Bunk, Brian D., 1968-; Pack, Sasha D.; Scott, Carl-Gustaf (ed.) / Nation and conflict in modern Spain: essays in honor of Stanley G. Payne
Bunk, Brian D., 1968-
"A shape note of pugnacity" : conservative youth groups in Spain, 1914-1939, pp. 15-29 ff.
Conservative Youth Groups in Spain, 1914-1939 being produced in Italy both prior to and after the First World War. Such ideas would have an important impact in the development of Mussolini's Fascism in the post conflict period.9 Indeed, by 1935 Goicoechea was claiming that JM had prefigured both Italian Fascism and Nazism.2() Another important effect of maurismo was the beginnings of large scale Catholic in- volvement in the political process. Defense of religion emerged as one of the movement's fundamental ideas and such attention helped politicize "neutral Catholics" who had pre- viously remained aloof from the system.2' The failure of Maura to form a national unity government in 1918, however, caused many to lose faith in constitutional government.22 Catholics were drawn into legal political activity but the failure of those early actions led many to the conclusion that such methods were unable to definitively protect the interests of the church. At the same time the modern techniques of political action employed by JM, including militant language, the distribution of widespread propaganda and the holding of mass meetings, provided a blueprint for extra parliamentary action. The key role played by young people in the Maurist movement, along with other European examples, convinced influential Catholics of the importance of young people in any type of social or political movement. Inspired by an Italian party, Spanish Catholics created the Partido Social Popular (PSP) in 1922. The organization represented the first truly modern political party in Spain designed to protect Catholic interests.23 The PSP also quickly formed a youth organization called Vanguardia Social Popular, whose first president was Jose Maria Gil Robles.24 The initial period of large scale Catholic involvement in politics also corresponded with the for- mation of youth groups aimed at mobilizing and educating the next generation of believers. Although generally apolitical, the Catholic youth organizations served as a training ground for the conservative politicians, including Gil Robles, who later played key roles in the parties of the 1930s.25 The Primo de Rivera dictatorship limited the ability of conservatives to form politi- cal organizations, including youth groups. Such restrictions did not apply to the develop- ment of youth organizations by the Catholic Church, as long as they remained apolitical. The first such group, and the most important, was the Juventud Cat6lica Espafiola (JCE). The formation of the JCE in 1923 followed European models but also evolved from the Catholic Church's increased emphasis on its role in the intellectual and moral education of young people. It was also an attempt to stave off what many saw as the pernicious effects of modern culture and society.26 One goal of the organization was to create a cadre of highly educated and devoted young Catholics who would defend the nation from moral decay and the church from attacks on the faith.27 This didactic mission might have been influenced by the actions of JM, who had earlier attempted to inculcate the values of patriotism and religi- osity through the widespread mobilization of young people. In some ways ICE was formed to be the youth equivalent of the lay organization called Asociacihn Cat~lica Nacional de Propagandistas (ACNP). Founded in 1909, ACNP was an elitist group of devoted Catholics 19
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