This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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Modern History of Spain II, from Monarchy to Republic

Code: 100343 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
History OB 3
Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 3
Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 4

Contact

Name:
David Alegre Lorenz
Email:
david.alegre@uab.cat

Teachers

Javier Rodrigo Sanchez
David Alegre Lorenz

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

No prerequisites are required


Objectives and Contextualisation

This Course aims to provide students with adequate instruments and resources to achieve a solid understanding of the main political, socioeconomic and cultural factors that shaped Spanish society and the Spanish state during the last quarter of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, until the end of the Civil War. The Course will cover the Bourbonic Restoration (including the Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera), the democratic experience of the Second Republic, and the Civil War, with particular attention to long-term processes such as political and social conflicts, forms of violent persecution and repression of dissidence, struggles for political representation (with a particular attention to gender) or the incidence of military interventionism in public life.

The main objective is the achieving of methodological and interpretative tools from a solid bibliographical work, in order to apprehend the diversity of interpretations and the most relevant historiographical debates on these topics and periods. Students will also need to consolidate factual and concrete knowledge about the main political and social processes and institutions of the period, the main social and cultural tendencies, the Spanish socioeconomic evolution and the history of collective identities such as gender, class or religion


Competences

    History
  • Applying the main methods, techniques and instruments of the historical analysis.
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Identifying the main historiographical tendencies and critically analysing their development.
  • Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
    Contemporary History, Politics and Economics
  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Distinguish between and analyse the type of relations that have been established over the last century among the different social, political and economic agents on national, regional and international frameworks.
  • Distinguish between governmental decision-making systems in different social and political contexts from the mid-twentieth century to the present day in state-, substate and suprastate frameworks.
  • Explain and summarise knowledge acquired in English language at an advanced level.
  • Identify the role in the present of the different social memories referring to conflictive pasts, differentiating between the concepts of history and memory.
  • Manage and apply data to solve problems.
  • Recognise and contextualise texts referring to recent contemporary history.
  • Relate fundamental questions of the current economic situation with previous economic developments on the basis of the main elements of contemporary economic history.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Work cooperatively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams implementing new projects.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse the different historiographic perspectives in relation to different periods of history worked on in the subject.
  2. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  3. Applying the necessary abilities in order to assess and spread historical knowledge.
  4. Be familiar with the basic bibliography on historical evolution of governmental systems in the countries of reference for the subject.
  5. Capacity to continue future learning independently, acquiring further knowledge and exploring new areas of knowledge.
  6. Communicating in your mother tongue or other language both in oral and written form by using specific terminology and techniques of Historiography.
  7. Demonstrate capacity to adapt to changing environments.
  8. Demonstrate initiative and work independently when required.
  9. Developing the ability of historical analysis and synthesis.
  10. Differentiate between the literality of texts in their social and political senses based on a specific context.
  11. Engaging in debates about historical facts respecting the other participants' opinions.
  12. Evaluate and critically resolve the histiographical problems of studies of civil wars.
  13. Express an opinion based on the nature, perspective and rigour of texts referring to the course content.
  14. Identify the problems of economic agents on the basis of different historic experiences.
  15. Identifying and using in an appropriate way sources of information for the historical research of contemporary Spain.
  16. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  17. Know different cases of memories in conflict between different places in the same state.
  18. Make a brief comparison of national and/or regional cases within the same international framework.
  19. Make comparisons between the levels of regional autonomy within a state.
  20. Organise work in relation to good time management and planning.
  21. Organising and planning the search of historical information.
  22. Perform an integrated analysis of the physical, financial, and migratory flows of the economy, on the basis of different historical experiences.
  23. Placing in historical perspective the new industrialisation experiences in the developing countries.
  24. Recognising and implementing the following teamwork skills: commitment to teamwork, habit of cooperation, ability to participate in the problem solving processes.
  25. Recognising diversity and multiculturalism.
  26. Recognising the key historical concepts of the current Spanish society.
  27. Relating elements and factors involved in the development of historical processes.
  28. Select and generate the information necessary for each problem, analyse it and take decisions based on that information.
  29. Solving problems autonomously.
  30. Summarise the different experiences of economic development, on a regional, national and international scale.
  31. Understand regional specificities within states.
  32. Using the characteristic computing resources of the field of History.
  33. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.
  34. Work in teams respecting all points of view. Use the specific vocabulary of history correctly.
  35. Working in teams respecting the other's points of view.

Content

1. The Bourbonic Restoration in the 19th century, from 1875 to 1902. The 1876 constitution. From the Canovas dictatorship to the Pardo Pact. The political turn and caciquismo. The colonial crisis and Spain at war. 1898 and the regenerationist reformulations. Dynasty, republicanism, nationalism. The labor movements.

2. A new reign and a new century: Alfonso XIII and liberal parliamentarism. The processes of nationalization and sub-state nationalism. Dynastic reformism. The conflict in Morocco and the war in Melilla. Spain and the First World War: the crisis of the regime and the decomposition of the dynastic turn. The Defense Boards and the military question. The political and social mobilization of 1917. The repercussions on government policy: from 1917 to 1922.

3. Monarchy and Dictatorship, 1923-31. Primo de Rivera and the attempts of a military regime. Denunciation of liberal parliamentarism and chieftaincy. Public order and social order: from the Somatén to the Patriotic Union. Nationalizing policies. The discourse of the New State: The Civil Directory, the National Consultative Assembly and the National Corporate Organization. Economic failure. The wars of Morocco. The resignation of Primo de Rivera and the collapse of the Monarchy (1930-1931).

4. The Second Republic. Social reformism and republican civil ethics. The construction of a new regime and a new state. The Constituent Cortes: the party system and the 1931 constitution. The politics of the reformist biennium. Political dynamics and social conflict. The reaction and the rectifying biennium, 1933 to 1936. The CEDA and October 1934. FE-JONS: Fascism. The Republic of 1936 and the meaning of the Popular Front. The military uprising of July 1936: preparation and first reactions.

5. The Civil War. Rearguard violence and repressive mechanisms. The war of columns. Total war: evolution of the military fronts. From the revolutionary order to the legal order: the Republic at war. Military, traditionalists, fascists: the birth of the New State. The internationalization of the conflict. War culture. 'Unionization' and militarization. End of the war, exile, republican defeat.



Within this political and institutional framework of reference, the teaching team will include topics of economic, social and cultural significance, such as, for example, the limits and development of Hispanic capitalism in the European context, the urbanization of population and migration, the renewed forms of poverty, trade union and social conflicts and the public and political visibility of the popular sectors and the middle classes, Spanish nationalization and the emergence of other historical nationalization processes, the social impact of great political and ideological cultures of contemporary society (conservatism and traditionalism, fundamentalism, political liberalism and social liberalism, republicanism, federalism, socialism and anarchism, radical rightism, fascism, freethinking and secularism, clericalism and anticlericalism, feminism), advances in culture democratic popular structure and the revolutionary workers and popular bets, etc. Special attention will be paid to the presence of women in this historical evolution, mainly in the struggle for political citizenship and social and gender equality within the labor movement.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Master classes 39 1.56 9, 15, 11, 26, 25, 27
Type: Supervised      
Preparation essays and comments, reading texts, searching information 15 0.6 6, 15, 16, 21, 11, 25, 27, 32
Tutorials 12 0.48 6, 9, 15, 16, 21, 26, 25, 32
Type: Autonomous      
Personal study 35 1.4 29, 6, 9, 15, 16, 21, 11, 25, 35, 32
Preparation essays and comments, reading texts, searching information 40 1.6 29, 15, 26, 25, 27, 35, 32

The teaching methodology and the formative activities will contemplate some aspects, in the part and proportion that the teacher considers appropriate. For example:
 
 
Assistance to supervised master classes.
 
Intervention in the practices and essays integrated into the classes, under the supervision of the teacher.
 
Comprehensive reading of texts.
 
Learning about information search strategies.
 
Making reviews, essays and analytical comments.
 
Preparation of oral presentations.
 
Autonomous study

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Compulsory Readings Exam 20% 1.5 0.06 22, 2, 1, 3, 29, 12, 5, 18, 31, 6, 17, 7, 8, 9, 10, 4, 19, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 20, 11, 26, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 23, 35, 34, 32, 33
Guided essays, reviews and readings or analysis on sources. Continuous follow-up of the Course. 40% 6 0.24 22, 2, 1, 3, 29, 12, 5, 18, 31, 6, 17, 7, 8, 9, 10, 4, 19, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 20, 11, 26, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 23, 35, 34, 32, 33
Written Exam 40% 1.5 0.06 22, 2, 1, 3, 29, 12, 5, 18, 31, 6, 17, 7, 8, 9, 10, 4, 19, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 20, 11, 26, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 23, 35, 34, 32, 33

General information
 
Evaluation activities will be scheduled throughout the academic year. The dates for the realization of the tests in the classroom, as well as the delivery of works and reviews, will be communicated to the students with sufficient anticipation. These dates will be the same for all students, without any exception, leaving aside conveniently justified cases. Erasmus students requesting to advance an exam must present to the professor a written document from their home university justifying their request.
 
At the time of each evaluation activity, the teacher will inform the students via the Virtual Campus of the procedure and date for the revision of the evaluation activities. These sessions will always be exclusively face-to-face, and will only be held on a different date and time in justified cases.
 
Any irregularity committed within the framework of the tests (copying, plagiarism, use of artificial intelligence and electronic media) will imply a grade of zero in the specific evaluation section. The commission of various irregularities will result in an overall grade of zero.
 
This subject allows the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies exclusively in support tasks for the preparation of the tests: bibliographic search, specific information, knowledge of debates and states of arts, always being aware of the limitations of this tool, which often fails to provide reliable information. In all cases, students must (i) identify the parts of the activities that have been generated or prepared with AI; (ii) specify in a brief section or methodological paragraph the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the process and the final result of the activity. This type of exercise will be highly valued, especially in combination with the work based on the reading of specialized bibliography and the contents taught in the classroom. The non-transparency of the use of AI in any evaluable activity will be considered a lack of academic honesty and will result in the activity being evaluated with a 0 and not being able to be recovered, or higher sanctions in serious cases.
 
Spelling, syntax and morphology correction clause: the inappropriate use of punctuation marks, spelling mistakes and problems of written expression may penalize up to one point in each evaluation test.
 
Continuous evaluation
 
The work and the continuous monitoring of the course may include the writing of essays, the reading of specialized bibliography (chapters and articles), the analysis of historical documentation, oral interviews, debates, class participation, etc. The specific type of work to be done will be explained on the first day of class and will also be posted on the Virtual Campus. Papers delivered later will not be accepted, neither papers without proper academic presentation (table of contents, pagination, number of pages, etc.). Finally, papers that are a mere copy in any kind of support or papers that contain partial and total plagiarism will not be accepted. For the evaluative activities carried out in the classroom will be highly valued those that are able to coherently raise debates, states of arts and interpretations from specialized bibliography connected with the content of the classes.
 
Students will obtain a Not assessed/Not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30% of the assessment items.
 
It is very important to keep in mind that students will not be allowed to bring notes to the evaluation tests, except for a sheet with handwritten diagrams on both sides that must be handed in with each test and that can be reviewed by the teacher during the exercise. It will be allowed to bring books with which thesubject has been prepared and thatcan serve as support.
 
Single evaluation
 
Students who choose the single evaluation will take three different evaluation tests on the same day:
 
- An oral interview with the teacher (50% of the grade), being necessary to authorize the recording of the test in a document that the teacher will prepare and present to the student before the beginning of the test.
 
- A written exam based on readings set by the teaching staff (30%).
 
- A written analysis of a historical source (20%).
 
Make-up exam
 
In order to participate in the recovery process, the student must have been previously evaluated on a set of activities, whose weight must be equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the total qualification (continuous evaluation) or submit all the tests foreseen (single evaluation).
 
In order to participate in the recovery process it will be mandatory to have obtained a final average grade of 3.5 and a minimum qualification of 3 in each individual test.
 
The recovery will consist of an exam of the theoretical subject of the course and will be held on the public date established by the Faculty. It will be the same test both for students of continuous evaluation and for those who have opted for the single evaluation. In no case may the recovery be used as a means to improve the grades of students who have already passed the subject in the normal evaluation process. In any case, the maximum grade that can be obtained after passing the subject by this means is a 5.0 (Pass).

Bibliography

Compulsory readings will be announced on the first day of class and in the Moodle class.

General bibliography:


-Álvarez Junco, J. i Shubert, A (2018)., Nueva Historia de la España Contemporánea (1808-2018), Barcelona, Galaxia Gutenberg.

- Avilés, J. et. al. (2002): Historia política de España 1875-1939, Madrid, Istmo.

- Bahamonde, A. (coord.); Carasa, P.; Martínez, J.A.; i Pizarroso, A. (2000): Historia de España. Siglo XX, 1875-1939, Madrid, Cátedra.

- Casanova, J., Gil, C. (2010): Historia de España en el siglo XX, Madrid, Ariel, 2010.

- Casanova, J. (2007): República y Guerra Civil, Barcelona/Madrid, Crítica/Marcial Pons [Vol. 8 de la Historia de España, dirigida per J. Fontana i R. Villares

- Juliá, S.(2004): Historias de las dos Españas, Madrid, Taurus

-Juliá, S. (2019): Demasiados retrocesos. España, 1898-2018, Barcelona, Galaxia Gutenberg

- Ledesma, J.L., Muñoz, J., Rodrigo, J. (eds.) (2005): Culturas y políticas de la violencia. España siglo XX, Madrid, Siete Mares.

- Suárez Cortina, M. (2006), La España liberal (1868-1917), Madrid, Síntesis

- Villares, R., Moreno Luzón, J. (2009): Restauración y Dictadura, Barcelona /Madrid, Crítica / Marcial Pons. [Vol. 7 de la Historia de España, dirigida per J. Fontana i R. Villares]

 

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Thematic monographs (in chronological order):

- Townson, N. (ed.) (1994): El republicanismo en España, 1830-1977, Madrid, Alianza

- Duarte, A. (1997): La España de laRestauración (1875-1923). Barcelona, Hipótesis

- Forner, S. (coord.) (1997): Democracia, elecciones y modernización enEuropa. Siglos XIX y XX, Madrid, Càtedra.

- Chust, M. i Piqueras, J.A.(comps.), (1996): Republicanos y repúblicas en España, Madrid, Siglo XXI.

- Cabrera, M. (dir.) (1998): Con luz y taquígrafos. El Parlamento de la Restauración (1913-1923), Madrid, Taurus.

- Granja, de la, J.L., Beramendi, J., Anguera, P. (1999): La España de los nacionalismos y las autonomías, Madrid, Síntesis.

- Fuentes, Maximiliano (2014), España en la Primera Guerra Mundial, Madrid, Akal.

- Moreno, J., Tavares, P. (coords.) (2015), De las urnas al hemiciclo. Elecciones y parlamentarismo en la península ibérica (1875-1926), Madrid, Marcial Pons.

- Suárez Cortina, M. (2000): El gorro frigio. Liberalismo, democracia y republicanismo en la Restauración, Madrid, Biblioteca Nueva.

- Preston, P. (1994): Franco, "Caudillo de España", Barcelona, Grijalbo Mondadori

- Varela Ortega, J. (dir.)(2001): El poder de la influencia. Geografía del caciquismo en España (1875-1923), Madrid, Marcial Pons/Centro de estudios constitucionales.

- Balfour, S. (1997): El fin del Imperio Español (1898-1923), Barcelona, Crítica

- Seco Serrano, C. (1995): La España de Alfonso XIII: el Estado y la política (1902-1931). De los comienzos del reinado a los problemas de la postguerra (1902-1922), Madrid, Espasa-Calpe

- Balfour, S. (2002): Abrazo mortal. De la guerra colonial a la Guerra Civil en España y Marruecos (1909-1939), Barcelona, Península.

- González Calleja, E. (2005): La España de Primo de Rivera. La modernización autoritaria, 1923-1930, Madrid, Alianza.

- Cruz, R. (2006): En el nombre del pueblo. República, rebelión y guerra en laEspaña de 1936,Madrid, Siglo XXI.

- Morente, F. (ed.) (2012), España en la crisis de entreguerras. República, fascismo y Guerra Civil, Madrid, LosLibros de la Catarata.

- González Calleja, E., Cobo, F. et. at. (2015): La Segunda República Española, Barcelona, Pasado & Presente.

- Gallego, F. (2014): El evangelio fascista. La formación de la cultura política del franquismo (1930-1950), Barcelona, Crítica, 2014

- Casanova, J. (1997): De la calle al frente. El anarcosindicalismo en España, 1931-1939, Barcelona, Crítica

- Gil Pecharromán, J. (2006): LaSegunda República Española, Madrid, Biblioteca Nueva.

- Martín Ramos, J.L. (2015): El Frente Popular. Victoria y derrota de la democracia en España, Barcelona, Pasado y Presente.

- Rodrigo, J. (ed.) (2009): Retaguardia y cultura de guerra, 1936-39, Ayer, 76.

- Preston, P. (2001[1994]): La destrucción de la democracia en España: reforma, reacción y revolución en la Segunda República, Barcelona, Grijalbo.

- Graham, H. (2006) La República Española en Guerra (1936-1939), Barcelona, Debate.

- Martín Ramos, J.L. (2018): Guerra y revolución en Cataluña 1936-1939, Barcelona, Crítica.

- Núñez Seixas, X.M. (2006): ¡Fuera el invasor! Nacionalismos y movilización bélica durante la guerra civil española (1936-1939), Madrid, Marcial Pons.

- Gallego, F. (2007): La crisis del antifascismo. Barcelona, mayo de 1937, Barcelona, Debate

- Rodrigo, J. (2008): Hasta la raíz. Violencia durante la guerra civil y el franquismo, Madrid, Alianza.


Software

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Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 2 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Spanish first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 2 Catalan first semester morning-mixed