The Spanish government has been influenced by numerous events in history, but the Spanish Civil War and the dictatorship of Francisco Franco probably had the greatest effect of all. National political unrest filled the country and Spain had a huge problem with poverty. Spain began as a constitutional monarchy in 1920 with Alfonso XIII as king. Since 1978 Spain has returned to a constitutional monarchy and the leaders of the government are King Juan Carlos I and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. In the many decades between these kings, there was conflict between those on the republican side and those on the fascist, or nationalist, side led by Francisco Franco. There were also problems with the inefficiency of government with Alfonso XIII and where the king ran the country from. In 1923, King Alfonso XIII was fully supportive of the way General Primo de Rivera wanted to control the country, so the general became a dictator. until 1930. Although he was a dictator, he was not as harsh as the dictators who came after him. He was actually interested in public work and industrial production and contributed to the end of the Moroccan rebellion in 1925. However, Spain was a financial disaster and Rivera was unable to solve the problem. In April 1931, elections were held in Spain and those elected declared Spain a republic rather than a monarchy. Because of this statement, many problems arose. Catalonia and the Basque Country demanded independence, which could have caused the breakup of Spain. The Catholic Church and the republic also did not get along very well. In this era Spain was primarily an agricultural country, so when the country was in a depression in the 1930s, its major exports decreased in value. T...... half of the paper ......y fresh, and many Spaniards will fight so that no laws or policies resemble those of the dictatorship era. The 1900s were a time of political radicalism, war, restrictions, and unhappiness for most people. Those who profess strict Catholic beliefs were not affected as much in that period and do not oppose current reforms. Spain transitioned to democracy thanks to Juan Carlos and no one would ever want to return to a dictatorship. The era of Francisco Franco will never be forgotten and will always have an impact on what Spaniards want their government to be. Spain has made progress since the constitutional monarchy was established. Although there are some disputes and conflicts, this occurs in every country. They have surpassed the era of the nationalists and republicans and are entering the era of the people.