Program Information

In the decades following the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939, Spain moved through terrible partisan bloodletting and fascist repression but finally, and fitfully, into a mostly liberal democratic society.

A Moment in Time is a brief, exciting and compelling journey into the past. Created to excite and enlighten the public about the past, its relevance to the present and its impact on the future, A Moment In Time is a captivating historical narrative that is currently broadcast worldwide.

Transcript

Lead: In the decades following the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939, Spain moved through terrible partisan bloodletting and fascist repression but finally, and fitfully, into a mostly liberal democratic society.

Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts.

Content: In the early 1930s, it seemed as though Spain just might cast away centuries-old shackles of tradition, religion and autocratic government and move into the modern world. Unfortunately, such was not to be. Much like the repression seen by the people of Germany and Italy, forces of reaction and conservatism rose up and smashed the liberalizing tendencies of a society hungry for progress and freedom. The nationalist revolt in 1936, led by Generalissimo Francisco Franco Bahamonde against Spain’s legitimately elected government and aided by Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy, finally ground out the resistance of the armies loyal to the state.

By astute diplomacy and a powerful sense of self-preservation, Franco remained neutral during World War II and thus gained a free hand to shape Spain in the image he believed was best. His allies were the Army and the Roman Catholic Church. Each fearful of the forces of the modern era, they became part of the political system Franco erected to force his will on the Spanish people. Falange, the Spanish Fascist party, gradually merged all forces of the right and became the official government political party, the Movimiento.

Once power had been consolidated, Franco and his allies began to go after those whom they had defeated. Ex-Republican and Loyalist military and political leaders, schoolteachers in Republican schools, professors with Republican sentiments, mayors of towns with Republican sympathies, anyone expressing continued Loyalist political views--all were rounded up and either summarily shot or sent to government prisons or slave labor camps. The Nationalists admitted later that 200,000 of their opponents were either killed in the war or executed after the war. The total was probably much, much higher.

Though his regime survived World War II, it was treated by the international community as a pariah state for most of the 1940s and 1950s. Only the United States supported Franco--albeit reluctantly--due to his militant anti-communist stance, as well as Spain's strategically located site and Franco's agreement to allow U.S.-based forces on Spanish territory.

Next time: A troubled alliance.

At the University of Richmond, this is Dan Roberts.

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