Spain Under Primo de Rivera: A Detailed Analysis
Primo de Rivera’s Dictatorship in Spain (1923-1930)
1. Causes of the Coup
The coup led by General Miguel Primo de Rivera was justified on the grounds that the constitutional system was blocked and discredited, and there was a grave danger of social revolution. In his inaugural manifesto, he announced his willingness to rid the country of warlords and stamp out political banditry and social indiscipline. Primo de Rivera’s decision was influenced by the courts to avoid accountability for the Annual disaster. Powerful bankers sought to prevent the democratization of the political regime. The coup also presented a possible way to stop reforms that could threaten certain sectors, as previously proposed by Garcia Prieto.
2. Reorganization of the State
The initial steps taken by the board demonstrated its dictatorial military character: suspension of constitutional rule, dissolution of legislatures, and prohibition of the activities of political parties and trade unions. These actions were accompanied by the militarization of public order. Primo de Rivera developed a municipal and provincial statute, aiming to dismantle the existing system of political patronage (chieftaincy). Councils were dissolved, the electoral mechanism was suspended, and political renewal was limited to replacing a few chiefs. He created a single party, the Patriotic Union, which served as a government party without a defined ideological agenda. Its primary mission was to support the dictatorship, drawing its members from the ranks of Catholicism and rural chiefs.
During the first stage of the dictatorship, the conflict in Morocco became a central concern for General Primo de Rivera. He initiated a policy of collaboration with France, including coordinated military action. This collaboration resulted in the Alhucemas landing, leading to the surrender of Abd el-Krim. During the civil board, Primo de Rivera attempted to institutionalize his regime by creating the National Consultative Assembly, eliminating universal suffrage.
3. Economic and Social Policy
The dictatorship benefited from a favorable international economic situation. These were years of nationalist policies that spurred industrial development. The state played a significant economic role, promoting public works and granting large monopolies, such as Telefonica. It also granted exclusivity in the distribution and sale of oil to the company CAMPSA. However, this policy led to a marked increase in the budget deficit and resulted in severe state debt.
The dictatorship implemented a labor regulation model intended to eliminate social conflicts. To this end, it created the National Corporate Organization, establishing party committees composed of employers and workers. Their mission was to regulate wages and working conditions. These committees found support from the UGT (General Union of Workers), while the CNT (National Confederation of Labor) was prohibited.
4. The Opposition
The opposition to the dictatorship comprised the old leaders of the previous regime. The old guard of the turno system (the established system of alternating power between two main parties) criticized the excessive length of the monarchical regime, and some leaders participated in military conspiracies, such as the plot known as “San Juanada”. The Republicans organized the Republican Alliance, uniting various factions of the movement and launching a broad propaganda campaign abroad. Intellectual opposition was marked by prominent figures of the Generation of ’27.
The CNT opposed the regime, but internal conflicts between radicals and moderates intensified. The radicals formed the FAI (Iberian Anarchist Federation). The Catalan question became a significant point of conflict. The political and administrative measures taken by Primo de Rivera were perceived as deeply anti-Catalanist in Catalonia, causing a rift with the Regionalist League.
5. Fall of the Dictator
The agreement that had underpinned the coup with the conservative class began to unravel as it failed to satisfy all parties. King Alfonso XIII, fearing that the growing prestige of the dictatorship was affecting the public image of the monarchy, decided to withdraw his support, leading to Primo de Rivera’s resignation. General Berenguer replaced him, but the slow return to normalcy provoked opposition, leading to the period being labeled the “dictablanda” (soft dictatorship). This opposition began to organize, and Republicans, along with Catalanists, signed the Pact of San Sebastian, presenting an alternative to the monarchy.
Shortly afterward, the last government of the Monarchy was formed, committed to holding elections. Alfonso XIII had become deeply entangled with the dictatorship, and the municipal elections were presented as a plebiscite for or against the monarchy.