The Ministry of Communications was a

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

of the

Government of Spain gl, Goberno de España eu, Espainiako Gobernua , image = , caption = Logo of the Government of Spain , headerstyle = background-color: #efefef , label1 = Role , data1 = Executive power , label2 = Established , da ...

active during the Second Republic and the Civil War. Originally, this ministry had powers on the

postal service The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal syst ...

telegraphs Telegraphs were an alternative rock band based in Brighton, England. Biography Formed in 2005, Telegraphs was made up of members Darcy Harrison (vocals), Hattie Williams (bass/vocals), Sam Bacon (drums), Darren LeWarne (guitar) and Aung Yay ...

telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...

and radiocommunications. During the first years of the republic its powers gradually growth, assuming competences on

aeronautics Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of air flight–capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. The British Royal Aeronautical Society identifies ...

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...

and

air transport Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...

. Subsequently, in closer times to the civil war, the department assumed powers over the merchant marine and other transports.

History

The Ministry of Communications is a unique department of the Second Spanish Republic. It has been not use in any other time. It was created on 15 April 1931, a day after the proclamation of the republic, and it assumed the powers of the Directorate-General for the Postal Service and Telegraphs of the

Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

. From this ministry also assumed the competences relating the link between the Government and the Compañía Telefónica Nacional de España.

Diego Martínez Barrio Diego Martínez Barrio (25 November 1883, in Seville – 1 January 1962) was a Spanish politician during the Second Spanish Republic, Prime Minister of Spain between 9 October 1933 and 26 December 1933 and was briefly appointed again by Manuel ...

was the first Minister. Months later, in December 1931, minister Martínez Barrio left the portfolio and

Santiago Casares Quiroga Santiago Casares y Quiroga (8 May 1884, in A Coruña, Galicia – 17 February 1950, in Paris) was Prime Minister of Spain from 13 May to 19 July 1936. Biography Leader and founder of the Autonomous Galician Republican Organization (ORGA), a Ga ...

, Minister of Home Affairs, assumed the office temporarily until April 1932 when the Department was abolished and the Undersecretariat of Communications (main department of the Ministry) was transferred to the Ministry led by Casares Quiroga. The Department of Communications was recreated in 1933 with Miquel Santaló i Parvorell as its minister. The Ministry merged in September 1935 with the

Ministry of Public Works This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

under the premiership of

Joaquín Chapaprieta Joaquín Chapaprieta y Torregrosa (26 October 1871 – 15 October 1951) was a Spanish politician. He served as Prime Minister in 1935, during the Second Republic. Biography Born in Torrevieja, province of Alicante, on 26 October 1871, son ...

until February 1936. Briefly that year, under the premierships of

Manuel Azaña Manuel Azaña Díaz (; 10 January 1880 – 3 November 1940) was a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of the Second Spanish Republic (1931–1933 and 1936), organizer of the Popular Front in 1935 and the last President of the Repu ...

, Augusto Barcía Trelles,

and

José Giral José Giral y Pereira (22 October 1879 – 23 December 1962) was a Spanish politician, who served as the 75th Prime Minister of Spain during the Second Spanish Republic. Life Giral was born in Santiago de Cuba. He had degrees in Chemistry a ...

, both departments split again and ministry was renamed Ministry of Communications and Merchant Marine. In September that year, the ministry was renamed just Ministry of Communications and two months later it was renamed again "of Communications and Merchant Marine". In May 1937, it was merged again with Public Works. In April 1938, the ministries were split again and the Communications one assumed powers on transports, being renamed as Ministry of Communications and Transport until March 1939 when it was merged again with Public Works. After the end of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

in April 1939, the dictator

Franco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" Prefix * Franco, a prefix used when ref ...

did not use this department and the communications powers were part of the

during all the dictatorship. During the last cabinets of

Adolfo Suárez Adolfo Suárez González, 1st Duke of Suárez (; 25 September 1932 – 23 March 2014) was a Spanish lawyer and politician. Suárez was Spain's first democratically elected prime minister since the Second Spanish Republic and a key figure in th ...

, the government of

Calvo-Sotelo Leopoldo Ramón Pedro Calvo-Sotelo y Bustelo, 1st Marquess of Ría de Ribadeo (; 14 April 1926 – 3 May 2008), usually known as Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo, was Prime Minister of Spain between 1981 and 1982. Early life and career Calvo-Sotelo was b ...

and the first cabinets of

Felipe González Felipe González Márquez (; born 5 March 1942) is a Spanish lawyer, professor, and politician, who was the Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) from 1974 to 1997, and the 3rd Prime Minister of Spain since the ...

, the powers were assumed by the

Ministry of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government age ...

until 1991, when they were transferred to the Ministry of Public Works and nowadays they remain in this ministry. However, the powers relating to telecommunications are in the

Ministry of Economy A ministry of economy, ministry of commerce, ministry of economic affairs or department of commerce is a part of the government in most countries that is responsible for matters related to the economy or economic policy. List Examples of such mini ...

Ministers

References

{{Reflist 1931 establishments in Spain 1939 disestablishments in Spain Defunct departments of the Spanish Government Communications ministries Second Spanish Republic