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Research your assigned category. Add information about what you learn. Include a link to your source and a picture.  Include a video or article with your response. Also, give a summary of what each concepts is and explain the significance of each concept.

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A military coup in 1928 happened which gave military caudillo Colonel Carlos Ibáñez del Campo dictatorial powers. He was fiercely anti-Communist, and had Communists and union leaders arrested and deported. It was a return to authoritarianism such as Chile had not seen since the years of Diego Portales.

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Communism | The 20th century | World history | Khan Academy

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https://www.donquijote.org/spanish-culture/history/second-spanish-republic/

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Second Spanish Republic – History of Spain - don Quijote

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Second Spanish Republic. The Second Republic in Spain started after the crash of 1929 and ended with the victory of General Franco in the Spanish Civil War.

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WATCH: What is Fascism? (video) | Khan Academy

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This video examines fascism's defining characteristics. Fascism rose most prominently in Italy and Germany between the two world wars. Benito Mussolini rose to power as a fascist in the 1920s. His movement violently seized power and defined the Italian nation in racial terms. This example was soon followed by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party, which seized power in Germany in the 1930s.

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Fascism is a form of authoritarian ultra nationalism led by dictatorial power. It also shows examples of strong regimentation of society and the economy that rose to prominence in the early 20th century Europe. Most fascists believe that liberal democracy is obsolete.

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During the 20th century Spain was deeply divided by social and political ideologies. The major causes for the Spanish Civil War were the instability in government, a proclamation of a second republic in Madrid and crossing military boundaries.

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During the 20th century Spain was deeply divided by social and political ideologies. The major causes for the Spanish Civil War were the instability in government, a proclamation of a second republic in Madrid and crossing military boundaries.

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The Spanish Civil War was one of the bloodiest wars in Twentieth Century in Europe. The war was not simply a Spanish affair, but drew in other several other nations, including Italy, Portugal, Germany and the Soviet Union. The war was a result of many factors, some of which will be discussed here. The main cause of the Spanish Civil War, was the failure of Spanish democracy. This was because there was a refusal by the Spanish parties and groups to compromise and respect democratic norms.

Background

Spain was a very divided, unstable and weak country in the 19th century. Once a great power, Spain lost almost the last of its colonies after it defeat in the Spanish-American war. It was technically a monarchy, but power had frequently been in the hands of military dictators. The country was bitterly divided. The acute poverty of the Spanish people meant that many were drawn to Communism, Anarchism and Socialism. These ideologies call for popular governments and the re-distribution of resources, such as land and wealth.

Spanish anarchists, socialists and communists were secular and wanted to remove the influence of the Catholic Church from Spanish society. The elite and the middle class were especially conservative. They dominated the economy and feared that the Communists would confiscate their property. This is typified in the fact that much of the best land in Spain was owned by a relatively small proportion of the population. Furthermore, the wealthy and the middle class, especially in rural society was Catholics and resisted any idea that there should be a separation of Church in State in Spain. The elite and the rich landowners, the 'agrarian oligarchy' were terrified of communism, especially after the Russian Revolution in 1917.

By 1930, Spain was bitterly divided on social and ideological lines. Spain was and is a diverse society. There are many areas of the country with strong regional or national identities. Many of the regions in Spain, such as the Catalans, demanded more autonomy or even outright independence from Madrid, such as the Basques. The tensions between the regions and the central government meant that the country was inherently unstable, as compromise was impossibly, between the parties.

The Failure of Spanish Government

Spain had been neutral during the First World War. However, this had not made the country peaceful or prosperous. In the wake of the ending of the WWI, there was a major economic slump. The working class and the rural poor suffered greatly at this time and they began to organize themselves and they were often led by Communists and Anarchists. At this time the Trade Unions in Spain became very strong and there were widespread strikes. In the countryside impoverished peasants began to seize land. To many in the elite it seemed as if the country was on the brink of Communist revolution. Miguel Primo de Rivera, with the support of the monarchy and army launched a coup and came to power in 1923, and he became dictator of Spain. He was a monarchists and conservative and did nothing to reform the country and especially to alleviate the plight of the poor. De Rivera soon became very unpopular and tensions in the country increased and he was forced to resign. In 1931, The Spanish monarch resigned. It seemed that Spain had an opportunity to begin a new era and to become a true democracy, after elections were held.

Second Republic

A new constitution was introduced in 1931 ad it was a liberal document that guaranteed human rights and basic freedoms. The Constitution also separated the Church and State. Elections were again held in 1932. In the first elections under the Constitution in 1933, an alliance of right wing and center right parties came to power. Despite the establishment of democracy there was no stability. This was partly a result of the economic consequences caused by the Great Depression. The left, including the Communists and the Trade Unions continued to press for their agendas. They sought the nationalization of industry and the redistribution of land to the poor. The first democratically elected government was constantly undermined by General Strikes and local left wing revolts. In particular there was a revolt by miners in Asturias, which was suppressed by the army. The left could not simply abide by the outcome of the election and instead of achieving their goals by constitutional means, they opted for violent methods.

A weakened government eventually collapsed and new elections were called for 1936. The General Election saw a victory for a left-wing alliance of parties, including Communists, Anarchists and Socialists. This government was also supported by regional parties. They immediately launched an ambitious program of reforms, especially land reform to meet the 'expectations of the urban and rural poor', that antagonize many in the Spanish elite. Many Spaniards believed that a communist revolution was imminent.

"They eyed with mounting alarm the red flags and banners and portraits of Lenin, Stalin and Largo Caballero on huge placards, and listened to the chanting of the demonstrators, demanding the formation of a proletarian government and a people's army''.

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In response right-wing extremists such as the Falange militia began a violent campaign against the left-wing government. The right could not accept that the Left was the legitimate governments and believed that they were entitled to use violence means to secure their position and interests.

Countdown to Civil War

It was clear by 1936 that Spain was on the edge of a major confrontation between the left and the right and between the regions. There began a series of political assassinations. The right openly called for the military to stage a coup to oust the left wing government, which some saw as only the puppets of the Soviet Union. Much of the Spanish Army was stationed in the country's last colonies in Morocco.

The left-wing government believed that the military was too far away from Spain because the government was losing control of the situation and there was fighting between the Falange militia and the police on the streets of several cities, resulting in many deaths. Then the Spanish Army Generals, led by General Franco, launched a coup, they managed to fly their forces, with the assistance of the German government to Spain. The arrival of regular Spanish units from Morocco on the Spanish mainland was the trigger for an all-out war that was to 'leave half-a-million people dead.'

Conclusion

The Spanish Civil War was caused by many factors, including major socio-economic problems, such as poverty and inequality. However, the main cause was all sides' failure to compromise and to respect the rights and opinions of others. This meant that the Second Republic, could never provide a government that could bring stability and prosperity to the country. Political violence became endemic in the country as a consequence and it escalated until it became a full scale civil war.

Related DailyHistory.org Articles

References

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What were the Root Causes of the Spanish Civil War

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The Spanish Civil War was one of the bloodiest wars in Twentieth Century in Europe. The war was not simply a Spanish affair, but drew in other several other nations, including Italy, Portugal, Germany and the Soviet Union. The war was a result of many factors, some of which will be discussed here.

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This link describes the rise and fall of fascism. It specifically talks about Benito Mussolini, who was an Italian leader.

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They were not untainted with the same guilt and they cannot escape shine share of the responsibility. They were not always opposed to what the government did in their name. They often applauded its actions and rarely showed signs of trying to stop its misrule.

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Communism is a socio-economic political movement created by Karl Marx. His goal with communism is to create a classless society in which all property is publicly owned such as factories, mines and other large means of production.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/communism

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Which countries are communist?

communism, political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production (e.g., mines, mills, and factories) and the natural resources of a society. Communism is thus a form of socialism-a higher and more advanced form, according to its advocates. Exactly how communism differs from socialism has long been a matter of debate, but the distinction rests largely on the communists' adherence to the revolutionary socialism of Karl Marx.
(Read Leon Trotsky's 1926 Britannica essay on Lenin.)
Like most writers of the 19th century, Marx tended to use the terms communism and socialism interchangeably. In his Critique of the Gotha Programme (1875), however, Marx identified two phases of communism that would follow the predicted overthrow of capitalism: the first would be a transitional system in which the working class would control the government and economy yet still find it necessary to pay people according to how long, hard, or well they worked, and the second would be fully realized communism-a society without class divisions or government, in which the production and distribution of goods would be based upon the principle "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs." Marx's followers, especially the Russian revolutionary Vladimir Ilich Lenin, took up this distinction.

In State and Revolution (1917), Lenin asserted that socialism corresponds to Marx's first phase of communist society and communism proper to the second. Lenin and the Bolshevik wing of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party reinforced this distinction in 1918, the year after they seized power in Russia, by taking the name All- Russian Communist Party. Since then, communism has been largely, if not exclusively, identified with the form of political and economic organization developed in the Soviet Union and adopted subsequently in the People's Republic of China and other countries ruled by communist parties.

For much of the 20th century, in fact, about one-third of the world's population lived under communist regimes. These regimes were characterized by the rule of a single party that tolerated no opposition and little dissent. In place of a capitalist economy, in which individuals compete for profits, moreover, party leaders established a command economy in which the state controlled property and its bureaucrats determined wages, prices, and production goals. The inefficiency of these economies played a large part in the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and the remaining communist countries (excepting North Korea) are now allowing greater economic competition while holding fast to one-party rule. Whether they will succeed in this endeavour remains to be seen. Succeed or fail, however, communism is clearly not the world-shaking force it was in the 20th century.

Historical background

Although the term communism did not come into use until the 1840s-it is derived from the Latin communis, meaning "shared" or "common"-visions of a society that may be considered communist appeared as long ago as the 4th century bce. In the ideal state described in Plato's , the governing class of guardians devotes itself to serving the interests of the whole community. Because private ownership of goods would corrupt their owners by encouraging selfishness, Plato argued, the guardians must live as a large family that shares common ownership not only of material goods but also of spouses and children.

Other early visions of communism drew their inspiration from religion. The first Christians practiced a simple kind of communism-as described in Acts 4:32-37, for example-both as a form of solidarity and as a way of renouncing worldly possessions. Similar motives later inspired the formation of monastic orders in which monks took vows of poverty and promised to share their few worldly goods with each other and with the poor. The English humanist Sir Thomas More extended this monastic communism in (1516), which describes an imaginary society in which money is abolished and people share meals, houses, and other goods in common.

Other fictional communistic utopias followed, notably City of the Sun (1623), by the Italian philosopher Tommaso Campanella, as did attempts to put communist ideas into practice. Perhaps the most noteworthy (if not notorious) of the latter was the theocracy of the Anabaptists in the Westphalian city of Münster (1534-35), which ended with the military capture of the city and the execution of its leaders. The English Civil Wars (1642-51) prompted the Diggers to advocate a kind of agrarian communism in which the Earth would be "a common treasury," as Gerrard Winstanley envisioned in The Law of Freedom (1652) and other works. The vision was not shared by the Protectorate led by Oliver Cromwell, which harshly suppressed the Diggers in 1650.

It was neither a religious upheaval nor a civil war but a technological and economic revolution-the Industrial Revolution of the late 18th and early 19th centuries-that provided the impetus and inspiration for modern communism. This revolution, which achieved great gains in economic productivity at the expense of an increasingly miserable working class, encouraged Marx to think that the class struggles that dominated history were leading inevitably to a society in which prosperity would be shared by all through common ownership of the means of production.

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Communism | Definition, History, Varieties, & Facts

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Communism, political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production (e.g., mines, mills, and factories) and the natural resources of a society.

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Ten Minute History - The Spanish Civil War and Francisco Franco (Short Documentary)

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The two sides of the Civil War were the left and right parties. The left consisted of the Spanish government, unions, communists, anarchists, workers, and peasants known as the Republicans. However the right or Nationalist were made up of the upper class like parts of the army, the bourgeoisie and the landlords.

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The two sides of the Civil War were the left and right parties. The left consisted of the Spanish government, unions, communists, anarchists, workers, and peasants known as the Republicans. However the right or Nationalist were made up of the upper class like parts of the army, the bourgeoisie and the landlords.

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When did the Spanish Civil War start? Who won the Spanish Civil War?

Read on to get your Spanish Civil War facts straight.

The Spanish Civil War took place in Spain between 1936 and 1939. How did it all start? In 1936, Manuel Azaña, a democratically elected Republican, was serving as the president of Spain when a group of the most influential generals from the part of the Spanish army based in Morocco carried out a coup d'etat led by General Francisco Franco. Spain quickly erupted into civil war.

The left side, known as the Republicans, was formed by the Spanish government together with unions, communists, anarchists, workers, and peasants. On the other side were the Nationalists, the rebel part of the army, the bourgeoisie, the landlords, and, generally, the upper classes. Although it was a civil war, several foreign entities also joined the conflict. For different reasons closely linked to the European context of the time, the Republican side was supported by the Soviet Union and the European democracies, while the Nationalist side had the support of fascist Germany and Italy, which meant that the latter was better armed.

The war was one of the hardest Spain has ever faced. After the Nationalist victory, a dictatorship ruled the country for almost 40 years, from 1939 to 1975, when the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died. Although Franco's side had received German aid during the Spanish Civil War, he decided not to get directly involved in World War II because Spain was in terrible conditions after suffering the civil war. The only support Spain sent to Germany was a small group of volunteers.

Spain suffered continuous international isolation during the entire Franco dictatorship, but it weakened over the years. The Spanish dictator wanted the country to be recognized by the international community, and little by little the people began to see certain improvements in their social life. In the 1950s, Spain was accepted as a member of the United Nations. Then in 1970, Franco appointed Prince Juan Carlos as his successor.

Francisco Franco's idea was for Juan Carlos to continue as the head of the dictatorship that had ruled Spain for so many years, but when he was finally crowned after the death of the dictator in 1975, instead of continuing the dictatorship King Juan Carlos I helped Spain return to democracy. The country has been a constitutional monarchy ever since.

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Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) - History of Spain - don Quijote

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Read on to get your Spanish Civil War facts straight. The Spanish Civil War took place in Spain between 1936 and 1939. How did it all start? In 1936, Manuel Azaña, a democratically elected Republican, was serving as the president of Spain when a group of the most influential generals from the part of the Spanish army based in Morocco carried out a coup d'etat led by General Francisco Franco.

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The Second Spanish Republic lasted from 4/14/31 to 4/1/39. This new government focused on modernizing Spain by making the constitution more secular and separating church and state. Traditionalists and conservative forces did not like this change because they lost the power they once had under former governments. The new constitution established freedom of speech and freedom of association, allowed divorce and stripped the Spanish nobility of any special legal status.

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The Second Spanish Republic was legally established on April 14th 1931 following municipal elections in which republican candidates won the majority of votes. The Second Republic was an attempt to build a "modern" Spain and lasted until April 1st 1939 when the successful military rebellion led by General Francisco Franco brought to an end the Spanish Civil War. The constitution of The Second Spanish Republic was groundbreaking in the history of Spain and changed the face of the country. "El Himno de Riego" was established as the Spanish national anthem and the Spanish national flag was given a new colour scheme with red-yellow-purple horizontal stripes. Also all of Spain's regions were given the right to autonomy. Catalonia (1932) and the Basque Country (1936) exercised this right, with Andalucía, Aragón and Galicia in talks just before the breakout of the Civil War. For the first time in the history of Spain, Galician, Basque and Catalan were recognised as official languages. Unfortunately, the Constitution failed to agree with the conservative right and the Roman Catholic Church and this eventually led to the downfall of the Republic.

In 1923, with the military about to be the subject of a government enquiry into their failures in Morocco and with the king frustrated by a series of fragmenting governments, General Primo de Rivera staged a coup. The king accepted him and so began the Primo de Rivera Dictatorship in Spain. Primo de Rivera was only meant to rule until the country's most pressing problems had been resolved and it was safe to return to other forms of government. He stayed in office until the king was persuaded to sack him on January 29th 1930. Other generals had become concerned by forthcoming army reforms and the 1929 Wall Street Crash had plunged the country into dire economic hardship. Popular sympathy for the monarchy was greatly undermined following the king's support for Primo de Rivera's dictatorial regime and Alfonso XIII saw himself sidelined by the Spanish people. For the working class he was the symbol of oppression, the middle class would not forgive or forget the dictatorial Primo de Rivera and even the royalty and ruling class considered that his continuity impossible.

In 1931, faced with an anti-monarchy uprising and rather than face civil war, king Alfonso XIII fled the country for Rome without abdicating the throne and a coalition provisional government declared the Second Spanish Republic, the first true democracy in Spanish history. The Republic passed many reforms, including women's right to vote and separation of church and state, greatly welcomed by some, hated by others. The constitution of the Second Spanish Republic was based on the absence of religious involvement in government affairs in order to build a secular society. Articles 26 and 27 of the constitution were meant to control Church property and to curtail the custom of religious orders from engaging in education. This was seen as explicitly hostile to religion by the traditionalist and conservative forces that used to enjoy power in Spain under former governments. The new constitution established freedom of speech and freedom of association, allowed divorce and stripped the Spanish nobility of any special legal status. It also established legal procedures for the nationalisation of public services such as land, banks and railways.

Banderas de las autonomías photo by Región del Sureste Alfonso XIII photo by Old Photographs Archive Spain

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History of Spain: The Second Spanish Republic

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The Second Spanish Republic was legally established on April 14th 1931 following municipal elections in which republican candidates won the majority of votes. The Second Republic was an attempt to build a "modern" Spain and lasted until April 1st 1939 when the successful military rebellion led by General Francisco Franco brought to an end the Spanish Civil War.

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The significance of fascism is that it transformed his poem from love to political. The government was overthrown by fascist military dictatorship.

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Surrealism was a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself.

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The Spanish civil war was a military revolt against the Republic government of Spain. When an initial military coup failed to win control of the entire country, a bloody civil war ensued. The main cause of the Spanish Civil War, was the failure of Spanish democracy. This was because there was a refusal by the Spanish parties and groups to compromise and respect democratic norms. The Nationalists won the war, which ended in early 1939.

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The Spanish civil war was a military revolt against the Republic government of Spain. When an initial military coup failed to win control of the entire country, a bloody civil war ensued. The main cause of the Spanish Civil War, was the failure of Spanish democracy. This was because there was a refusal by the Spanish parties and groups to compromise and respect democratic norms. The Nationalists won the war, which ended in early 1939.

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It was mentioned that a lot of his works incorporated aspects of surrealism to fully explore the ideas he wanted to draw attention to

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Political Poetry in the Wake of the Second Spanish Republic: Rafael Alberti, Pablo Neruda, and Nicolás Guillén (Hardcover)

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From notions of art for art's sake to committed poetry, it may seem that poets cannot achieve reconciliation between the politics and poetry. However, among committed Communist poets of the 20th century of the Spanish-speaking world, three poets stand out as examples of a search to bring together their political and their poetic commitments: Rafael Alberti, Nicol's Guill n, and Pablo Neruda.

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Surrealism is important and connected to Pablo Neruda because his use of words within his poems reflected surrealism in many ways as he used a variety of writing styles. One of his works that portrayed surrealism was his poem, "Enigmas", and is known for not many people to understand. An example from this poem is, "You question me about the wicked tusk of the narwhal, and I reply by describing how the sea unicorn with the harpoon in it dies" (Enigma).

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Surrealism is important and connected to Pablo Neruda because his use of words within his poems reflected surrealism in many ways as he used a variety of writing styles. One of his works that portrayed surrealism was his poem, "Enigmas", and is known for not many people to understand. An example from this poem is, "You question me about the wicked tusk of the narwhal, and I reply by describing how the sea unicorn with the harpoon in it dies" (Enigma).

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Pablo Neruda took a series of diplomatic jobs including a position in Spain during the 20th century. Following the Spanish Civil War Neruda remained committed to revolutionary ideals and continued to take political action until he was eventually exiled for several years.  

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Pablo Neruda took a series of diplomatic jobs including a position in Spain during the 20th century. Following the Spanish Civil War Neruda remained committed to revolutionary ideals and continued to take political action until he was eventually exiled for several years.  

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While serving in the Chilean government, Neruda served as a Senator for the Chilean Communist Party. During the time he served, the current president of Chile banned Communism from Chile, with this came the warrant for Neruda's arrest and his exile. During his exile, he visited many communist countries such as the Soviet Union, Poland, and Hungary. Neruda also showed his support for many communist leaders such as Joseph Stalin, Fulgencio Batista, and Fidel Castro.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Neruda#:~:text=Neruda%20occupied%20many%20diplomatic%20positions,was%20issued%20for%20Neruda's%20arrest.

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Photo: Angelo Cozzi/Mondadori via Getty Images

Quick Facts

"Laughter is the language of the soul."

Pablo Neruda was a Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet who was once called "the greatest poet of the 20th century in any language."

Who Was Pablo Neruda?

Poet Pablo Neruda stirred controversy with his affiliation with the Communist Party and his outspoken support of Joseph Stalin, Fulgencio Batista and Fidel Castro. His poetic mastery was never in doubt, and for it he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. Neruda died on September 23, 1973, with subsequent investigations exploring whether he might have been poisoned.

Early Life

Pablo Neruda was born Ricardo Eliecer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto in the Chilean town of Parral in 1904. His father worked for the railroad, and his mother was a teacher who died shortly after his birth. At age 13, he began his literary career as a contributor to the daily La Mañana, where he published his first articles and poems. In 1920, he contributed to the literary journal Selva Austral under the pen name Pablo Neruda, which he assumed in honor of Czech poet Jan Neruda.

Poems

Some of Neruda's early poems are found in his first book, Crepusculario (Book of Twilight), published in 1923, and one of his most renowned works, Veinte poemas de amor y una canción desesperada (Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair), was published the following year. Twenty Love Poems made Neruda a celebrity, and he thereafter devoted himself to verse.

Diplomatic Career

In 1927, Neruda began his long diplomatic career (in the Latin American tradition of honoring poets with diplomatic posts), and he moved frequently around the world. In 1936, the Spanish Civil War began and Neruda chronicled the atrocities, including the execution of his friend Federico García Lorca, in his España en el corazón ( Spain in Our Hearts).

Over the next 10 years, Neruda would leave and return to Chile several times. Along the way, he was named Chile's consul to Mexico and won election to the Chilean Senate. He would also begin to attract controversy, first with his praise of Joseph Stalin (in poems such as "Canto a Stalingrado" and "Nuevo canto de amor a Stalingrado") and later for his poetry honoring Fulgencio Batista ("Saludo a Batista") and Fidel Castro.

Always left-leaning, Neruda joined the Communist Party of Chile in 1945, but by 1948 the Communist Party was under siege, and Neruda fled the country with his family. In 1952, the Chilean government withdrew its order to seize leftist writers and political figures, and Neruda returned to Chile once again.

Accomplishments

For the next 21 years, Pablo Neruda continued to write prodigiously, rising in the ranks of 20th century poets. (The collection of his complete works, which is continually being republished, filled 459 pages in 1951; by 1968 it amounted to 3,237 pages, in two volumes.) He also received numerous prestigious awards, including the International Peace Prize in 1950, the Lenin Peace Prize and the Stalin Peace Prize in 1953, and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.

Death and Investigations

Neruda died just two years after receiving his Nobel Prize on September 23, 1973, in Santiago, Chile. Though his death was officially attributed to prostate cancer, there have been allegations that the poet was poisoned, as he died right after the rise of dictator Augosto Pinochet to power. (Neruda was a supporter of Pinochet's deposed predecessor, Salvador Allende.)

In 2011, Neruda's chauffeur alleged that the writer said he'd been given an injection at a clinic by a physician that worsened his health. Chilean judge Mario Carroza later authorized an official investigation into cause of death. Neruda's body was exhumed in 2013 and examined, but a forensics team found no initial evidence of foul play.

However, in January 2015, the Chilean government reopened the investigation with new forensic testing. Although Judge Carroza ordered Neruda's body to be returned to his gravesite, the discovery of unusual bacteria in the writer's bones indicated that the matter had yet to be fully resolved.

In 2016, the life of the renowned poet inspired the acclaimed Chilean film Neruda, which is directed by Pablo Larraín and follows a police inspector (played by Gael García Bernal) on the hunt for Neruda as he hides to escape arrest for his Communist views.

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!

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Quick Facts "Laughter is the language of the soul." Pablo Neruda was a Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet who was once called "the greatest poet of the 20th century in any language." Poet Pablo Neruda stirred controversy with his affiliation with the Communist Party and his outspoken support of Joseph Stalin, Fulgencio Batista and Fidel Castro.

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Pablo Neruda was from Chile but was then given a diplomatic post in Barcelona, Spain. The Spanish Civil War erupted while he was in Spain and he was appointed the special Consul for Spanish immigrants in Paris.  This then led him to lead the "noblest mission he had ever undertaken" and transported 2,000 Spanish refugees  that were being housed in France to Chile.

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Pablo Neruda was from Chile but was then given a diplomatic post in Barcelona, Spain. The Spanish Civil War erupted while he was in Spain and he was appointed the special Consul for Spanish immigrants in Paris.  This then led him to lead the "noblest mission he had ever undertaken" and transported 2,000 Spanish refugees  that were being housed in France to Chile.

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The chaos of the Spanish Civil War led to the creation of famous poems by Neruda such as I Explain a Few Things. The poem details the destruction and horrors of the war.

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The chaos of the Spanish Civil War led to the creation of famous poems by Neruda such as I Explain a Few Things. The poem details the destruction and horrors of the war.