National Alliance of Democratic Forces facts for kids
The National Alliance of Democratic Forces (ANFD) was a secret group formed in October 1944 in Spain. It was created during the early years of Francoist Spain, a time when General Francisco Franco ruled the country. The ANFD brought together different Spanish political and worker groups, like republicans, socialists, and anarchists. These groups had all fought together against Franco's side in the Spanish Civil War. Their main goal was to end Franco's rule and bring back democracy to Spain.
Contents
History of the ANFD
Forming the Alliance
After the Spanish Civil War, many groups in Spain wanted to see democracy return. The socialists and anarchists, who had sometimes disagreed in the past, found a common enemy in Franco's dictatorship. They also didn't want to join the Communist Party (PCE) because they felt the communists wanted too much control.
So, in late 1943, leaders from the Spanish Libertarian Movement (anarchists) and the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) started talking. They wanted to create a united group of non-communist forces. In February 1944, the main anarchist group, the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT), agreed to these talks.
Soon, politicians from other republican parties joined the discussions. These included the Republican Left, the Republican Union, and the Federal Republican Party. They were part of a group called the National Republican Committee, led by Rafael Sánchez-Guerra and Régulo Martínez.
By June 1944, these three main groups (socialists, anarchists, and republicans) reached an agreement. They announced the formation of the ANFD in October. In their founding statement, they used the term "republican order" to refer to the Second Spanish Republic. This was a way to include anarchists, who didn't always agree with the idea of a republic, but still wanted a democratic system.
Goals of the ANFD
The ANFD had clear goals:
- To form a temporary government.
- To bring back democratic freedoms to Spain.
- To hold general elections.
They also hoped to get support from the Allied countries (like the US and UK). They promised that a new democratic Spain would join the Atlantic Charter, an important agreement about peace and democracy.
Secretly, the three groups also agreed that the 1931 Constitution (from the Second Republic) would be updated. After Franco's rule ended, they planned to create a new constitution for Spain.
Leadership of the ANFD
To lead the ANFD, a national council was formed. Régulo Martínez, a republican who had recently been released from prison, became its chairman. The council also included Juan Gómez Egido from the socialist party and Sigfrido Catalá from the anarchist movement.
However, the ANFD didn't include everyone who opposed Franco. The communists were left out, and so were nationalist groups from Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia. Because of this, and because they didn't have strong support from other countries, some people thought the ANFD wasn't powerful enough to change Spain's situation.
Talks with Monarchists
As the Allies started winning World War II, Franco's position in the world became weaker. This led some monarchists (people who wanted a king to rule Spain) to start talking with the ANFD. These monarchists had supported Franco before, but now they saw that his rule might not last.
In late 1944, the ANFD and monarchist leaders discussed what kind of government would replace Franco's. Both sides believed that Franco's regime would soon fall after the Allied victory.
Arrests and Challenges
Unfortunately, the Francoist police began a series of arrests in late 1944 and early 1945. A police informant helped them find members of the ANFD.
- On December 21-22, 1944, Régulo Martínez, the ANFD president, was arrested. Other ANFD leaders and some monarchists who had been talking with them were also arrested.
- In March 1945, Sigfrido Catalá, the anarchist representative on the ANFD board, was arrested along with other anarchist leaders.
- Around the same time, almost all the socialist leaders in Spain, including Juan Gómez Ejido (the socialist representative on the ANFD board), were arrested.
The arrested monarchists and ANFD members were treated differently. When the ANFD leaders went to trial in January 1947, the monarchists who had been involved in the talks were not even called to testify. The ANFD leaders were sentenced to prison terms, ranging from four to twelve years. Sigfrido Catalá had even been sentenced to death in an earlier trial related to his anarchist activities.
In May 1945, the ANFD also started a branch in Catalonia, which included many nationalist groups. This led to the creation of the National Council of Catalan Democracy in December. However, as the first few years after World War II passed, the hope that the Allies would help overthrow Franco's dictatorship began to fade.
See also
In Spanish: Alianza Nacional de Fuerzas Democráticas para niños
