has abstract
| - Margaritas in the Spanish Civil War played an important role for Nationalist forces. Created in 1919 as a Carlist social aid organization for the poor, they went into decline during the Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera as there was less of a perceived need for promotion of their ideals. The Second Republic saw conservative women join and form women's groups in response to what they saw as an attack on their traditions and culture. Women went into homes, organizing musical evenings, religious actions and proselytizing. Organized by regions, the Narvarre group would become one of the biggest. María Rosa Urraca Pastor's prominence grew during this period, becoming the national face of the Margaritas. Despite men traditionally opposing political empowerment of women, Communión Tradicionalista supported the Margaritas to further their own political goals and so long as the Margaritas did not challenge male leadership. Despite a National policy that women should stay well away from the front and Carlists supporting traditional gender roles, Margaritas were very active on the front. They delivered mail, collected Nationalist corpses, laundered clothes, and taught men how to read. In more rural areas, they also took over agricultural activities. The end of the Civil War and the start of the Francoist period saw Carlism become illegal and the Margaritas disbanded, with official restrictions not being lifted until the mid-1940s. The important contributions of the women of the Margaritas would largely be forgotten and ignored even as the Carlist militia, the Requetés, enjoyed new popularity in the 1950s. (en)
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