Spain’s Second Republic: From Dictatorship to Reform (1931-1933)
Item 6: The Second Republic
1. From Dictatorship to Republic
After Primo de Rivera’s resignation in 1930, King Alfonso XIII commissioned General Dámaso Berenguer to form a new government. However, a return to the previous dictatorial regime proved impossible for three key reasons:
- The traditional dynastic parties (Conservatives and Liberals) had lost credibility during the dictatorship.
- The urban public increasingly held the king and the dictator responsible for the country’s situation, leading to the king’s growing unpopularity.
- Anti-dynastic forces united, culminating in the “Pact of San Sebastián” on August 17, 1930. This alliance included Republicans from various backgrounds, Catalan and Galician nationalists, and former monarchists like Niceto Alcalá Zamora and Miguel Maura. The pact aimed to abolish the monarchy, proclaim a republic, and establish an interim government tasked with convening a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution and a statute of autonomy for Catalonia. The PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) and the CNT (National Confederation of Labour) later joined this initiative.
The strategy to overthrow the monarchy involved a coordinated military uprising and a general strike. However, these plans were thwarted when an uprising in Jaca was suppressed two days early, and its leaders were arrested and executed. Berenguer resigned, and Admiral Juan Bautista Aznar was appointed Prime Minister. He called for municipal elections on April 12, which the Pact of San Sebastián parties framed as a referendum on the monarchy. Despite the monarchists’ efforts, the republicans won decisively. On April 14, an interim republican government led by Niceto Alcalá Zamora was formed. In Barcelona, Francesc Macià, leader of the Republican Left of Catalonia, proclaimed the Catalan Republic within an Iberian Federation. Alfonso XIII subsequently went into exile.
2. The Context: Population, Economy, and Mentality
2.1 Demographics
During the period of 1931-1935 in Spain, there was a decline in both birth and mortality rates, resulting in a net population increase. However, the economic crisis of 1929 led to a slowdown in both internal and external migration, as well as a concentration of population in urban areas. Agriculture remained a significant, yet struggling, sector of the Spanish economy, with a large rural population still working the land.
2.2 Economy and Society
The 1930s were marked by the global economic crisis triggered by the Great Depression in the United States in 1929. The Spanish economy suffered a decline in agricultural and mineral exports, as well as a reduction in foreign capital investments. The traditional safety valve of emigration was closed off, leading to increased unemployment. While the Catalan and Spanish industries, which primarily served domestic consumption, were initially less affected, they eventually succumbed to the crisis as wages fell and domestic demand weakened. The construction sector remained in crisis throughout the period.
The result was a significant increase in unemployment, affecting between 30-33% of the workforce in 1935-1936. This, combined with the mobilization of the CNT and rising expectations among workers and peasants, led to widespread social unrest and labor disputes.
Spanish society in 1930 was characterized by significant income inequality and high illiteracy rates. The Second Republic attempted to address these issues and channel the country’s pluralism, but it faced a clash of deeply entrenched mentalities. The Republic raised high expectations among disadvantaged groups while simultaneously provoking fear and resistance among the more conservative classes, who viewed even modest reform proposals with suspicion.
STAGES OF THE SECOND REPUBLIC
3. The Reformer Biennium (1931-1933)
3.1 The Provisional Government (April 14 – June 28, 1931)
Chaired by Alcalá Zamora, the provisional government focused on four main areas:
1. The Agrarian Sector: The government mandated an 8-hour workday and aimed to redistribute land, prioritizing cultivated land and ensuring workers’ rights. The Institute of Agrarian Reform (IRA) was created to expropriate large estates and create smallholdings, but it proved largely ineffective.
2. Education: New schools were established, teacher salaries were increased, and a network of libraries was created to combat illiteracy and improve educational standards. A public education system was developed to counterbalance the influence of the Church. “Educational Missions” were also launched to bring education to remote areas.
3. The Army: Generals, chiefs, and officers were offered the option of retiring with full pay, reducing the bloated officer corps and allowing those unwilling to serve the Republic to leave. War Minister Manuel Azaña annulled promotions based on favoritism or political allegiance during the dictatorship and created the Assault Guards, a modern, professional police force loyal to the Republic.
4. The Church: The Republic sought to separate church and state. Two events complicated this process: a pastoral letter by Cardinal Segura criticizing the Republic and praising the king, which led to calls for his dismissal and a series of attacks on religious buildings, and the bishops’ subsequent support for Cardinal Segura.