1971 until 1974 and was Deputy Prime Minister for Defense under Prime Minister Arias Navarro following Franco s death. He also briefly served as interim prime minister. A strong conservative, Santiago has no wish to see the regime built by Franco reformed and consistently meets with other conservative officials in the military and the government to form a strategy to combat the reformers. Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero Tejero is a high-ranking member of the Guardia Civil, a branch of the military tasked with police duties and the oldest law enforcement agency in Spain. He joined the Guardia Civil in 1951 and has slowly risen through the ranks and been placed on assignments throughout Spain. Currently based in Madrid, he serves as Chief of the Planning Staff of the Civil Guard. He has been known to express dissent and is unsupportive of changes to the current governing system. He has very few political friends, but is well known throughout the Guardia Civil and other branches of the military. United States Ambassador Wells Stabler Appointed by President Gerald Ford, Ambassador Stabler was a career officer of the State Department. Having served in Israel, Jordan, France, and Italy, President Ford saw him as the perfect man to serve in Spain during this change in leadership. The United States government supported Franco s regime starting in the 1950s, under the policy of containment used to halt the

8 spread of communism. President Ford has made it clear that he supports the return of democracy to Spain, but that he will not tolerate the establishment of a Marxist government. Ambassador Stabler has been tasked with promoting Western alliances and decreasing the influence of the Soviet consular. United Kingdom Ambassador Sir Charles Wiggin Ambassador Wiggin was a career foreign service officer who served in multiple diplomatic posts. He was appointed Ambassador to Spain in 1974 and was knighted during his time there for his service to the United Kingdom. The British government views the change in Spanish leadership as an opportunity to end conflict over the territory of Gibraltar once and for all. They also would like to work on the expansion of rights and opportunities available to British citizens in Spain. Ambassador Wiggin has been tasked by the Foreign Office with advancing these goals, but has also been asked to avoid open conflict over Gibraltar. Soviet Consular Igor Ivanov The Soviet Union lost all ties with Spain following the loss of Republican forces in the Civil War. Relations were informally maintained through the two nations embassies in France until Trade relations were formed that year with the opening of a Russian trading company office in Madrid. During the 1970s, these trading offices served as de facto consulates. Consular Ivanov was placed in Spain by the Soviet Foreign Ministry shortly after he joined in The Soviet government under Leonid Brezhnev views the recent change in Spanish leadership as an opportunity to align Spain with the Soviet Bloc and has tasked Consular Ivanov with advancing Soviet policy in the nation. European Commissioner for External Relations Christopher Soames Commissioner Soames served as one of two British members of the Ortoli Commission of the European Economic Community. A member of the Conservative Party, he previously served as a member of parliament and was son-in-law of Winston Churchill. During the commission of François-Xavier Ortoli, he also served as a Vice-President of the Commission. As Spain has previously applied to join the EEC and had its application denied, Commissioner Soames has been tasked with monitoring the political situation in Spain and promoting European economic and democratic interests in the country. Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona Don Juan was the third son of Alfonso XIII and father to Juan Carlos. Despite being Alfonso s third son, Don Juan made claim to the defunct Spanish throne after his older brothers renounced their claims in He has since named himself Count of Barcelona to assert his claim to the throne. Despite having a claim to the throne, Franco chose to skip over Don Juan in favor of Juan Carlos when he restored the monarchy in the 1960s. In Franco s eyes, Don Juan was too liberal and would be a threat to the Falangist state he had established. The two men often engaged in public bickering and each questioned the legitimacy of the other s claim to ruling Spain. Despite his son becoming King, Don Juan has yet to renounce his claim to the throne that he considers

9 his birthright. Juan Carlos has invited his father to participate as a member of the Council of the Realm, but it is unclear if this will placate Don Juan s demands to rule the Spanish Kingdom. Former President of the Cortes Alejandro Rodríguez de Valcárcel Rodríguez de Valcárcel was a lawyer for the Spanish state during the Franco regime. Having been a member of the Falange during the Civil War, Franco appointed Rodríguez de Valcárcel to a number of positions during his reign including the governorships of Burgos and the Balearic Islands and Deputy Secretary General of the National Movement. He was also made a member of the Cortes in 1964 and served as President from 1969 until the end of 1975 when he was replaced by Torcuato Fernández-Miranda. As a member of the Regency Council, he served as president and presided over the transition of power from Franco to Juan Carlos. Although he is no longer President of the Cortes, Rodríguez de Valcárcel still serves as a member and remains a member of the Council of the National Movement. Rodríguez de Valcárcel was fiercely loyal to Franco and will not easily allow for reform laws to proceed through the Cortes. Chief of the Defense High Command Lieutenant General Carlos Fernández Vallespín Vallespín has served as a member of the Spanish military since the Civil War. He steadily rose to the rank of Lieutenant General and was appointed as Chief of the Defense High Command, the principal staff body of the Spanish Armed Forces, in Vallespín s predecessor was viewed as a reforming force in the military, leading to his removal by Franco. Despite serving in multiple military roles under the Franco regime, little is known about Vallespín other than that he is a hardline Francoist. As he was appointed to his position to quash reform efforts within the military, Vallespín can only be viewed as a force for maintaining the status quo and he will fight any attempts to reform the Spanish state or its armed forces. While he has not yet engaged in public conflict with the King or reformist proponents, it is only a matter of time before he openly challenges the King and his authority. Queen Sofía Queen Sofía was the daughter of the penultimate King of Greece, King Paul. Her royal lineage gave her the title of Princess of Greece and Denmark, making her a good match for Juan Carlos as he sought to be recognized as Franco s heir. The two were married on May 14, 1962 and they have since had three children, Elena, Cristina, and the heir apparent Felipe. While she has spent a majority of the last few years taking care of her young children, Sofía should not be underestimated. She is well-educated and has studied in the fields of childcare, music, and archeology. She is a strong sponsor of the arts and has expressed interest in charity work. Juan Carlos greatly values her opinion and she serves as one his closest advisors. While she has previously expressed socially conservative opinions, she is viewed as a proponent for democratic reform who has the ear of her husband.

10 Additional Sources Saturday Night Live, Weekend Update, Chevy Chase, BBC Spain Profile The World Factbook Spain Encyclopedia Britannica History of Spain and Portugal: Yale University Libraries