Alfonsism facts for kids
Alfonsism was a movement in Spain that wanted to bring back Alfonso XIII of Spain as the King of Spain. This happened after Spain became a republic in 1931, which was called the Second Spanish Republic. The Alfonsists were rivals with another group of monarchists, the Carlists, who also wanted to put their own king on the Spanish throne.
What Led to Alfonsism?
In the 1910s, some Spanish politicians started to favor stronger, more controlling governments. This was different from the older, more liberal ideas. A new group of politicians brought in ideas like corporatism (where different groups in society work together under state control) and integral nationalism (a strong belief in national unity and power). They also supported the Catholic Church having a big role in politics.
After 1923, a leader named Miguel Primo de Rivera took control of Spain. His government was a mix of strong, controlling rule and traditional ideas. King Alfonso XIII started to support this new government. Because of this, many people who believed in older, more liberal ideas began to distance themselves from the King and even from the idea of having a monarchy at all. After Primo de Rivera resigned in 1930, many of his supporters joined a group called the National Monarchist Union.
The History of Alfonsism
After King Alfonso XIII's monarchy ended in 1931, his supporters formed a political party in 1933 called Renovación Española (Spanish Renewal). This party had a lot of money and many supporters in the Spanish army.
The Alfonsists took some ideas from other strong, controlling movements in Europe, like Italian Fascism and similar groups in France and Portugal. However, Renovación Española never became a very popular movement among ordinary people. They only had support from a small group of well-known people. Meanwhile, their rivals, the Carlists, grew into a much larger movement in Spain.
Renovación Española worked with the fascist party called Falange, which was led by José Antonio Primo de Rivera. The Alfonsists hoped to use the Falange to help them achieve their goals.
In 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, the Alfonsists from Renovación Española joined forces with the Falange, the Carlist traditionalists, and another political group called CEDA. They all merged under the leadership of Francisco Franco to form one big group called the FET y de las JONS, which was part of the National Movement.
See also
In Spanish: Alfonsismo para niños
