In 1930 the province of Guipúzcoa stood amont the most prosperous and heavily industrialized in Spain. In the following years it found itself affected by several circunstances which brought about the fall of its manufacturing activity: dwindling foreign trade, a shift of the political systems, a new frame of labour relations… All that had a very special effect throughout Guipúzcoa, mostly characterized by the small size of its enterprises, the diversification of its production and its close links with foreing markets. As a backdrop lies the inadequacy of the different governmentes to harmonize the disparate and conflicting interests of the mixed economic areas of Spain.
The making of this work has had the invauable guidance of professors Montserrat Garate, Pablo Martín Aceña and Luis Castells. Noretheless their assistance may not have prevented possible maccuracies whose responsability is to be solely attributed to its author.