Spain’s Second Republic: Reforms and Transformations (1931-1936)
The Second Spanish Republic (1931-1936)
Proclamation and Provisional Government
The Second Republic was proclaimed on April 14, 1931. A provisional government, headed by Alcalá-Zamora, was formed in Madrid, where the republican flag was hoisted. The government aimed to balance political and regional interests, including those of the Basque, Catalan, and Galician regions. Its first action was to call for elections to form the Constituent Cortes.
The 1931 Constitution
The Constituent Cortes convened on July 14, 1931, and a Constitutional Commission was formed on July 29. After three months of intense debate, the Constitution of 1931 was adopted. This advanced democratic constitution included:
- Definition of Spain as a democratic republic of workers of all classes.
- A Bill of Rights and Freedoms, emphasizing universal suffrage for all citizens over 23 years of age, regardless of sex.
- An independent judiciary, including a Court of Constitutional Guarantees as the governing body of the state court.
- Provision for regional autonomy.
- Legalization of civil marriage and divorce, and equal rights for legitimate and illegitimate children.
- Equality in education and work, protected by law as a social obligation. The right to private property was recognized, but expropriation for public interest was allowed.
- Separation of church and state.
The Cortes, elected every four years, held legislative power. The President of the Republic, elected every six years by the Cortes, appointed the head of government. Ministers were nominated by the Prime Minister and appointed by the President, subject to ratification by the Cortes. Following the adoption of the Constitution, Niceto Alcalá-Zamora was elected as the first President of the Republic on December 10, and Manuel Azaña became Prime Minister.
Agrarian Reform
The interim government implemented urgent measures, including banning landowners from reclaiming leased land from peasants by canceling contracts, extending the 8-hour workday to agricultural laborers, and requiring landowners to cultivate their land according to local customs or face confiscation. The 1932 Agrarian Reform Law, however, had limited success due to slow implementation and the need for the Institute for Agrarian Reform to assess expropriated lands. The requirement for prior compensation to landowners further hindered the process, resulting in minimal land redistribution.
Military Reform
The Republic’s army was top-heavy with senior officers and largely loyal to the monarchy. Manuel Azaña spearheaded military reform, aiming to gain the army’s loyalty to the Republic and improve its efficiency. Key reforms included placing trusted officers in leadership positions, enacting the Azaña Act, which allowed officers to voluntarily enter the reserves without pay cuts, establishing a non-commissioned officer corps, abolishing military jurisdictions, and transferring civilian control to North Africa. However, these reforms failed to win over the army officers.
Autonomic Reform
The reformist period formalized the Statute of Catalonia, creating an autonomous government (the Generalitat) with legislative and executive councils and a president. Its powers were limited to culture, public works, and public order. Esquerra Republicana won the first election, and Francesc Macià became President of the Generalitat. A statute was also drafted for the Basque Country (by the Carlists and PNV), but it was rejected by traditionalists and deemed undemocratic.
Religious Reform
The most controversial reforms eliminated Catholic religion as a school subject and prohibited religious congregations from teaching, sparking widespread protests.
Educational Reform
Universal, compulsory, and free primary education was introduced to address the country’s educational backwardness. Minister Marcelino Domingo created 7,000 teaching posts, established a minimum wage for teachers, enacted a school building law, established religious freedom in schools, made religion classes optional, and founded the Pedagogical Missions Board to bring education and culture to rural areas.
The Extreme Right
The Falange, organized into uniformed paramilitary forces, adopted blue shirts, the Roman salute, and the yoke and arrows symbol from the Catholic Monarchs. Their state model was highly centralized and hierarchical, emphasizing obedience and discipline. The National Syndicalist Offensive Boards (JONS) also emerged with a fascist ideology. Anarchists, meanwhile, campaigned against the Republic’s parliament, calling for abstention and advocating for social revolution.