Spain in Crisis: Reign of Alfonso XIII and Social Unrest

Posted on Feb 1, 2025 in History

Issue 14: Spain During the Reign of Alfonso XIII

The term of Alfonso XIII is separated into two periods:

  1. The crisis of the Restoration, which ended in 1923.
  2. The dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, which ended the parliamentary system, dragging the monarchy itself into its failure.

With regard to the international sphere, the reign coincides with an arms race leading to the First World War, which affected the Spanish economy and politics. The disaster of 1898 led to Regenerationism, a movement led by intellectuals who opposed the situation in Spain and called for its regeneration, which nevertheless was not successful.

1902-1923: A Period of Political Crisis

During this period, the King participated actively in changing the government. The party system was in crisis. The main problems of this period that changed political life were:

  1. The increase in social struggles.
  2. Criticism of the power of the Church by progressive parties.
  3. Military problems and the rise of antimilitarism.
  4. Problems with Morocco.
  5. The strengthening of nationalism.

Regeneration and Political Revisionism

With the loss of the colonies, poverty and deprivation in the country became apparent compared with other European nations. However, renovation plans would not touch the power of the oligarchy or the party shifts.

The conservative Francisco Silvela faced the problem and won against the Catalan Lliga de Prat de la Riba and Cambó in the 1905 municipal elections. This alarmed the military and ended with the closure of newspapers. Constitutional guarantees were also suspended, and the Law of Jurisdictions was approved (crimes against the army were taken as crimes against the country). Catalan political forces created the Catalan Solidarity, which won the elections and did away with the Liberal and Conservative parties in Catalonia.

A new Prime Minister was appointed, the conservative Antonio Maura, who started a reform program based on helping industry, shipbuilding, and other reconstruction efforts. He modified the electoral law and established compulsory voting.

1909: The Tragic Week

The crisis is related to the outbreak of war in Morocco:

  1. The Rif rejected Spanish rule.
  2. Maura ordered the call-up of reservists.
  3. Labor organizations called general strikes against the shipment of troops. In Barcelona, these strikes became barricades and the burning of churches.

Ferrer y Guardia was convicted of being the main instigator of the Tragic Week, which resulted in his execution and the subsequent substitution of Maura by Canalejas.

The liberal Canalejas had the opportunity to carry out a reform that included the development of the economy, social reforms, the Law of Commonwealths, the suppression of the draft, and the imposition of compulsory military service in wartime. This provoked a wave of strikes that ended with the death of this leader at the hands of an anarchist, leading to the paralysis of the regeneration impulse and social bewilderment in 1912.

The First World War and the Crisis of 1917 (1914-1918)

With the onset of World War I, Spain was divided into two factions: the supporters of the Allies and the Germanophiles. Due to the actions of Maura and the isolationist politics of Canovas, Spain did not get involved in the war. This neutrality allowed Spain to sell to other countries, and Spanish companies increased their opportunities and exports. Despite this, workers suffered from:

  1. Price increases.
  2. Wages increased below inflation.
  3. Loss of purchasing power.

This explains the outbreak of the crisis:

  1. Military crisis: Military defense boards were created for professional advancement and salary increases. They succeeded, leading to strengthened militarism.
  2. Political crisis: Due to social discontent, the courts were closed. In Catalonia, a Parliamentary Assembly was convened.
  3. Social crisis: Many strikes were produced by the discontent of the workers due to eroded wages, leading to strong strikes with a large number of dead and imprisoned.

The Moroccan Problem and the Annual Disaster

Political instability and social conflicts continued during this period.