09-22-2017, 10:45 PM
*** 23-Sep-17 World View -- The 1930s Spanish Civil War fault lines explode again over Catalonia independence referendum
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Spain's government mounts massive crackdown to prevent Catalonia independence referendum
****
![[Image: g170922b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g170922b.jpg)
In Barcelona on Thursday, a protesters holds up a banner reading 'I just want to vote' (Getty)
The government of Spain is facing its biggest political crisis in
decades, since the wealthy region of Catalonia is demanding
independence from Spain, and is planning to hold an independence
referendum next week on October 1.
Catalonia's parliament passed a measure in September officially
announcing its plan to hold a referendum on October 1. The parliament
said that if the referendum passed, then it would declare independence
from Spain within 48 hours.
Tens of thousands of Catalans have taken to the streets in Barcelona,
protesting the Spanish government and expressing support for the
planned vote on Catalan independence.
The Madrid government, backed up by Spain's Constitutional Court, has
declared the referendum to be illegal. Spain's King Felipe and
Spain's prime minister Mariano Rajoy have both publicly called on
Catalans not to vote. Earlier this week Madrid began a major
crackdown on Catalonia institutions to prevent the referendum from
taking place
On Tuesday, Madrid took to court 700 Catalan mayors for allowing
preparations to go ahead.
On Wednesday, the Guardia Civil, Spain's national police, stormed
ministries and buildings in Barcelona belonging to Catalonia's
regional government, including the economy department, foreign affairs
department, and social affairs department.
Fourteen high-ranking Catalan officials were arrested, infuriating the
public.
This was after the police went from building to building, raiding
printers, newspaper offices and private delivery companies, searching
for election materials, confiscating vote record forms, ballot boxes,
and almost ten million ballot papers, as well as and campaign
leaflets.
It's quite possible that this crackdown will prevent the referendum
from being held, although Catalonia official Oriol Junqueras said that
there will be a vote, possibly using ordinary sheets of paper as
ballot papers.
However, it almost doesn't matter any more whether the referendum is
held or not. Madrid's crackdown, which many criticize as an enormous
overreaction, has infuriated the Catalans, and is leading to
continuing anti-Madrid street protests. More than 40,000 people have
gathered in Barcelona to protest over the arrests and the intervention
of the Spanish government in the Catalan independence vote. Reuters and New Europe and El Periodico (Barcelona) (Trans) and Express (London)
****
**** The 1930s Spanish Civil War fault lines explode again over Catalonia independence referendum
****
The Madrid government has flooded Catalonia with almost ten thousand
police officers, has stormed Catalonia's government buildings, has
confiscated thousands of ballot papers, and arrested Catalonia
government officials. To those with long memories, this looks a lot
like the beginnings of policies that led to the Spanish Civil War.
In the 1930s, during Spain's Second Republic, the government had
granted Catalonia a fair amount of autonomy, though there were
occasional bloody street fights between Anarchists and Communists.
However, that autonomy changed with the Spanish Civil War (1936-39),
which was one of the bloodiest wars of the 20th century, and a prelude
to the much larger World War II.
Generalísimo Francisco Franco's fascist nationalism, aided by Italy
and Germany, led to massive atrocities in Catalonia, with entire
villages completely flattened by Benito Mussolini’s Italian air-force
and the German Luftwaffe. Franco imprisoned, tortured and executed
tens of thousands of Catalan people. At the same time, there were
extremely bloody wars between the Anarchists and Communists. The war
climaxed with the Battle of Ebro (July to November 1938), in which
15,000 pro-Republic Catalans died, resulting in victory for Franco.
Franco marginalized the Catalans after the war ended, but during the
generational Awakening era of the 1950s, Catalan groups were forming
underground resistance and opposing Franco. Franco's death on
November 23rd 1975 signaled the full beginning of the generational
Unraveling era, with calls for renewal of democracy and self-rule in
all regions of the country. In 1977, more than one million Catalans
marched through the streets of Barcelona and asking for freedom,
amnesty and self-rule. But only limited self-rule was allowed.
Today, Spain is well into a new generational Crisis era, and as the
survivors of the last crisis war die off, the fault lines that led to
the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 are reemerging. Catalonia's demand
for an independence referendum, and Madrid's overreaction and
crackdown on Catalonia last week resulted in little or no violence,
but they represent a growing renewal of the tensions that separated
Catalonia from Madrid in the 1930s. Guardian (London) and Catalonia Votes and This Is Spain
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Spain, Catalonia, Barcelona,
King Felipe, Mariano Rajoy, Oriol Junqueras,
Generalísimo Francisco Franco, Germany, Italy,
Spanish Civil War, Battle of Ebro
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Spain's government mounts massive crackdown to prevent Catalonia independence referendum
- The 1930s Spanish Civil War fault lines explode again over Catalonia independence referendum
****
**** Spain's government mounts massive crackdown to prevent Catalonia independence referendum
****
In Barcelona on Thursday, a protesters holds up a banner reading 'I just want to vote' (Getty)
The government of Spain is facing its biggest political crisis in
decades, since the wealthy region of Catalonia is demanding
independence from Spain, and is planning to hold an independence
referendum next week on October 1.
Catalonia's parliament passed a measure in September officially
announcing its plan to hold a referendum on October 1. The parliament
said that if the referendum passed, then it would declare independence
from Spain within 48 hours.
Tens of thousands of Catalans have taken to the streets in Barcelona,
protesting the Spanish government and expressing support for the
planned vote on Catalan independence.
The Madrid government, backed up by Spain's Constitutional Court, has
declared the referendum to be illegal. Spain's King Felipe and
Spain's prime minister Mariano Rajoy have both publicly called on
Catalans not to vote. Earlier this week Madrid began a major
crackdown on Catalonia institutions to prevent the referendum from
taking place
On Tuesday, Madrid took to court 700 Catalan mayors for allowing
preparations to go ahead.
On Wednesday, the Guardia Civil, Spain's national police, stormed
ministries and buildings in Barcelona belonging to Catalonia's
regional government, including the economy department, foreign affairs
department, and social affairs department.
Fourteen high-ranking Catalan officials were arrested, infuriating the
public.
This was after the police went from building to building, raiding
printers, newspaper offices and private delivery companies, searching
for election materials, confiscating vote record forms, ballot boxes,
and almost ten million ballot papers, as well as and campaign
leaflets.
It's quite possible that this crackdown will prevent the referendum
from being held, although Catalonia official Oriol Junqueras said that
there will be a vote, possibly using ordinary sheets of paper as
ballot papers.
However, it almost doesn't matter any more whether the referendum is
held or not. Madrid's crackdown, which many criticize as an enormous
overreaction, has infuriated the Catalans, and is leading to
continuing anti-Madrid street protests. More than 40,000 people have
gathered in Barcelona to protest over the arrests and the intervention
of the Spanish government in the Catalan independence vote. Reuters and New Europe and El Periodico (Barcelona) (Trans) and Express (London)
****
**** The 1930s Spanish Civil War fault lines explode again over Catalonia independence referendum
****
The Madrid government has flooded Catalonia with almost ten thousand
police officers, has stormed Catalonia's government buildings, has
confiscated thousands of ballot papers, and arrested Catalonia
government officials. To those with long memories, this looks a lot
like the beginnings of policies that led to the Spanish Civil War.
In the 1930s, during Spain's Second Republic, the government had
granted Catalonia a fair amount of autonomy, though there were
occasional bloody street fights between Anarchists and Communists.
However, that autonomy changed with the Spanish Civil War (1936-39),
which was one of the bloodiest wars of the 20th century, and a prelude
to the much larger World War II.
Generalísimo Francisco Franco's fascist nationalism, aided by Italy
and Germany, led to massive atrocities in Catalonia, with entire
villages completely flattened by Benito Mussolini’s Italian air-force
and the German Luftwaffe. Franco imprisoned, tortured and executed
tens of thousands of Catalan people. At the same time, there were
extremely bloody wars between the Anarchists and Communists. The war
climaxed with the Battle of Ebro (July to November 1938), in which
15,000 pro-Republic Catalans died, resulting in victory for Franco.
Franco marginalized the Catalans after the war ended, but during the
generational Awakening era of the 1950s, Catalan groups were forming
underground resistance and opposing Franco. Franco's death on
November 23rd 1975 signaled the full beginning of the generational
Unraveling era, with calls for renewal of democracy and self-rule in
all regions of the country. In 1977, more than one million Catalans
marched through the streets of Barcelona and asking for freedom,
amnesty and self-rule. But only limited self-rule was allowed.
Today, Spain is well into a new generational Crisis era, and as the
survivors of the last crisis war die off, the fault lines that led to
the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 are reemerging. Catalonia's demand
for an independence referendum, and Madrid's overreaction and
crackdown on Catalonia last week resulted in little or no violence,
but they represent a growing renewal of the tensions that separated
Catalonia from Madrid in the 1930s. Guardian (London) and Catalonia Votes and This Is Spain
Related Articles
- Catalonia will vote for independence from Spain on Thursday (25-Sep-2012)
- Scotland's independence referendum is encouraging Catalonia's separatists (11-Sep-2014)
- Catalonia parliament votes to secede from Spain (10-Nov-2015)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Spain, Catalonia, Barcelona,
King Felipe, Mariano Rajoy, Oriol Junqueras,
Generalísimo Francisco Franco, Germany, Italy,
Spanish Civil War, Battle of Ebro
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
