Decline of Dictatorship and Monarchy in 1920s Spain
Economic and Social Policy
Economic Policies
The dictatorship prioritized economic benefits, mirroring the Roaring Twenties. The government supported public works and enacted decrees to protect domestic industry. However, state enterprises struggled to compete with foreign entities. Monopolies, such as Telefónica, were granted, and CAMPSA was awarded oil distribution and sales, leading to state indebtedness.
Social Policies
The dictatorship introduced a labor regulation model aimed at eliminating social conflicts. Joint committees, composed of equal numbers of workers and employers, along with a government representative, were established to resolve disputes. These committees received support from the UGT (led by Largo Caballero) and free trade unions.
The Fall of the Dictatorship and Monarchy
Opposition to the Dictatorship
- Former Supporters: Liberals and conservatives criticized the scheme’s prolonged duration, with some monarchist leaders participating in military conspiracies.
- Republicans: They formed the Republican party alliance, uniting various factions and conducting extensive propaganda abroad.
- Intellectuals: Figures like Ortega y Gasset, Unamuno, Menendez Pidal, and Blasco Ibáñez directly opposed the dictatorship.
- The University: Student revolts and support for the Spanish University Federation (FUE) demonstrated opposition.
- Anarchists: The CNT protested against the regime but divided into radical factions advocating violence and others favoring corporate system participation. In early 1927, the Iberian Anarchist Federation (FAI) was created by those supporting popular uprisings.
- Socialists: By 1929, the PSOE shifted its stance, rejecting continued attempts by the regime and favoring a republic.
- Catalanism: Primo’s political and administrative measures, such as the elimination of the Mancomunitat in 1925, the ban on Catalan in public, the prohibition of the Sardana dance, and the closure of the Nou Camp, led to the regime being perceived as anti-Catalanist. Even the Catalan League, which initially accepted the regime, withdrew its support.
The Fall of the Monarchy
The system’s breakdown led Alfonso XIII to withdraw his support for Primo, who resigned in January 1930. General Berenguer replaced him, but the slow return to constitutional normality caused public discontent with his government, known as the “soft dictatorship.”
The opposition began to organize, and Republicans, left-wing Catalan nationalists, and the PSOE signed the Pact of San Sebastian in August 1930, pledging an alternative to the monarchy through a revolutionary committee that would become the provisional government of the future republic.
In February 1931, Admiral Aznar headed the monarchy’s last government, calling municipal elections on April 12, 1931, to form the new Cortes Constituyentes. These elections, the first in 8 years, were seen as a plebiscite for or against the monarchy.