Alfonso XIII’s Reign and Spain’s Path to the Primo de Rivera Dictatorship

Spain and the First World War

Spain maintained a position of neutrality in the European conflict. This is explained by the traditional political isolation of the Spanish exterior that had left the country outside the system despite the official alliance. Spanish society took sides with one or another opponent, and there was controversy among Germanophiles, supporters of the Allies, and the upper classes. The church and most of the commanders of the army and the Royal Palace itself favored the Central Powers (Germany and Austria), representatives of the conservatives and the more progressive sectors of authority. Those sectors bowed to the Allied powers (France and England), where they saw the incarnation of ideals. The favored neutrality led to a more significant economic expansion, and Spain became a supplier of industrial and agricultural products for all countries at war.

The Political Regeneration After the Disaster of 1898

In 1902, Alfonso XIII came of age, and political influences intended to solve the remaining problems. A part of society demanded a moralizing of the country based on public management, state reform, encouraging wealth, and momentum to public education.

Maurismo

Maurismo was an attempt to address some regenerationist problems, such as budget equilibrium, social policy, the creation of the Ministry of Public Education, and decentralization, opening from the hand of the Conservatives, led by Maura. Maura represented authoritarian reformism, a “revolution from above.” He did not get his program to become a reality: the project of local administration reform was slowed by the opposition of Liberals and Republicans. The electoral law of 1907 did not attack the possibilities of the caciques to manipulate the results.

The Growing Opposition

The crisis of 1898 in Catalonia favored the development of political Catalanism. The Regionalist League achieved important electoral success in Barcelona and appeared as a political force to fight for the autonomy of Catalonia and the reform of Spain. A rival force was Alejandro Lerroux’s Radical Party, which won major popular support in Barcelona by attacking the conservative character of the Lliga, calling it bourgeois, clerical, and separatist.

In terms of socialism, the PSOE and UGT consolidated their dominance in the Basque Country, Asturias, and Madrid. There was a tactical approach of the Republicans, including socialist liberals, to combat right-wing politics against Maura.

Primo de Rivera: His Rise to Power

Primo de Rivera faced almost no opposition. Alfonso XIII accepted the coup, bypassing the Constitution. The ideology of Primo de Rivera was not pure fascism but rather a democratic dictatorship. Its primary objective was to maintain public order. Primo de Rivera founded his own party to create a political platform: The Patriotic Union, composed of conservative Catholics and landowners. The program was a regenerationist administration reform. He dissolved provincial councils, making them dependent on military authority. A militia, known as the *Somatén*, was created and made responsible for maintaining law and order. In 1925, the military government was replaced by a civilian one, but he did not give up the dictatorship. The economy of the time enjoyed a period of growth and improvement, with the creation of large national enterprises, infrastructure construction, and an industrial boom. There was social stability and improved communications. Barcelona slowly moved away from the dictator because of his centrist policies. The dictator tried to create an authoritarian constitution to ensure his regime but found opposition in his attempt. Gradually, the dictatorship began to crumble. Finally, in 1930, he resigned. The dictator and the king went into exile.