Alfonso XIII’s Reign & Primo de Rivera’s Dictatorship

Posted on Feb 19, 2025 in History

Alfonso XIII and the Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera

The Reign of Alfonso XIII (1902-1931)

Alfonso XIII acceded to the throne in 1902. The political environment was characterized by:

  • The crisis of Cánovas del Castillo’s political system.
  • The influence of regenerationism.
  • The death of Cánovas and Sagasta.

His reign is divided into two stages:

Continued Practice of Party Rotation (1902-1917)

  • Until 1917, the two-party rotational system was maintained between the Conservative Party, led by Antonio Maura, and the Liberal Party, led by José Canalejas.
  • Both pursued regenerationist policies, which were unsuccessful in ending despotism and making social improvements.
  • Main problems:
    • War against Morocco: A treaty signed at the Algeciras Conference (1906) divided Morocco into two protectorates: the North under French control, and the South under Spanish control.
    • Spanish occupation led to a war with the inhabitants of the Rif. This required reservists to be called up, the majority of whom were fathers. This set off violent protests in Barcelona, known as the Tragic Week of 1909.
    • Harsh repression by Maura’s conservative government caused the Liberals to break their pact of rotation with him.

The Crisis of the Cánovas System (1917-1923)

The crisis affected three different areas:

  • Military: Soldiers demanded that wages be increased, and that army rank be determined by seniority, not by merits in battle.
  • Politics: Catalan parliamentarians demanded a decentralized state with autonomous regions.
  • Society: Left-wing political parties and trade unions carried out a general strike on August 13th to protest rising prices and overthrow the government.

When the crisis was over, from 1919 to 1923, Spain experienced a period of political decline and was forced to form unity governments made up of members from all the different parties (these governments did not last long).

  • On a domestic level: Social conflict increased as a response to the economic crisis that came after the First World War and as a result of the Russian Revolution. This led to violent clashes between workers and bosses, and numerous strikes.
  • Abroad: Spain was defeated in the Rif War against Morocco, known as the Disaster at Annual, resulting in 10,000 deaths and widespread negative public opinion.

Dictatorship and the End of the Monarchy

The Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera had two stages:

The Military Directory (1923-1925)

Primo de Rivera:

  • Suspended the constitution.
  • Dissolved the Cortes.
  • Prohibited political parties.
  • Suppressed the labor movement.
  • Defeated the Moroccans after the Alhucemas landing (1925).

The Civil Directory (1925-1930)

Primo de Rivera maintained his power until 1930 thanks to the:

  • Military victory in Morocco.
  • Economic boom.

1930: Due to the 1929 economic crisis, Primo de Rivera was forced to resign:

  • Rise in unemployment.
  • Spread of the labor movement.
  • Nationalist problems.
  • Rejection by many intellectuals.

Alfonso XIII tried to go back to the parliamentary system:

  1. First, with the government of General Dámaso Berenguer (la dictablanda).
  2. Second, with Admiral Aznar.

As citizens disapproved of the king’s proposals, this led to the Republic in municipal elections for major cities. The king went into exile on April 14, 1931, and the Second Republic was declared.