JONS was founded on 10 October 1931 as the fusion of the group around La Conquista del Estado (The Conquest of the State) of Ramiro Ledesma Ramos and the Juntas Castellanas de Actuación Hispánica (Castilian Councils of Hispanic Action) of Onésimo Redondo.

JONS, whose leadership was the Central Executive Triumvirate, began as a small organization, primarily amongst students in Madrid as well as workers and peasants in and around Valladolid.

During that year, Onésimo Redondo returned from exile in Portugal and restarted the publication Libertad.

The party started publishing Revolución in Zaragoza, Unidad in Galicia, and Patria Sindicalista in Valencia.

At the national council of JONS, held clandestinely in Madrid on 12–13 February 1934, the organization formulated its intention to merge with the Falange Española of José Antonio Primo de Rivera.