Identificador: TDX:1667
Autors: de Madariaga Fernández, Francisco Javier
Resum:
OF THE DOCTORAL THESIS, The war industry of Catalonia during the Spanish civil war.Francisco Javier de Madariaga FernándezDuring the Spanish civil war in Catalonian, almost the entire chemistry and steel-and-iron industry was converted into manufactures for the war sector. Such restructuring was made possible exclusively by means of local resources from the autonomous government 'la Generalitat'. On the whole there were 229 producting premises employing 55.692 workers.With such an industrial adjustment, all the factories were integrated into a production net that was led by the War Industry Commission (Comisión de Industrias de Guerra, CIG) through which they worked and yielded efficiently.Despite their adequate performance, the Generalitat tried to tackle the main gaps in this industrial system, on the one hand by refurnishing some old industrial buildings and on the other hand by raising new ones. Thus, 15 new factories were paid and run directly by the Generalitat. Besides, a technical and management structure, which was vital for its existence, was established to develop this industrial group.One main problem at that time in any area was the lack of staff not only of qualified workers, but also specialist ones. The CIG run directly the whole organization. Its democratic working order let all kind of opinions and ideas pursue the shared target of manufacturing arms.Essentially it was a civilian organization, but it had the singularity of having among its members some militar carrer men. In addition its general line of production was settled by the autonomous department of Defence.The Commission nearly disappeared with the government crisis in September 1936. But its president Josep Tarradellas was able to cope with the situation and became strong enough to anchor its existence to the Presidency of the Generalitat. He was the one who designed it, directed it, and its utmost leader.Due to its stability during the first year of war, it became an steady organization which was very important to succeed in its goal. Apart from that, the continuity of nearly the same human group until august 1938, also showed a strong link of political and personal relationship among its members.As far as the central government is concerned, they blamed Tarradellas for the understanding and collaboration between leaders of Catalonian Republican Left, (Esquerra Republicada de Cataluña, ERC) and those from the Work National Confederation (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, CNT). But concerning this field of the civil war, that is to say, the arm industry, there was no concession to measures or rules that may be considered as a new socio-political order.The Commission worked under capitalistic criteria, subjected to the autonomous government and bound to the autonomous department of defense. Three features which implied no revolutionary control at all.The cooperation among these political forces, far from being harmful, proved to be successful in making an undeniable net for war industry that produced everything it could. All that among the countless restrictions of supplies beyond either the CIG or the central government responsibility.In october 1937, the Catalonian Unified Socialist Party (Partido socialista Unificado de Catalunya, PSUC) that backed the central government's policy of general centralization, decided to develop a new entity which was equally and confusedly named CIG, but this time 'of Catalonia'.The CIG (the former one) involved a centralizad organization that boosted the industry day after day. The seizure of the entire Catalonian industry, with the exception of the 15 factories belonging to the Generalitat, in October 1937 meant to stop the production. The subsequent general collapse of the structure and production convey the idea of the state military department's incapability to handle the management and the technical assistance of the whole sector.
Repositori URV