Unit 5 industrial rev. in spain

Unit 5
Industrial Revolution in Spain

• Evolución de los cambios económicos en España
• La industrialización parcial
• Especifica algunas repercusiones políticas como consecuencia de los
cambios económicos en España.

The limits of Spanish Industrialisation
• Traditional agriculture:
• Instead of G.B. the agriculture in Spain did not experienced changes in the structure of
ownership to stimulate the growth of production
• The land remained in the hands of large land owners without initiative to innovate.
• Abundance of peasants kept the wages down and the continuation of traditional agriculture.
• In the 19th century the production increases through the clearing of new land, rather than
the introduction of new methods and equipment.
Gonzalo Bilbao: “Harvest in Andalusia” (1894)

• Disjointed market and protectionism:
• Shortage of buyers
• Spain didn’t have a good transport network: The goods couldn’t
be transported between provinces at a reasonable price.
• Emerging industrial sector was uncompetitive: low productivity
and high costs.
• Foreign products threatened the national production.
• Protectionist measures: Introduced by the state to force the
consumption of local products.

• The Budget deficit and the shortage of capital
• Tax reform of 1845 forced the privileged members to pay taxes, but:
• Fiscal system was unable to avoid the deficit: Throughout the 19th century the Treasury
of the state was in permanent debt.
• It was necessary to take loans and issue bonds: the state’s capital was used to pay off the
high-interests of the public debt.
• The financing of industry was left to private investors.
• Shortage of investment capital: Great problem for innovation and industrial
development.
• Spanish industry wasn´t competitive in the international market: The trade
balance remained in deficit most of the time.

Relative backwardness
• Industrialisation initially included:
Andalusia, Asturias, Cantabria, Valencia,
Basque Country and Catalonia.
• Only Basque Country and Catalonia follow
a truly industrial path.
• Europe of two velocities:
• Great Britain, France and Germany: Were the
industrial powers of Europe in the 19th
Century.
• Mediterranean and central Europe: Slower
development, always behind the great
industrial powers.
• Problems of Spain:
• Agricultural modernisation
• Excessive state intervention in the economy
and protectionism
• Abandonment of foreign sector
• Backward financial system

Population growth
• Spanish population grew approximately 7,1 million of inhabitants throughout
the 19th century.
• Moderated growth compared to other European countries.
• Regional variation in population growth:
• More in coastal areas than in the interior (exception of Madrid).
• Population movements. Migrations:
• Rural Exodus: From the countryside to industrialised areas of Barcelona, Bilbao and
Madrid.
• Emigration: to Latin America (Cuba and Argentina mainly), this migration was specially
strong from the Canary Islands, Galicia and Asturias.

The liberal land reform
• Since 1836 onwards.
• Objective: To abolish the Ancien Régime in the countryside
and introduce capitalist forms of ownership and production.
• Measures introduced:
• Abolition of manorialism (“Señoríos”)
• Expropiation of the lands owned by church (Confiscation of
Mendizábal) or municipalities (Confiscation of Madoz)
• Consequences:
• Privatisation of large extensions of agricultural land.
• The land remained in the hands of rich landowners and high
bourgeoise, the only ones able to buy the lands sold in auctions.
• Privatisation of common lands affected thousands of peasants who
lost their right to use pastures, collect firewood or plant temporary
crops.
Juan Álvarez de Mendizábal
Pascual Madoz

The partial industrialisation
• Two most important sectors:
• Textile in Catalonia
• Iron and steel industry in the Basque Country.
• Textil in Catalonia:
• Installation of Birtish steam power-machines in 1830´s led to
a notable increase in production.
• Quickly displaced the traditional wool industry in Spain.
• Iron and steel industry phases:
• 1830 – 1860: Located in Málaga, rich in iron but scarce of
coal for furnaces.
• 1860 – 1880: Ironworks in Asturias, due to the proximity of
coal mines, but scarce of iron resources.
• 1880’s onwards: The Estuary of Bilbao, provided abundance
of iron mines of Biscay and transport facilities of the Estuary.
• Basque Country became the most industrialised region of
Spain, with a large metallurgical industry supported by the
banks of Bilbao and Vizcaya.

Industrialisation and social changes
• In the 19th century Spain abandoned the Ancient Regime became
a class society.
• Social division:
• Two thirds of Spanish population were peasants
• Industrial proletariat: emerged only in industrialised regions of
Catalonia, Basque Country, Asturias and Madrid.
• Middle and petty bourgeoise: Continued small in number, made up of
businessmen, lawyers, doctors, architects, civil servants…
• High bourgeoisie: owners of factories, large corporations and banks.
• Nobility, military and church authorities: Continued to have an
important roll in society and politics.

Industrialisation and social changes
• Advances in education:
• Ley Moyano of 1857: first step to expand access to education.
• Objective: End with illiteracy in Spain and favour the formation of
skilled workers for the labour market.
• Characteristics:
• Creation of state-founded education (Public Schools) that coexisted with
Private Education.
• Three levels of education:
• Primary: Organised by local councils. Compulsory for boys and girls aged 6 – 9.
• Secondary: Organised by provinces, one high-school per capital city. Women
weren’t allowed to study until 1883.
• Higher education: Organised by the state. Were only few universities in Spain.
Only wealthy people could afford a university degree.
• Goals:
• Reduced the Illiteracy 30% in 40 years.
• Illiteracy in Spain 1800: 90% - 94%
• Illiteracy in 1900: 60% - 64%.
• Created the first public law of education in Spain, and the longest one: Its
structure was the same until 1970.

Industrialisation and social changes: Workers` movement in Spain
• Workers’ movement in Spain: Follow the influence of European
workers movement and socialist and anarchist ideas.
• By Regions:
• Catalonia, Basque Country, Asturias and Madrid: Had a more
influential workers’ movement.
• Agricultural Regions such as Andalusia, Castile, Extremadura…
• Peasants movements demanding a fairer distribution of land.
Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo: “The fourth estate”

Workers` movement in Spain
• First workers’ association and protests:
• Luddite movement:
• 1821 in Alcoy (Alicante), against the spinning machines of a factory.
• Barcelona 1835: Protesters set fire a factory, with steam-power machines.
• First trade Union:
• Barcelona Weavers Association: Demanded better pay, shorter working
days, regulations for women and children and right to association.
• These associations were banned soon because workers association was
forbidden.
• Strikes:
• General strike in 1855 in Barcelona: against new machines that took away
jobs and lowered wages.

• Peasant revolts:
• The liberal reforms forced smallholders to become day
labourers (jornaleros), with low wages and temporary work.
• A period of wheat shortages, bread price increases and famines
gave rise to peasant uprisings:
• Stealing harvest crops
• Taking over farmlands
• Interior of Andalusia was the region with more peasants revolts
in 19th century.
• Peasants associations:
• Some Catholic groups created Catholic Trade Unions to help peasants
and encouraged agricultural credit.
• Anarchism rapidly influenced peasants in Spain: by the end of 19th
century CNT become the largest Union in Andalusian country side

• The international Association and first worker’s political
parties:
• In 1870 a Federation of IWA was created in Spain: Marxist and
Anarchist ideas were introduced.
• Socialism:
• Was very influential in Madrid, Asturias and Basque Country.
• Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), was founded in 1879, and its first Socialist
Union (UGT) in 1888 under the leadership of Pablo Iglesias Posse.
• Anarchism:
• Spread in Catalonia and Andalusia.
• The Spanish section of the IWA advocated for social revolution and direct
and violent action against capitalism: “The propaganda of the deed”,
including:
• Assasination: Cánovas, Eduardo Dato, José Canalejas…
• Violent attacks: Alfonso XIII, Martínez Campos…
• In 1910, CNT was formed. A anarchist union with most members of
Spain.
Pablo Iglesias Posse,
founder of PSOE and UGT

Unit 5 industrial rev. in spain

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Unit 5 industrial rev. in spain