Canalejas Era: Political Shifts & Social Tensions in Spain (1910-1917)
Canalejas and the Liberal Party (1910-1912)
Canalejas sought to overhaul the system of government to integrate more groups into the system (republicans), addressing dimensions of governance.
Canada Act 1910
This act banned the entry into Spain of new religious orders. While it was not fully enforced, it pretended to represent the separation of church and state.
Obligatory Military Service
The imposition of mandatory military service was generally accepted by the army. However, a major source of income came from payments made to avoid military service.
Pooling Project
This project aimed to solve the problem of Catalan regionalism. It consisted of linking the four Catalan provinces for administrative issues, representing the first step towards future autonomy. It was supported by the Liga.
Canalejas was assassinated in 1912, and his amendments collapsed. The underlying problems remained unresolved. His assassination led to a consolidation and reorganization of the opposition:
Republican Forces
- Union led by Republican Salmeron (1903)
- Republican Party led by radical Lerroux (this party became a radical centrist Republican party in 1913)
- Reform Party (1913)
Worker Movement
- Marxists formed by the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) and its union, the UGT (General Union of Workers). The PSOE gained its first deputy in the Cortes (Spanish Parliament) in 1910.
- Anarchist union: the CNT (National Confederation of Labor) in 1910.
Nationalism
- Catalan: Catalunya League, a monarchist conservative party; Catalan Solidarity.
- Basque: PNV (Basque Nationalist Party)
- Galician: LRG (Galician Regional League)
Troughs established stability within his party in 1912, but he was assassinated that year.
The assassination provoked the disintegration of the official parties: the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party.
Spain and World War I (1914-1918)
The First World War broke out in Europe in 1914. Spain remained neutral, but there were ideological and economic consequences:
Ideological Divisions
- Aliadófilos (pro-Allies): Primarily on the left, allied with Russia, France, and England.
- Germanófilos (pro-Germans): Primarily on the right, allied with Germany and Austria-Hungary.
Economic Impact
Spain became a supplier to countries at war, leading to an increase in exports. However, this was not beneficial for everyone, as food prices increased while wages remained stagnant. The landed gentry and industry prospered, while the general population suffered and became even poorer.
The Crisis of 1917
The gradual decomposition of the system and social tensions led to the crisis of 1917, which manifested on three fronts:
- Defense of military juntas.
- The call for parliamentary assemblies.
- General strike called by the UGT and seconded by the CNT.
The military, political figures, and worker classes sought solutions to the crisis, but their approaches differed. The solution that emerged was the formation of a government of national concentration, chaired by Mauro and comprising representatives of other political parties (Romanones, Alba, and Eduardo Dato).
Army Problems (Since 1916)
- Disproportionate ranks
- Undeveloped army
- Strong internal tension over promotions
The economic situation affected those in intermediary positions due to price freezes and rising costs.
This situation led to the creation of military defense boards, corporate partnerships comprising intermediary commanders of the army, aiming to reclaim their interests. These were a kind of military union, initially not recognized by the government but eventually legalized by the government of García Prieto by the end of 1916.
In 1917, the government of Eduardo Dato suspended the Cortes. In response, Francesc Cambó, leader of the Lliga Regionalista de Catalunya (LRC), convened a parliamentary assembly in Barcelona on July 19 to pressure the government for constitutional reform and empowerment.
Because the assembly missed its target, it was accused of separatism.
On August 13, the socialists called a general strike with clear political objectives. The strike was heavily repressed by the army against the protesters. The military disagreements during the strike were among those belonging to the military juntas.
The repression resulted in numerous deaths and detentions, including members of the strike committee who belonged to the military juntas.
The strike committee members were condemned to death, but their sentences were eventually commuted to life imprisonment and later pardoned.