Tragic Week (Spain)

Tragic Week
Part of the Second Rif War
Suspects rounded up by the Civil Guard.
Date26 July – 2 August 1909
Location
Caused byOpposition to conscription and the Second Rif War
Antimilitarism
Anti-clericalism
MethodsRioting, strikes, barricades, arson and murder
Parties
Casualties and losses
Arrests: 1,700
Injuries: 441[1]
Deaths: 104 to 150 civilians and 8 military. Five further civilians were executed after the riots.

Tragic Week (in Catalan la Setmana Tràgica, in Spanish la Semana Trágica) (25 July – 2 August 1909) was a series of violent confrontations between the Spanish army and anarchists, freemasons, socialists and republicans of Barcelona and other cities in Catalonia, Spain, during the last week of July 1909. It was caused by the calling-up of reserve troops by Premier Antonio Maura to be sent as reinforcements when Spain renewed military-colonial activity in Morocco on 9 July, in what is known as the Second Rif War. Many of these reservists were the only breadwinners for their families, while the wealthy were able to hire substitutes. The figureheads most associated with the unrest were Alejandro Lerroux and Francisco Ferrer.

  1. ^ Dalmau, A. (2009). Set dies de fúria: Barcelona i la Setmana Trágica. Columna. pp. 59-60.