Gibraltar and Its Suburbs, 1898–1936

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Chapter Seven examines Gibraltar’s history from 1898 to 1936. Early in the twentieth century, British railway and shipping companies invested heavily in the Spanish region surrounding Gibraltar. New docks, roads, railway and ferry services, and mansions and luxury hotels conspicuously displayed British investment in several nearby towns, Algeciras in particular. La Línea was home to much of Gibraltar’s day-labor work force and grew dramatically, but in contrast to Algeciras, it remained relatively poor. During a series of labor disputes between 1899 and 1913, many resident Gibraltarians joined protests and strikes alongside Spanish day laborers. This pattern of politics shifted during World War I, when Gibraltarian workers, eager to support the allied war effort, declined to join strikes organized by their Spanish coworkers. After the war, the colonial government cooperated with Gibraltarian labor leaders who promoted a policy of anglicization. The unions, for example, campaigned for better English-language education in the local schools and helped secure the creation of a new city council with four of the nine seats chosen by popular election. Chapter Seven highlights the importance of events across the strait in Morocco for the direction of Spanish politics, from the rise of the Spanish dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera, through his downfall, the collapse of the Spanish monarchy, the creation of the republic, and the outbreak of the civil war in 1936. Francisco Franco first rose to prominence fighting in Morocco during the Rif War 1920s, and he landed troops from Morocco in Algeciras during the first days of the Spanish Civil War.</jats:p>