Page 7 - Garda Journal Summer 2019

FEATURE | Guardia Civil 175th Anniversary
pulled Spain in a multitude of directions. Throughout the entirety of this six year span, the Guardia Civil was the nation’s organisational backbone and solidified its identity as the chief institution on which the various governments had to rely.
Finally, order was restored in 1874 with Alfonso XII’s ascension to the throne. The period saw the further evolution of the Guardia Civil’s position in society as the 1878 Constitutive Army Law brought the action of the corps under military jurisdiction. Now acting as subject to the Ministry of War, this emphasised the importance of the Guardia Civil in preserving social order. Their role as social arbiters would become crucial in the following years as industrialisation engendered a rise in social conflict. The government entrusted the Guardia Civil to placate those workers and peasants who had formed the organised working class seeking to revolt.
In 1902, Alfonso XIII was proclaimed king of Spain at only sixteen years old. During his reign, Spain saw both demographic and industrial growth and finally got a break from its seemingly ceaseless unrest. The Guardia Civil spent this time continuously adapting and modifying itself and its services to meet the needs of a time characterised by organisational and technological advancement. The first mechanical form of transportation for the corps was created with the advent of a section of cyclists in 1902. Those means of transportation greatly improved with the addition of buses, vans, light cars, and motorcycles in 1922. To move at an even faster speed, the corps also soon
installed its own radiotelegraph service. In 1926, the first peripheral organisation was put in place with the creation of a four Zone territorial unit, each commanded by a brigadier general. This period saw additional historical advancements for the tradition of the Guardia Civil itself. The uniform was revised in 1909, 1922, and lastly in 1925 to create the green- coloured, practical uniform that adequately adapted to the needs of service. Its anthem was also established and sung for the first time in 1922.
However, this tranquil time was not meant to last. In the wake of the Great Depression in the 1930s, Spain, along with other countries throughout the world, was overrun with political and social upheaval. The government was forced to employ the Guardia Civil to restore order and justice to the country, but this came at a significant loss to the corps as it lost both the lives of its own members and the trust of the public population. Unsurprisingly, it was not set up for success when it faced the October Revolution of 1934; it recorded more than 100 deaths in a span of just two weeks. In 1935, the government sought to reinvigorate its prestige by publicly recognising the honorable and humanitarian efforts it had carried out.
In the wake of the Great Depression in the 1930s, Spain, along with other countries throughout the
“
world, was overrun with political and social upheaval.”
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