Catalunya Barcelona: The Catalan Story of Barcelona

In the 18th century, the War of Spanish Succession resulted in all of Spain falling under the rule of a single crown, the Bourbon royal family. The country, as it is known today, was born. Episode 1 focuses mainly on the 19th century industrial expansion of Barcelona, the plight of the city’s workers, and the rise of the city’s Bourgeoisie. Significant events include the imposition of martial law over Barcelona, the destruction of a medieval wall corseting the city, the end of the Spanish colonial empire, the emergence of seminal Catalan and Republican political parties and politicos, the birth of Catalan Modernism, and a spate of anarchist bombings. Major series figures—Valentí Almirall, Enric Prat de la Riba, King Alfons XII, and Francesc Macià—are introduced, and the episode ends with the military closing ranks after the publication of a seemingly innocuous cartoon in a Barcelona magazine, a cartoon that single-handedly set into motion a series of events that would change the course of history for Barcelona, Spain, and indeed, all of Europe.

Barcelona, at the start of the 20th century, owing to its reputation as the Catalan Manchester, is experiencing unprecedented growth, annexing neighboring villages, building more factories, and inspiring a wave of immigration from within Spain. As Catalan politicians and factory owners strive to exert more control over the city and region, a new labor union, the CNT, forms to fight for workers’ rights. Significant events include Tragic Week, the rise of anarcho-syndicalism, the creation of a Commonwealth of Catalunya, state-sanctioned assassinations under the moniker “Pistolerisme,” and a military coup that results in Spain’s first 20th century dictatorship. Introducing major figures Lluís Companys and Miguel Primo de Rivera, the episode concludes with an historic municipal election in 1931, one that ushers in a period of democratic rule for the state known as the 2nd Spanish Republic.

The 2nd Spanish Republic begins with great hope, in Barcelona and across Spain. For the first time in anyone’s memory, the three pillars of power–the crown, the clergy, and the aristocracy–are shaken loose. Working and lower classes are now to have a voice, and the opportunity for a brighter future. But the social reforms and political maneuvering required to bring such dreams to life are towering, and patience, among the proletariat, is not without limits. Significant events include the enactment of Catalunya’s 1st Statute of Autonomy, the building of thousands of modern schools, the continued growth of the CNT, the death of Francesc Macià, the jailing of Lluís Companys and his government, and the adoption of a spate of new reforms that make Spain, suddenly, the most progressive country in all of Europe. With the introduction of major figures Francisco Franco, José María Gil-Robles and Alejandro Lerroux, this episode culminates in tragedy, as persistent political brinkmanship results in a military coup that will usher in the Spanish Civil War.

By the summer of 1936, the democratic experiment known as the 2nd Spanish Republic is in free fall, as a cadre of military generals launch a coup, seeking a return to a more traditional Spain. In Barcelona, the coup is repelled, with the help of armed workers and anarchists. The war, pitting the Nationalist Rebels against the Republicans, will rage for three years, tearing the peninsula apart, and resulting in a death toll that is, to this day, unknown, with estimates ranging from 250,000 to 2 million. Significant events include a workers revolution in Barcelona, the city’s “Civil War within the Civil War,” the bombing of Barcelona, and the rise to power of Francisco Franco. Introducing major figures Vladimir Antonov-Ovseyenko, Joan García Oliver, Emilio Mola, José Sanjurjo, the episode concludes with the coup organizer’s victory, and the Nationalist march on Barcelona.

"Post-war Barcelona is a dark, ominous place. Famine is rampant. Jails are filled to capacity. The Catalan language, flags and cultural symbols have been banned. Even the city’s soccer team, Barça, is forced to change its name. Members of the losing side of the Civil War, the Republicans, are now considered enemies of the state, and face a gauntlet of reprisals under the new regime. Significant events include the execution of Lluís Companys, World War II, a tram boycott in Barcelona, the rise of the Technocrats, and the return to a Spain steeped in Catholicism. Dictadura spans the first 20 years of the Franco regime, a gray period in the city’s history, illustrated through myriad interviews with the people who lived through it. The episode concludes with the Spanish dictator hugging an American president, confirming fears that Francoism would not be coming to an end anytime soon."

The second half of the Franco era earned the nickname “Dictablanda” because it was perceived as more bland, less harsh than the first 20 years of the dictatorship. However, as the 1960s begin, Barcelona, and indeed, all of Spain, seems frozen in time, little different from the previous 20 years. Franco remains dictator. Political pluralism and the Catalan language are still outlawed. Yet, the people of Barcelona are growing restless. Resistance movements are beginning to make noise, and as the dictator’s health begins to wane, an end of the dictatorship, and the regime, seems in sight. Significant events include university protests and the “Caputxinada,” the Spanish Miracle, the Munich Cohabitation, the rebirth of the Catalan National Front, and the assassination of Franco’s successor by Basque separatists. Introducing major figures Jordi Pujol, Luis Carrero Blanco, Carlos Arias Navarro, and King Juan Carlos I, this episode concludes with Francisco Franco’s death in 1975, and the gnawing question, “Now What?”