Movimiento Español Sindicalista

Spanish Syndicalist Movement
Movimiento Español Sindicalista
LeaderJosé Antonio Primo de Rivera
Founded1933
Dissolved29 October 1933
Merged intoFalange Española
IdeologyFascism
Political positionFar-right

The Movimiento Español Sindicalista (MES) (English: Spanish Syndicalist Movement) was a Spanish far-right political movement and predecessor of the Falange Española.[1][2]

History

The movement, which emerged in early 1933,[3][4] was founded primarily by José Antonio Primo de Rivera, writer Rafael Sánchez Mazas, and aviator Julio Ruiz de Alda.[5] Other notable members of the MES were Dionisio Ridruejo,[6] Alfonso García Valdecasas, Manuel Sarrión, and Andrés de la Cuerda.[3] Members of the MES openly embraced fascism and for a time the movement was known as the Movimiento Español Sindicalista-Fascismo Español (MES-FE, or Spanish Syndicalist-Fascist Movement).[7][8] It soon became apparent that the MES was to have little political success on its own.[3][9]

In August 1933, José Antonio Primo de Rivera signed the "Pacto de El Escorial" ("El Escorial Pact"), wherein a pact of solidarity was formed between Spanish monarchists and the MES-FE.[1] On 29 October 1933, in the midst of an electoral campaign, the MES held a rally at the Teatro de la Comedia in Madrid and re-founded itself as the Falange Española.[10] The Falange Española would be succeeded by the Falange Española de las JONS, which was itself merged in April 1937 into the FET y de las JONS, which backed Francisco Franco as leader of Spain.

References

  1. ^ a b Saz, Ismael (2004). Fascismo y franquismo. Valencia: Publicacions de la Universitat de València. p. 67. ISBN 84-370-5910-0.
  2. ^ Gallego, Ferran; Morente Valero, Francisco (2005). Fascismo en España: ensayos sobre los orígenes sociales y culturales del franquismo. Editorial El Viejo Topo. p. 154. ISBN 9788496356320.
  3. ^ a b c Ellwood, Sheelagh M. (2001). Historia de la Falange Española. Barcelona: Crítica. p. 38. ISBN 84-8432-202-5.
  4. ^ Payne, Stanley G. (1999). Fascism in Spain, 1923–1977. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 85.
  5. ^ Casanova, Julián (2010). The Spanish Republic and Civil War. Cambridge University Press. pp. 80.
  6. ^ González Calleja, Eduardo (2011). Contrarrevolucionarios. Radicalización violenta de las derechas durante la Segunda República, 1931-1936. Madrid: Alianza Editorial. p. 166. ISBN 978-84-206-6455-2.
  7. ^ Fernández Jiménez, María Antonia (2008). Pilar Primo de Rivera: el falangismo femenino. Editorial Síntesis. p. 99.
  8. ^ Preston, Paul (1998). Las tres Españas del 36. Barcelona: Plaza & Janes. ISBN 84-01-53026-1.
  9. ^ Quirosa-Cheyrouze, Rafael (1998). Católicos, monárquicos y fascistas en Almería durante la Segunda República. Almería: Instituto de Estudios Almerienses. p. 62.
  10. ^ Gil Pecharromán, Julio (1997). La Segunda República. Esperanzas y frustraciones. Madrid: Historia 16. p. 64. ISBN 84-7679-319-7.