The Spanish Civil War rose up out of heavy unrest that can be traced back centuries. After the conclusion of the First World War and a slowing of global immigration, workers all over Spain became increasingly militant because of deteriorating conditions. Strikes and uprisings could be found everywhere, and the Spanish government was having a hard time keeping the violence under control. In 1923, Miguel Primo de Rivera assumed power by means of overthrowing the state; he is considered the first modern dictator of Spain. As the unrest and violence continued, Primo de Rivera was forced to declare a state of war in an attempt to “halt any unrest or protests” (Beevor 136). Industrialists and the liberal middle class welcomed Primo de Rivera’s assumption to power because he had a conservative stance, a concern with improving Spain, and he came at a tense time for Spain (Beevor 137). However, the peace and welcoming did not last long.
It began in Catalonia when the Catalans began to develop a dislike toward Primo de Rivera’s rule because he did not deal with union leaders to their liking. He, also, enjoyed attacking all aspects of Catalan nationalism (Beevor 140). But, the unrest did not stop there. It grew as Primo de Rivera stretched his influence …show more content…
On the left half of the painting are a horse and a bull. Like in the bullring, the bull signifies “brutality and darkness” (“Guernica.”); the bull is the enemy. In the dead center of the horse is a gapping, black hole (Power of Art), like that from a bull horn. Light black strokes cover the horse. These lines are unreadable, but they appear like a newspaper reel and reflect how Picasso learned of the devastation in Guernica. To connect the war to the bull and horse, one researcher has gone as far as to say that the bull represents the beginning of Fascist ideas and the horse represents the hurting people of Guernica (Ray