Spain’s Popular Front: 1936 Election & Civil War Prelude
The Popular Front
Rating: A political text, functioning as an electoral program for the Popular Front, enacted on January 15, 1936.
Analysis: This text outlines the Popular Front’s program, stating that participating political parties reached a basic agreement and appealed to other forces to join the coalition.
Historical Context
The influence of the CEDA in the government grew, leading to a more rigorous and tougher policy. Gil Robles became Minister of War, and Franco, Chief of Staff. This sparked opposition from the left against the government’s policies. CEDA proposed a constitutional amendment in July 1935, aiming to revise autonomy, abolish divorce, and deny property socialization. President Alcalá Zamora supported it, but the proposal failed due to a government crisis in autumn 1935. Gil Robles sought to become Prime Minister, but Alcalá Zamora called for new elections in February 1936. Political divisions intensified, forming two opposing blocs: right and left. Leftist parties formed the Popular Front, while right-wing parties formed the National Bloc, led by CEDA. José Antonio Primo de Rivera criticized the National Bloc’s lack of program, and the Falange remained independent. The PNV also ran independently. Two major electoral blocs emerged, with little possibility of compromise.
Review of Ideas
The Communist International advocated alliances between socialists, communists, and left-wing bourgeois parties to counter fascism. In Spain, the first attempt at left-wing unity occurred in 1934 due to CEDA’s presence in the government. CEDA, led by José María Gil Robles, included members with fascist leanings. The prospect of a CEDA victory, potentially aligning with the fascist Falange Española de las JONS, prompted an agreement between communists, socialists, and the bourgeois left in 1936, forming the Spanish Popular Front. The Spanish Workers’ Socialist Party (PSOE), led by Indalecio Prieto and Francisco Largo Caballero, was a key player. Fighting fascism meant defending liberal heritage. The Popular Front’s program included:
- Amnesty for political prisoners
- Resumption of land reform
- Restoration of Catalonia’s Statute of Autonomy
Continuation of social and educational reform.
The amnesty aimed to counter the repression in Asturias. Land reform included measures like credit for peasants and tax reductions. The Popular Front sought to continue the reforms initiated during the Republic’s first biennium. These measures were reformist rather than revolutionary, reflecting a compromise among diverse political forces united against the authoritarian right and fascism. Republicans saw it as a revival of past alliances with socialists. For the PSOE’s left wing, the alliance was circumstantial, aimed at defeating fascism. The Communist Party viewed it as a step towards deeper collaboration. The CNT’s stance was crucial; they informally supported the Popular Front, influencing the left’s electoral victory on February 16, 1936.
Conclusion and Scope
The Popular Front won the February 1936 elections, and Manuel Azaña became Prime Minister. Azaña reassigned generals suspected of conspiracy, including Franco, Goded, and Mola. He reinstated the 1932 Agrarian Reform Law, settling 110,000 rural families. The Popular Front faced internal divisions between the right, which leaned towards conspiracy, and the working-class left, which became increasingly radicalized. The government lost control of the streets. Azaña faced parliamentary trials and removed Alcalá Zamora. He appointed Casares Quiroga as Prime Minister instead of Indalecio Prieto, weakening the government. Spring 1936 saw escalating violence between radical groups. A military conspiracy, led by Mola, prepared a coup. The assassination of Lieutenant Castillo and José Calvo Sotelo triggered the rebellion in Morocco on July 17. The government was ineffective, and the civil war began two days later, ending the attempt to modernize Spain and counter fascism.