Spanish Republican government in Exile
Encyclopedia
The Spanish Republican government in exile was a continuation of the government of the Second Spanish Republic
, which was established in exile after the victory of Francisco Franco
's forces in the Spanish Civil War
in April 1939. It continued in existence until the restoration of Spanish democracy in 1977.
(Manuel Azaña
) and Prime Minister
(Juan Negrín
) went into exile in France
. Azaña resigned his post and died in November 1940. He was succeeded as President by Diego Martínez Barrio
, who had been Prime Minister in 1936. When Nazi Germany
occupied France in 1940, the government was reconstituted in Mexico
, which under the left-wing President Lázaro Cárdenas
continued to recognise the Republic as the legal government of Spain - although Negrín spent the war years in London
. Negrín resigned as Prime Minister in 1945 and was succeeded by José Giral
.
Until 1945 the exiled Republicans had high hopes that at the end of World War II
in Europe, Franco's regime would be removed from power by the victorious Allies and that they would be able to return to Spain. When these hopes were disappointed, the government-in-exile faded away to a purely symbolic role, although Josip Broz Tito
's government in Yugoslavia
joined Mexico and the Soviet Union
in giving it diplomatic recognition. The government moved back to Paris in 1946. There was also a Basque government in exile and a Catalan government in exile.
After Franco's death in 1975, King Juan Carlos
restored democratic government. In 1977 the exiled Republicans decided to accept the re-establishment of the monarchy and recognise the new government. On 1 July 1977 the Government of Spanish Republic was formally dissolved. In a gesture of reconciliation, King Juan Carlos received the exile leaders at a ceremony in Madrid.
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
, which was established in exile after the victory of Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's forces in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
in April 1939. It continued in existence until the restoration of Spanish democracy in 1977.
History
On the fall of the Republic in April 1939, the PresidentPresident of Spain
Today, Spain is a constitutional monarchy. King Juan Carlos I, the current monarch, is Head of State. The Head of Government has the official title of President of the Government....
(Manuel Azaña
Manuel Azaña
Manuel Azaña Díaz was a Spanish politician. He was the first Prime Minister of the Second Spanish Republic , and later served again as Prime Minister , and then as the second and last President of the Republic . The Spanish Civil War broke out while he was President...
) and Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Spain
The President of the Government of Spain , sometimes known in English as the Prime Minister of Spain, is the head of Government of Spain. The current office is established under the Constitution of 1978...
(Juan Negrín
Juan Negrín
Juan Negrín y López was a Spanish politician and physician.-Early years:Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Negrín came from a religious middle-class family...
) went into exile in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Azaña resigned his post and died in November 1940. He was succeeded as President by Diego Martínez Barrio
Diego Martínez Barrio
Diego Martínez y Barrio was a Spanish politician during the Second Spanish Republic, Prime Minister of Spain between 9 October 1933 and 26 December 1933 and was briefly appointed again by Manuel Azaña after the resignation of Santiago Casares Quiroga, on July 19, 1936 - three days after the...
, who had been Prime Minister in 1936. When Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
occupied France in 1940, the government was reconstituted in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, which under the left-wing President Lázaro Cárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas del Río was President of Mexico from 1934 to 1940.-Early life:Lázaro Cárdenas was born on May 21, 1895 in a lower-middle class family in the village of Jiquilpan, Michoacán. He supported his family from age 16 after the death of his father...
continued to recognise the Republic as the legal government of Spain - although Negrín spent the war years in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Negrín resigned as Prime Minister in 1945 and was succeeded by José Giral
José Giral
José Giral y Pereira was a Spanish politician during the Second Spanish Republic.He had degrees in Chemistry and Pharmacy from the University of Madrid. In 1905 he became professor of chemistry in the University of Salamanca. He founded Acción Republicana with Manuel Azaña...
.
Until 1945 the exiled Republicans had high hopes that at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in Europe, Franco's regime would be removed from power by the victorious Allies and that they would be able to return to Spain. When these hopes were disappointed, the government-in-exile faded away to a purely symbolic role, although Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
's government in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
joined Mexico and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in giving it diplomatic recognition. The government moved back to Paris in 1946. There was also a Basque government in exile and a Catalan government in exile.
After Franco's death in 1975, King Juan Carlos
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
restored democratic government. In 1977 the exiled Republicans decided to accept the re-establishment of the monarchy and recognise the new government. On 1 July 1977 the Government of Spanish Republic was formally dissolved. In a gesture of reconciliation, King Juan Carlos received the exile leaders at a ceremony in Madrid.
Presidents in exile
- Álvaro de Albornoz y Liminiana (acting) (1940 - 17 August 1945)
- Diego Martínez BarrioDiego Martínez BarrioDiego Martínez y Barrio was a Spanish politician during the Second Spanish Republic, Prime Minister of Spain between 9 October 1933 and 26 December 1933 and was briefly appointed again by Manuel Azaña after the resignation of Santiago Casares Quiroga, on July 19, 1936 - three days after the...
(17 August 1945 - 1 January 1962) - Luis Jiménez de AsúaLuis Jiménez de AsúaLuis Jiménez de Asúa was a jurist and Spanish politician. He was vice president of the Spanish parliament and representative of that country before the United Nations. During the Francoist dictatorship he exiled himself to Argentina...
(11 February 1962 - 16 November 1970) - José Maldonado GonzalezJosé Maldonado GonzalezJosé Maldonado González was the last president of the Spanish Republican government in Exile. Elected in the Spanish general election, 1936 as a deputy for Oviedo province, he was a member of the party Republican Left, which was a member of the Popular Front...
(November 1970 - 1 July 1977)
Prime ministers in exile
- Juan NegrínJuan NegrínJuan Negrín y López was a Spanish politician and physician.-Early years:Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Negrín came from a religious middle-class family...
López (4 March 1939 - 17 August 1945) - José GiralJosé GiralJosé Giral y Pereira was a Spanish politician during the Second Spanish Republic.He had degrees in Chemistry and Pharmacy from the University of Madrid. In 1905 he became professor of chemistry in the University of Salamanca. He founded Acción Republicana with Manuel Azaña...
Pereyra (17 August 1945 - 9 February 1947) - Rodolfo LlopisRodolfo LlopisRodolfo Llopis Ferrándiz was a Spanish socialist politician. He was the General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party in exile from 1944 to 1972....
Ferrándiz (9 February 1947 - 8 August 1947) - Álvaro de Albornoz y Liminiana (8 August 1947 - 13 August 1951)
- Félix Gordón Ordás (13 August 1951 - 9 May 1960)
- Emilio Herrera Linares (9 May 1960 - 28 February 1962)
- Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz y MenduiñaClaudio Sánchez-Albornoz y MenduiñaClaudio Sánchez-Albornoz y Menduiña was an eminent Spanish medieval historian, statesman, and a leader of the Spanish Republican government in Exile during the rule of Francisco Franco.- Education and Early Career :...
(28 February 1962 - 28 February 1971) - Fernando Valera Aparicio (28 February 1971 - 23 July 1977)