Posted
on December 6, 2016
Never
forget that it can happen anywhere, at any time...
In
the 1930s, there was a hotly contested election in Spain. A coalition
of right wing groups lost – but just barely – to a left-leaning
Popular Front. A group of generals tried to overthrow the republic –
what's called a coup – but they failed. Still, the attempt was
enough to throw Spain into a bloody civil war.
Half
a million dead folks later, a winner emerged. It was the right-wing
general-led side that won the war, but the only general left from the
original group was a man named Francisco Franco. And Franco
established himself as lifelong military and government leader. He
called himself Caudillo, Leader in Chief.
The
people who had supported Franco and his armies were the Nazis in
Germany and Mussolini's forces in Italy. So...yeah, bad guys!
Franco
ruled with violence, cruelty, concentration camps, forced labor,
executions of political enemies.
And
Franco ruled Spain for 36 years!
When
he finally died, in 1975, the successor he appointed was King Juan
Carlos I. But Carlos led Spain to becoming a democracy. After a
referendum (popular vote), a new constitution was adopted on this
date in 1978.
Don't
forget, fascist dictators, military coups, civil wars, and
propaganda-spewing demagogues have happened in many places and all
through human history. Don't let it happen in your country!
It's
a happy thing to celebrate the anniversary of a constitution after a
period of human rights abuses! Here are more happy things in Spain:
In
Valencia, the science museum, planetarium, and aquarium are sleek,
modern architectural wonders:
The
Spanish islands are beautiful!:
There
are many small, charming villages. This one is Pampeneira:
And Arcos
de la Frontera is...scary!:
Also
on this date:
Plan ahead:
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out my Pinterest pages on:
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here are my Pinterest boards for:
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