Origin The was founded as a national police force in 1844 during the reign of
Queen Isabel II of Spain by the
2nd Duke of Ahumada and 5th Marquess of Amarillas, an 11th generation descendant of Aztec emperor
Moctezuma II. Previously, law enforcement had been the responsibility of the
"Holy Brotherhood", an organization of municipal leagues. Corruption was pervasive in the Brotherhood, where officials were constantly subject to local political influence, and the system was largely ineffective outside the major towns and cities. Criminals could often escape justice by simply moving from one district to another. , Spain. The was initially charged with putting an end to
brigandage on the nation's highways, particularly in
Andalusia, which had become notorious for numerous robberies and holdups of businessmen, peddlers, travelers, and even foreign tourists. Banditry in this region was so endemic that the found it difficult to eradicate it completely. As late as 1884, one traveler of the day reported that it still existed in and around the city of
Málaga: The favorite and original method of the Malagueño highwayman is to creep up quietly behind his victim, muffle his head and arms in a cloak, and then relieve him of his valuables. Should he resist, he is instantly disembowelled with the dexterous thrust of a knife...[The Spanish highwayman] wears a profusion of amulets and charms...all of undoubted efficacy against the dagger of an adversary or the rifle of a Civil Guard. (which changed their name to – "Republican National Guard") and the rebel forces. However, the highest authority of the corps, Inspector General
Sebastián Pozas, remained loyal to the republican government. Their contribution to the Republican war efforts were invaluable, but proved effective on both sides in urban combat. The proportion of members that supported the
rebel faction at the time of the
1936 coup was relatively high compared to other Spanish police corps such as the and the
Carabineros (), where when the Civil War began over 70% of their members stayed loyal to the Spanish Republic. Loyalist General of the
José Aranguren, commander of the 4th Organic Division and Military Governor of
Valencia, was arrested by the victorious Francoist troops when they entered the city of
Valencia at the end of March 1939. After being court-martialed, Aranguren was given the death penalty and was executed on 22 April in the same year. Over six thousand Civil Guards, both indigenous and Spanish, were serving in
Cuba in 1885 and smaller units were subsequently raised in
Ifni and
Spanish Guinea.
Francoist era (1939–1975) and attempted coup d'état (1981) Following the Civil War, under the
dictatorship of
General Francisco Franco (1939–1975), the was reinforced with the members of the
Carabineros, the "Royal Corps of Coast and Frontier Carabiniers", following the disbandment of the carabinier corps. Critics of the have alleged numerous instances of
police brutality because of the organisation's association with Franco's regime. The fact that the largely operated in mostly rural and isolated parts of the country increased the risk of police violations of individual civil rights through lack of supervision and accountability.
Federico García Lorca's poems have contributed to the 's reputation as, at least at the time, a heavy-handed police force. The involvement of figures in politics continued right up until the end of the twentieth century: on 23 February 1981, Lt. Col.
Antonio Tejero Molina, a member of the , participated with other military forces in the failed
23-F coup d'état. Along with 200 members of the , he briefly took hold of the lower house of the before the coup collapsed following a nationally televised address by
King Juan Carlos, who denounced the coup. ==Modern force==