Spain Under Primo de Rivera: 1923-1930
Primo de Rivera’s Dictatorship (1923-1930)
Introduction
On September 13, 1923, General Miguel Primo de Rivera declared a state of war and demanded the handover of power. After several hours, King Alfonso XIII accepted the establishment of a new government formed exclusively by the military, and the crown became attached to the dictatorship.
During the dictatorship, which lasted seven years, two forms of government were established:
- (1923-1925) The Military Directory
- (1925-1930) The Civil Directory
The coup justified its action as a way to end political corruption and despotism. The Dictator presented the new government as a temporary measure to save the nation. His speech aimed to address the Disaster of Annual, which threatened military commanders and the crown.
Development
1 – Military Directory
In the first stage, the government, formed exclusively by the military, implemented a series of dictatorial measures:
- Suspension of the constitution.
- Dissolution of the legislative chambers.
- Termination of civil activities.
- Prohibition of political parties and unions.
- Persecution and repression of Communists and anarcho-syndicalists.
A new system of Municipal and Provincial Councils was established, where appointed members replaced existing officials, ostensibly to fight against despotism.
Primo de Rivera’s greatest success in the early years was the control of Morocco. In 1924, the General took over as High Commissioner and, within months, with the help of France, defeated Abd-el-Krim with the landing in Alhucemas (1925).
2 – The Civil Directory
During this period, Primo de Rivera tried to institutionalize and prolong the dictatorship, which he had initially described as temporary.
He created a single party, the Patriotic Union. Civilians replaced the military in government. A National Consultative Assembly was also created, with a corporate, authoritarian character, seeking to legitimize the new regime.
3 – Economic and Social Policy
a) The dictatorship benefited from the favorable international economic climate. This led to:
- Development of numerous public works.
- Creation of Water Boards (Confederaciones Hidrográficas).
- Creation of monopolies: CTNE (Telefónica) and CAMPSA.
This policy resulted in a deficit but was initially beneficial. However, in the last few years, the value of the peseta dropped, and an economic crisis emerged.
b) With respect to social policy, the following were established:
- The Labor Code, which addressed employment contracts, accidents, and Industrial Tribunals.
- The National Labor Council and later the Institute of Social Reforms.
- National Corporate Organization, whose mission was to regulate wages and working conditions between employers and workers and to arbitrate in disputes.
4 – Opposition to the Dictatorship
The main opponents were:
- The parties that had been part of the previous government’s rotation.
- Some sectors of the military.
- Intellectuals (Unamuno, Valle-Inclán, etc.) – who were the most significant opposition group.
Furthermore, the measures taken in Catalonia caused the regime to be perceived as anti-Catalan.
As a result, the dictator began to lose prestige. To prevent this from affecting the monarchy, King Alfonso XIII decided to withdraw his confidence in the Dictator. Primo de Rivera resigned in 1930 and went into exile in France, where he died shortly after.
5 – The Last Government of the Monarchy
General Dámaso Berenguer replaced Primo de Rivera. He promised to restore constitutional legality, but the slowness with which he carried this out led Republicans, Nationalists, and the PSOE to agree in the Pact of San Sebastián (1930) to create a revolutionary committee that would become a provisional government in the future Republic.
In 1931, the Aznar government was formed, pledging to hold snap elections. However, as the monarchy had been closely linked to the dictatorship, the majority decided to suspend the king’s functions, and the Second Republic was proclaimed on April 14, 1931, following the victory of the Republicans.