La política al margen de la política (Julián Besteiro, 1936 – 1938) = Politics Outside Politics (Julian Besteiro, 1936 – 1938)

Abstract

Julian Besteiro es un politico clave para entender la Espana que transita desde la crisis de 1917 hasta la Guerra Civil, y como tal ha sido ampliamente estudiado por la historiografia. Sin embargo, su figura se nos presenta algo desdibujada desde finales de 1935, cuando deja de publicarse Democracia (principal organo de expresion de su corriente socialista), hasta su participacion en el golpe de estado contra Negrin de marzo de 1939. El presente articulo intenta mostrar que este periodo de su vida no fue de total inactividad politica, ya que aun desde fuera de los puestos de responsabilidad, intento ejercer su influencia dentro del socialismo espanol; en concreto se analiza su actuacion en dos momentos clave: el semestre anterior al estallido de la Guerra Civil, y la crisis socialista de 1938. Para algunos de sus contemporaneos, la opcion Besteiro existio en diferentes momentos y para diferentes puestos, tales como presidente de la Republica en 1936, o presidente del PSOE y miembro de un Gobierno de la paz en 1938. Abstract Julian Besteiro is a key politician to understand Spain from the crisis of 1917 until the Civil War, and as such he has been widely studied by the historiography. But there is a period less known in Besteiro’s life: the years running from the closure of Democracia (the main publication of his wing of Spanish socialism) at the end of 1935, to his involvement in the coup d’etat that would overthrow Negrin’s government in March 1939. This article attempts to show that this period in Besteiro’s life was not of total political inactivity: even from outside the positions of responsibility, he tried to exert his influence within Spanish socialism; in particular, this article analyses Besteiro’s stand in two key moments: the semester prior to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, and the crisis of the socialist party in 1938. For some of his contemporaries, the Besteiro option existed at different moments and for different roles, namely as President of the Republic in 1936, President of PSOE and member of a government to negotiate peace in 1938.