In historical terms, the 20th century began with the general strike of 1917 which challenged the two-party system of the Bourbon Restoration and gave way to new republican ideology.

The Second Republic in 1931 introduced major social advances, but failed to overcome the climate of increasing factionalism within the country. Political freedom broke in 1936 with the uprising of General Francisco Franco and the beginnings of the Spanish Civil War. However, Valencia remained on the Republican side until the end of the war.

The early years of Franco’s dictatorship were marked by the autocracy and extreme rationing, but the 1960s were a new stage of development for the country characterized by urban growth and an influx of immigration.

Franco's death in 1975 paved the way for Spanish democracy.