Indalecio Prieto

Indalecio Prieto (1883 - 1962) was a Spanish politician , minister during the second republic and the civil war, chief of the Socialist party (PSOE) of 1937 with 1962.

Biography

Indalecio Prieto was born with Bilbao the April 30th 1883.

His/her father dies whereas it is only six years old. Raised in an extreme poverty, still child it sells newspapers in the streets to provide for the needs for his family.

In 1899, 16 years old it adheres to the Spanish working Socialist party (PSOE) and four years later, takes part in the foundation of the league of socialist youths.

Journalist in 1911, Prieto becomes the first Socialist elected in a provincial council.

During the First World War, he becomes the chief of the PSOE to the Basque Country and in 1917, takes part in insurrectionary strikes asserting the end of the Monarchie, the constitution of a provisional republican government, elections and the fight against inflation.

When repression falls down on the strikers whose some as Francisco Largo Caballero is condemned to the life imprisonment, Prieto has just time to flee in France.

It returns only in 1918 and is elected with the the Cortes.

After the Coup d'etat of Miguel Primo de Rivera in September 1923, the constituion is suspended, the martial law and the censure established.

So certain members of the PSOE as Francisco Largo Caballero had proposed to collaborate with the new mode, it is not the case of Prieto which constitutes an opposition of extreme left against the dictatorial mode.

When Largo Cabellero joined the Council of State of Primo de Rivera and accepts that the General union of the workers ( Union General of Trabajadores - UGT) becomes the trade-union official one at the expense of the anarchist CNT (National confederation of the workers), Prieto takes with party verbally and violently his/her former comrade, gratifiant it in not very eulogistic terms (it treats it the insane one and of imbecile). Largo Cabalero is not remains about it, denying the socialist convictions of Prieto.

In August 1930, Prieto is in the middle of the Pacte of San Sebastian which leads to the constitution of a republican coalition. It is reconciled then with Francisco Largo Caballero which gives its support to him.

After the departure in exile of Alphonse XIII in April 1931, Prieto became Minister for Finance in the republican government directed by Niceto Alcala Zamora. It had to face immediately with an economic crisis abroad whereas great fortunes of Spain placed their economies in sure place, i.e.

In December 1931, Manuel Azaña succeeded Niceto Alcala Zamora with the direction of the government and Prieto was named public Minister for Labor. It is at this station that it starts again great work, in particular the projects of hydro-electric stoppings initiated under Miguel Primo de Rivera.

In 1933, the government is attacked on its left which shows it not to be not radical enough. The revolt anarchist-trade unionist of Put Viejas in January is subdued in blood by the Civil guard (14 prisoners carried out). The government is then repudiated by its own majority in the Cortes.

In September 1933, it is the fall of Azaña Handbook with the departure of the government of Prieto and the members of the Socialist party.

In October 1933, the republican coalition is dissolved.

In November 1933, the elections give a broad victory to the conservatives Catholique S of the YIELDED. But it is under the pressure of the Socialists and of the insurrectionary threats of the anarchistic trade unions that Jose María Gil-Robles, the chief of YIELDED, is prevented by the president of the Republic from forming a new government. It is the radical Alejandro Lerroux which has to form a center government with a minority interest of YIELDED.

In January 1936, Prieto and Manuel Azaña establish a new left coalition for the legislative elections of the February 16th 1936. This Spanish Popular front, gathering Communist PSOE, S and republicans of left, gains little the election (34,3% of the votes) in front of the coalition of right-hand side taken along by YIELDED (33,2% of the voices). Nevertheless, in term of seats in the Cortes, it is a tidal wave in favor of the left (263 seats on a total of 473).

In the program of the Popular front appeared in particular the restoration of the autonomy of the Catalogne, the amnesty of the political prisoners, and a great land reform.

The new Prime Minister is then Jose Giral (which is not socialist).

After the beginning of the Spanish Civil war in July 1936, Prieto called with the nomination of Francisco Largo Caballero at the post of Prime Minister, which occurred.

Of September 1936 with May 1937, Prieto was Minister for the air and the navy in the government of Caballero Largo.

Of May 1937 with March 1938, he was Minister for national defense in the republican government of Juan Negrín.

Although chief of the Socialist party, Prieto is excluded from the government in April 1938 whereas the Communists vampirisent all the political space of the left, control socialist youths and are opposed to the anarchists.

In March 1939, with the defeat of the republican armies, Prieto leaves Spain for the Mexico where it directs the PSOE in exile until its death of a Heart attack the February 11th 1962.

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