# Spanish Republican government in exile

The Government of the Spanish Republic in exile (Spanish: Gobierno de la República Española en el exilio) was a continuation, in exile, of the government of the Second Spanish Republic following the victory of Francisco Franco's forces in the Spanish Civil War. It existed until the restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1977.

## History

Following the fall of the Republic in April 1939, the president of Spain, Manuel Azaña and the prime minister, Juan Negrín, went into exile in France. Azaña resigned his post and died in November 1940. He was succeeded as president by Diego Martínez Barrio, who had been prime minister in 1936. Following the occupation of France, the government was reconstituted in Mexico, which under the left-wing president Lázaro Cárdenas continued to recognise the Republic, although Negrín spent the war years in London. Negrín resigned as prime minister in 1945 and was succeeded by José Giral.
Until 1945, the exiled Republicans had high hopes that at the end of World War II in Europe, Franco's regime would be removed from power by the victorious Allies and that they would be able to return to Spain. When these hopes were disappointed, the government-in-exile faded away to a purely symbolic role. The government moved back to Paris in 1946. There was also a Basque government in exile and a Catalan government in exile.
In the immediate postwar period, it had diplomatic relations with Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, Venezuela, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Albania, but the United States, the United Kingdom, France and the Soviet Union did not recognise it.
Following Franco's death in 1975, King Juan Carlos initiated a transition to democracy. In 1977, the exiled Republicans accepted the re-establishment of the monarchy and recognised Juan Carlos's government as the legitimate government of Spain. The key moment came when socialist leaders Felipe González and Javier Solana met Juan Carlos at Zarzuela Palace in Madrid — a tacit endorsement of the monarchy by the previously staunchly republican Socialists.
On 1 July 1977, the Government of the Spanish Republic was formally dissolved. In a gesture of reconciliation, Juan Carlos received the exiled leaders at a ceremony in Madrid.

## Presidents in exile

| # | Name | President From | President Until | Political Party |
| | Diego Martínez Barrio Interim | 3 March 1939 | 11 May 1940 | Republican Union |
| | Álvaro de Albornoz y Liminiana Interim | 11 May 1940 | 17 August 1945 | Independent |
| 1 | Diego Martínez Barrio | 17 August 1945 | 1 January 1962 | Republican Union |
| 2 | Luis Jiménez de Asúa | 1 January 1962 | 16 November 1970 | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party |
| 3 | José Maldonado González | 16 November 1970 | 1 July 1977 | Republican Left |

## Prime Ministers in exile

| Portrait | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Political Party | President (Term) |
| Portrait | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Days | Political Party | President (Term) |
| | | Juan Negrín (1892–1956) | 31 March 1939 | 17 August 1945 | 2331 | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | Álvaro de Albornoz (1939–1945) |
| | | José Giral (1879–1962) | 17 August 1945 | 9 February 1947 | 541 | Republican Left | Diego Martínez Barrio (1945–1962) |
| | | Rodolfo Llopis (1895–1983) | 9 February 1947 | 8 August 1947 | 180 | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | Diego Martínez Barrio (1945–1962) |
| | | Álvaro de Albornoz (1879–1954) | 8 August 1947 | 13 August 1951 | 1558 | Republican Union | Diego Martínez Barrio (1945–1962) |
| | | Félix Gordón Ordás [es] (1885–1973) | 13 August 1951 | 17 April 1960 | 3170 | Republican Union | Diego Martínez Barrio (1945–1962) |
| | | Emilio Herrera (1879–1967) | 17 April 1960 | 28 February 1962 | 682 | Independent | Diego Martínez Barrio (1945–1962) |
| | | Claudio Sánchez-Albornoz (1893–1984) | 28 February 1962 | 28 February 1971 | 3287 | Republican Union | Luis Jiménez de Asúa (1962–1970) |
| | | Fernando Valera Aparicio [es] (1899–1982) | 28 February 1971 | 21 June 1977 | 2305 | Republican Union | José Maldonado González (1970–1977) |