Chronology

1944
1 April	Spanish Civil War ends, beginning of Franco dictatorship.
1944
October	The PCE starts a guerrilla war (forces called the maquis) against the Franco regime in isolated mountainous zones. In 1952, the PCE dissolved the last of their guerrilla forces.
1945-1946
	Isolated workers’ struggles, the first after the end of the Civil War, in Catalonia, Asturias, Madrid, Galicia, Valencia, Seville and Vizcaya.
1947
1 May	Strike of 40,000 metallurgic workers in Vizcaya.
1950
	The western powers recognise Franco’s regime and reopen their embassies.
1951
12 March	General strike in Barcelona.
1953
August	Spain signs Concordat with the Vatican.
September	A deal is made between the governments of Spain and USA for the establishment of four military bases in Spain in exchange for economic aid.
1955
14 December	Spain joins the UN, after a ten-year ban.
1957
January	The first Workers’ Commissions are created in La Camocha mine (Asturias).
1958
December	Founding of ETA by ex-militants of the youth of the PNV (Basque Nationalist Party).
1962
April and May	Strikes in Asturias.
1965
March	José Castro, the last maqui guerrilla is murdered by the Civil Guard.
1969
22 July	The Francoist Cortes (parliament) proclaims Juan Carlos as Franco’s successor.
1970
August	ETA split in the organisation’s fifth assembly. The majority decides to abandon the armed struggle.
December	Burgos Trial against sixteen ETA militants.
1972
24 June	Arrest of leading members of Workers’ Commissions (CCOO), including their main leader, Marcelino Camacho.
August	PSOE splits between the históricos (historicals) outside Spain and the renovadores (renovators) inside.
1973
15-23 June	General strike in Pamplona.
20 December	Assassination of Carrero Blanco.
1974
2 March	Execution of anti-Francoist militant Puig Antich by garrote vil (torture contraption for strangulation).
25 April	The Portuguese Revolution overthrows the dictatorship.
20 July	Juan Carlos assumes leadership of the dictatorship for the first time, in substitution for Franco due to his ill health.
29 July	Launch of the Junta Democrática (Democratic Junta).
1 September	Foundation of the clandestine organisation Unión Militar Democrática UMD (Democratic Military Union) inspired by the Portuguese Revolution.
October	PSOE: Congress in Suresnes, France. Felipe González is elected as General Secretary.
December	New split in ETA. ETA Militar (Miltary ETA) and ETA Político-Militar (Political-Military ETA) are formed.
1975
4 June	Some 100,000 workers declare a strike in Madrid’s industrial belt against wage freezes and for democratic trade unions.
11 June	The PSOE creates the Plataforma de Convergencia Democrática (Democratic Convergence Platform).
30 June	CCOO, in underground conditions, gains majority representation for the workers in the biggest companies.
July	Dismantling of UMD by the Francoist regime. Their leaders are arrested and expelled from the army.
27 September	Last executions by Franco’s government: three ETA militants and two FRAP (Revolutionary Anti-fascist Patriotic Front).
October	Morocco invades Spanish Sahara. The impotent regime accepts it de facto.
20 November	Franco dies. His designated successor, the grandson of the country’s last monarch, is crowned King Juan Carlos I.
11 December	Arias Navarro takes over as Prime Minister.
December	Juan Carlos I decrees a limited amnesty to 100 political prisoners, including the detained CCOO leaders.
	Strikes of 25,000 metallurgic workers in Madrid and in the Asturian mines
1976
January	Wave of strikes in Madrid with 40,000 workers on strike. Militarisation of the railways, the Metro and the postal service.
20 January	Illegal protest of 30,000 people in Madrid “for amnesty and democracy”.
3 March	Mass protests in the Basque city of Vitoria after police shoot striking workers.
26 March	Formation of the ‘Platajunta’.
April	UGT Congress in Madrid, tolerated by the government.
9 May	Montejurra Massacre (Navarre).
1 July	Arias Navarro resigns; replaced by Adolfo Suárez.
11 September	A million people protest in Barcelona in the Diada de Catalunya (National Catalonia Day) demanding amnesty and an autonomous state.
12 November	First general strike since the 1930s, organised by COS (CCOO, UGT and USO) with 2 million participants.
18 November	Spanish Parliament passes the Law on Political Reform, paving the way for democratic elections in June 1977.
5-8 December	The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) celebrates its Twenty-Seventh Congress in Madrid and affirms it will participate in upcoming elections for a new parliament.
15 December	A popular referendum shows overwhelming public support for the Law on Political Reform.
1977
24 January	A right-wing terrorist group murders communist labour lawyers in an incident known as the Massacre of Atocha.
26 January	More than 150,000 people demonstrate peacefully in Madrid after the Massacre of Atocha.
February	Adolfo Suárez meets with Santiago Carrillo, head of Spain’s Communist Party (PCE) to discuss the democratisation process. Decree establishes the right to political association, making it legal to form political parties.
	The PSOE is legalised.
March	Right to strike is legalised.
9 April	Suárez legalises the Communist Party. Francoist ‘National Movement’ disbanded.
16 April	The PCE Central Committee accepts the monarchy and the monarchist flag.
28 April	Trade unions legalised.
May	A week of struggle for amnesty in the Basque Country. Six are killed by the police and the Civil Guard.
15 June	General elections.
15 October	Law of Amnesty is passed.
25 October	Moncloa Pacts.
4 December	A million people protest in Andalusia calling for autonomy. A CCOO worker is killed by the police in Malaga.
1978
March	First free trade union elections: CCOO wins the majority of the delegates.
April	The Ninth Congress of the PCE renounces Leninism.
May	Felipe González declares an abandonment of Marxism.
31 October	Parliament approves new Constitution.
November	Discovery of a coup plot known as ‘Operation Galaxy.’ Arrest of Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero.
6 December	Constitution is overwhelmingly approved by the voters in a referendum.
1979
1 March	General elections.
3 April	Municipal elections. The left wins in the biggest cities.
May	Twenty-Eighth PSOE Congress: Majority rejection of the abandonment of Marxism. Felipe González resigns as General Secretary.
October	Extraordinary PSOE Congress. Felipe González regains control of the party. PSOE abandons Marxism.
	Strikes and protests against the Workers’ Statute of the Suárez government.
December	Student strikes against the Statute of Teaching Centres and the Law of University Autonomy. Protest of 100,000 students in Madrid.
18 December	Statute of Autonomy passed in Catalonia and the Basque Country.
1980
5 January	A new social pact is signed, the Acuerdo Marco Interconfederal (AMI, Interconfederal Framework Agreement).
February	Yolanda González, student leader in Madrid, is kidnapped and murdered by fascist gunmen.
14 March	Parliament passes the Workers’ Statute with the support of PSOE and PCE.
May	Motion of censure by PSOE against the Suárez government.
1981
29 January	Suárez resigns.
13 February	Joseba Arregi of ETA dies in prison from torture.
23 February	Tejero ‘coup’.
25 February	Calvo Sotelo become prime minister.
10 May	Almería Case: three youth killed by the Civil Guard.
May	The rapeseed oil scandal breaks out: 2,000 death from poisoning and thousands suffer irreversible effects.
June	The National Employee Agreement is signed, the third social pact since 1977.
October	Elections in Galicia. UCD collapses and their implosion begins.
5 December	‘Manifesto of the 100’: Document undersigned by 100 military officers in favour of the absolution of the coup plotters of 23F.
1982
March	Two young day labourers from Trebujena (Cádiz) killed by the Civil Guard and 8,000 day labourers call a strike in protest.
23 May	Fascists and Civil Guards assault the Central Bank in Barcelona to demand freedom for the 23F coup plotters.
	Elections in Andalusia. PSOE wins an overwhelming victory.
30 May	Spain joins NATO.
2 October	A coup d’état planned for 27 October (the day before the general elections) is thwarted.
28 October	General elections. PSOE wins.