A violent anti-war uprising in Barcelona in 1909 exposed deep class tensions in Spain over conscription inequalities and colonial military policy.
Key Facts
- Dates
- 25 July – 2 August 1909
- Location
- Barcelona and other cities in Catalonia
- Trigger
- Call-up of reserve troops for the Second Rif War in Morocco
- Key figureheads
- Alejandro Lerroux and Francisco Ferrer
- Spanish Premier
- Antonio Maura
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Spain's renewal of military-colonial operations in Morocco on 9 July 1909, known as the Second Rif War, prompted Premier Antonio Maura to call up reserve troops. Many reservists were sole breadwinners for their families, while wealthy Spaniards could legally pay substitutes to serve in their place, generating widespread anger at the perceived class inequality of the conscription system.
From 25 July to 2 August 1909, anarchists, freemasons, socialists, and republicans in Barcelona and other Catalan cities engaged in violent confrontations with the Spanish army. The unrest was particularly concentrated in the final week of July, with Alejandro Lerroux and Francisco Ferrer emerging as the most prominent figures associated with the revolt.
The uprising, known as the Tragic Week (Semana Trágica), led to severe reprisals by Spanish authorities. The events intensified political polarization in Spain, discredited the Maura government, and brought international attention to social and colonial grievances in the country, contributing to broader instability in Spanish politics in the early twentieth century.