General Strike of 1936–1937
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| General Strike of 1936–1937 | |
|---|---|
| Conflict | General Strike of 1936–1937 |
| Date | 1936–1937 |
| Place | Spain |
| Result | Republican defensive stabilization; international polarization |
| Combatant1 | Second Spanish Republic supporters, CNT, UGT, PSOE |
| Combatant2 | Nationalists, Falange Española, elements of Spanish Army |
General Strike of 1936–1937 was a major labor action that unfolded against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War after the July 1936 military uprising. The strike, concentrated in industrial and urban centers such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Bilbao, intersected with political struggles involving syndicalist, socialist, anarchist, and communist organizations. It influenced military logistics, civilian morale, and the policies of international actors including Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and Kingdom of Italy.
Background and Causes
The strike emerged from a convergence of long-term tensions and immediate triggers. Longstanding labor disputes involving the CNT and UGT had escalated during the Second Spanish Republic due to clashes over land reform advocated by the Republican Left and industrial disputes linked to the Great Depression. Polarization intensified after episodes such as the Asturian miners' strike of 1934 and the electoral mobilizations of the February 1936 election, which brought the Popular Front to power. The July 1936 uprising by generals including Francisco Franco and José Sanjurjo provoked mass mobilization; strikes were used as a defensive tactic by unions allied to PCE, POUM, and anarchist federations to disrupt Nationalist supply lines and to assert revolutionary aims championed by figures like Buenaventura Durruti and Andreu Nin.
Course of the Strike
What began as localized work stoppages quickly spread into coordinated stoppages in transportation, industry, and communications. Rail strikes affected lines connecting Madrid to Barcelona and Valencia, while port stoppages in Bilbao and Valencia impeded maritime logistics. Factories under the influence of the CNT in Catalonia and workplaces controlled by the UGT in Asturias adopted different tactics, with some workplaces organizing workers' committees modeled on soviets observed in the 1917 revolution. Strikes combined with barricade construction and citizen militias formed from columns such as the Durruti Column and the Maidens of the Antifascist Militias to defend Republican-held zones. The action fluctuated with military fronts: during the Siege of Madrid stoppages intensified, while periods of Nationalist offensives around Teruel and Guadalajara saw shifts toward mobilization for defense.
Key Participants and Leadership
Leadership was plural and often decentralized. Syndicalist leadership within the CNT included regional secretaries and local committees rather than a single national figure, while the UGT maintained organizational ties to the PSOE leadership in Madrid. Communist coordination under the PCE sought centralized direction and drew on figures influenced by the Comintern and advisers linked to the Soviet Union. Revolutionary leaders such as Buenaventura Durruti and Federica Montseny played prominent roles in Catalan mobilization, whereas intellectuals and activists associated with POUM such as Andreu Nin contributed to organizing in Aragon and Catalonia. International volunteers from the International Brigades and activists affiliated with organizations like the anarchist movement also participated in support roles for strike enforcement and defense.
Government and Police Response
Responses varied across Republican institutions and local authorities. The Second Spanish Republic's central ministries, including the Interior Ministry, faced tensions between conciliatory policies favored by Manuel Azaña and repressive measures advocated by security apparatuses and Communist elements. In cities like Barcelona, the regional government of the Catalan Generalitat under leaders linked to the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya struggled to balance anarchist control of factories with restoration of public order. Police forces such as the Guardia Civil and the Cuerpo de Seguridad y Asalto sometimes clashed with strikers and militias; meanwhile, Nationalist-aligned security measures in occupied zones included summary measures influenced by commanders within the Spanish Army of Africa and the Spanish Foreign Legion.
Social and Economic Impact
The strike exacerbated shortages of food, fuel, and medical supplies in Republican zones and complicated international aid routed through ports like Valencia and Gijón. Urban life in Madrid and Barcelona was disrupted by curfews and rationing instituted by municipal councils, and social services overseen by revolutionary committees attempted to mitigate humanitarian crises. Economically, stoppages reduced industrial output in sectors such as mining in Asturias and steelworks in the Basque Country; this affected armaments production and contributed to reliance on imports from Soviet Union and shipments negotiated with French Third Republic intermediaries. Socially, the strike deepened cleavages among syndicalists, socialists, and communists, feeding internal conflicts exemplified later in events like the May 1937 clashes.
Aftermath and Legacy
After the strike period, Republican authorities sought reassertion of centralized control, leading to reorganization of labor relations and increased influence of the PCE in military and logistical affairs. The strike's legacy influenced postwar narratives among exiles, trade union historiography, and international labor movements including Comintern analyses. Memory of the stoppages and associated revolutionary experiments informed later scholarly debates about revolutionary potential within civil conflicts, with historians examining archives related to the Second Spanish Republic, testimonies by participants such as members of the Durruti Column, and diplomatic correspondence involving the Soviet Union, France, and United Kingdom. The strike remains a pivotal episode for understanding the entanglement of labor mobilization, political ideology, and military contestation during the Spanish Civil War.