fluenced by socialist and communist factions. Although the high-ranking Army officers had disliked the monarchy, they absolutely hated the Republicans and their socialist ideals. Thus, the rightist Falange, or Nationalist, movement began to form around various right-wing politicians and generals. This movement intended to eventually replace the Republican government with a monarchist, or at least right wing, autocracy.
The Republican government itself was composed of many factions, ranging from moderates to communists. The ideals and structure upon which the government and administration were based were largely borrowed from the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Lenin government which followed. This was a drastic change from the society and culture which preceded the 1931 elections. Spain never experienced the democratic revolutionary movements of the 18th and 19th Centuries. Instead, the violence and social disruptions of the 19th and early 20th Centuries resulted from the devastating Napoleonic occupation in the early 19th Century, and the monarchical and upper class struggles which followed. The basic social structure of Spain remained feudal in nature. The country and its economy were ruled by the class of extremely rich landowners, who would not allow the development of a middle class. Thus, Spain remained very backward in comparison to the other countries in Europe.
The advent of the Republican government, on the other ha
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