Agrarian society and politics in the province of Badajoz under the Spanish Second Republic, 1931-1936
This thesis analyses rural social and political conflict in the province of Badajoz (Extremadura) during the Spanish Second Republic of 1931 to 1936. It takes a broad approach to social and political change in a province typical of southern Spain, but focusses particularly on the under-explored role of powerful agrarian elites opposed to the reforms introduced by the new liberal-democratic regime. The study begins with two complementary chapters covering the period 1870-1930; they consider the evolution of the autocratic rural order presided over by the elite and discuss the growth of the challenge to agrian power from organised rural labour. In the following chapters covering in detail the period 1931 to 1936 the partial transformat ion of the rural order that accompanied the transition to the Republic, the subsequent processes of social and political struggle, and the polarisation that followed are documented. A final epilogue considers the Civil War as a rural counter-revolution that involved the resurgence of agrarian autocracy in Badajoz. The thesis draws on a wide range of primary materials, from archives and printed sources to memoirs, and utilizes the relevant secondary literature. In general the study
Rees, Timothy John
Local government ; History ; Politics and government ; Rural conditions ; Spain ; Badajoz (Province) ; 20th century
Agrarian society and politics in the province of Badajoz under the Spanish Second Republic, 1931-1936. This thesis analyses rural social and political conflict in the province of Badajoz (Extremadura) during the Spanish Second Republic of 1931 to 1936. It takes a broad approach to social and political change in a province typical of southern Spain, but focusses particularly on the under-explored role of powerful agrarian elites opposed to the reforms introduced by the new liberal-democratic regime. The study begins with two complementary chapters covering the period 1870-1930; they consider the evolution of the autocratic rural order presided over by the elite and discuss the growth of the challenge to agrian power from organised rural labour. In the following chapters covering in detail the period 1931 to 1936 the partial transformat ion of the rural order that accompanied the transition to the Republic, the subsequent processes of social and political struggle, and the polarisation that followed are documented. A final epilogue considers the Civil War as a rural counter-revolution that involved the resurgence of agrarian autocracy in Badajoz. The thesis draws on a wide range of primary materials, from archives and printed sources to memoirs, and utilizes the relevant secondary literature. In general the study
agrarian society_politics province spanish_second_republic analysis rural social_political conflict province spanish_second_republic take_broad social_political change province typical southern spain focus_particularly under explored role powerful agrarian elite oppose reform introduce_new liberal democratic regime study_begin two_complementary cover_period consider evolution autocratic rural order preside elite discus growth challenge power organise rural labour follow cover detail period partial ion rural order accompany transition republic subsequent process social_political struggle polarisation follow document final epilogue considers civil_war rural counter revolution involve resurgence agrarian autocracy draw_wide range primary material archive print_source memoir utilizes relevant secondary_literature general study