Second Spanish Republic: Politics and Reforms (1931-1936)

The Political Model of the Second Spanish Republic

The Constituent Assembly Elections

They were the first free and fair elections held in Spain and included universal male suffrage. Two major parties emerged: the Socialist Party and the Radical Republican Party.

Reforms of the First Republican Biennium

The first Republican biennium (1931-1933) was marked by a policy of significant reform:

• Religious Policy: Separation of Church and State was established, and the Divorce Act and the Law of Confessions and Religious Congregations were proclaimed.
• Educational and Cultural Reform: The foundations were laid for free and secular education. Popular culture was also extended.
• Labor Reforms: Three laws were adopted, including those related to labor unions.
• Statutes of Autonomy: A territorial organization was created that allowed for the aspirations of regions with nationalist sentiments. This included the Statute of Catalonia and the Basque Country, among others.
• Agrarian Reform: Much of agriculture continued to exhibit archaic traits, accentuated by the international crisis. The Law of Bases of Agrarian Reform was applied, and its implementation was in the hands of the IRA (Institute of Agrarian Reform). Slow progress resulted in anarchist uprisings.

The Crisis of the Republican-Socialist Coalition

Azaña’s government suffered harassment from employers’ organizations. The CNT (National Confederation of Labor) also progressed in their strikes. The crisis of the coalition of Left Republicans and Socialists led to the resignation of Azaña. Lerroux was subsequently appointed, but his government lacked support, and elections were called.

The Radical Governments (1933-1935)

They began their work in the midst of an anarchist insurrection. Religious policy, labor legislation, and land reform were amended in several aspects. The government proposed radical cuts in an amnesty law. These measures had serious consequences, such as:

• Landowners failed to meet rules, and wages fell. The response was a strike.
• A conflict of jurisdiction broke out with the Generalitat of Catalonia.

The October Revolution of 1934

It began with the convening of a general strike in major cities. The President of the Government proclaimed the “Catalan state within the Spanish Federal Republic.” To quell the rebellion, the government resorted to the military protectorate of Morocco, which, together with the Civil Guard, carried out strong repression. Azaña was accused of the crime and imprisoned.

The Right-Wing End of the Biennium

The accelerated remediation of Republican reforms and the Radical Party was submitted to CEDA (Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Rights). CEDA implemented a policy to change military commanders and proposed a constitutional reform.

A crisis broke out in the Radical party following corruption scandals that affected prominent party officials. Parliament was dissolved, and new elections were called.

The Electoral Victory of the Left (1936)

The left-wing parties formed a grand alliance, the Popular Front, while the center and right-wing appeared disjointed. The election results yielded a Popular Front victory.

The Return of the Azaña Government

Alcalá Zamora instructed Azaña to form a government. A general amnesty was granted to those jailed for political offenses. Autonomy was restored to Catalonia by decree, and its reform process resumed.

The implementation of agrarian reform accelerated, and there was a massive occupation of parts of estates. The confrontation between the Church and the Republic also returned to the forefront.