Spanish History: Restoration, Republic, and Transition
The Restoration (1874-1900)
The Restoration began with the return of the Bourbon dynasty under Alfonso XII (1875-1885). This period extended from 1875 to 1931. Cánovas del Castillo restored the monarchy and created a political system based on the alternation of two parties: the Liberal and Conservative, supported by the 1876 Constitution. This era of political stability was marked by corruption, with two distinct stages:
- The first stage, from General Martínez Campos’s pronouncement in Sagunto until Alfonso XII’s death in 1885, solidified the liberal state in Spain.
- The second stage, beginning with Queen Mother Maria Cristina’s regency, marked the crisis of the Restoration.
The Political System
of the Restoration was identified by Canovas del Castillo, who succeeded in restoring the monarchy and create a political system based on the alternation of two parties: the liberal and conservative, supported by the 1876 Constitution.
It was a period of political stability characterized by corruption. In highlighting the two different stages:
“The first runs from the pronouncement of General Martinez Campos at Sagunto until the death of Alfonso XII in 1885. During this period confirmed definitively the liberal state in Spain.-The next step is corresponding to the crisis of the Restoration, beginning with the regency of Queen Mother Mary Cristina.Características most important of the Restoration.The Costa Rican political system
Cánovas states that Spain should be a constitutional monarchy based on King and the Parliament (with two chambers: the Chamber of Deputies and Senate), which shares power. The king is the key and the arbiter of the new system. The exercise of power is entrusted to the turn of two political parties: the Liberal-Fusion and the liberal-conservative. This system alienated from politics and the regionalist movement obrero.Este system relied on the Constitution of 1876, midway between the moderate in 1845 and 1869 democratic. Ticos political problems and social
The social support system was aristocratic and bourgeois landowning oligarchy that consistently defends their interests. He led the parliamentary system in an illiterate rural Spain, where the functioning electoral system was based on despotism, rigging and box.
Problems arise nationalists in Catalonia and the Basque Country. Carlist wars have also been finished.
During the regency of Maria Cristina Pardo highlights the pact established between Sagasta Canovas and the death of Alfonso XII. It was an agreement to take turns in power, the dynastic parties promptly. It also establishes the system Canovas. The most significant policy measure was the Law of universal male suffrage.
The labor movement sees the emergence of the first anarchist organizations, most established in agricultural areas, and the founding of the PSOE (1879) and UGT (1888), with greater presence in urban areas. Finally, highlight the crisis of 1898, with the loss of the last colonies, was in Spain a great political upheaval, appearing Regenerationists criticism. The economy
Characterized by a slow development. Not reached the level of an industrial economy because of: lack of energy sources, low investment, lack of proprietary technology and an underdeveloped domestic trade and the impact of the loss of its colonies in Latin America.
Agriculture remained the mainstay of the economy. The traditional mining remained in the hands of foreign companies. As for industry, Catalonia concentrated virtually all cotton and woolen textile production. Vizcaya concentrated steel, making it the second industrial focus of Spain. Society The Spanish population during the Restoration had a slow but steady growth. There was a migration from the countryside to cities, which grow dramatically changing the urban life. Moreover, external migration are constant and target América.Durante the Restoration era, is imposed in Spain class society that moves permanently to a class society. The Republic REPUBLIC (1931-1936) With the demise of Primo Rivera picked up the road to the Republic. Influenced in this process:
“The king tried to return to the system of the Restorationón failing this attempt with the military governments of General Berenguer and Admiral Aznar.-republican political forces gathered in the Pact of San Sebastian and developed a common action program “Uprising in Jaca in command of the captains Galan and Garcia Hernandez controlled by the government-Berenguer. Aznar’s government decided to hold municipal elections on 12 April 1931, gave the victory to the candidates republicanas.-On April 14 the king went into exile, and proclaimed the Second Republic.
This covers the period from 14 April 1931 and April 1, 1939, although, from 18 July 1936, the Civil War prevented the normal development of the institutions.
Once proclaimed the Republic of Alcalá Zamora, establishing a provisional government headed by himself and in which Republicans, social and regional. Are held, the first elections to parliament to draft a new Constitucióón.La new Constitution of 1931 defines Spain with a parliamentary republic, democratic, workers of all sorts and conditions. Includes main novelty granting autonomy to the historical nationalities and the right to vote for women. Establishing civil liberties and left individuales.La Republic: the hopes of reform (1931-1933) The new constitution seeks to solve the problems inherited from the monarchy:
“The Land Reform Act proposes the distribution of uncultivated land between settlers and aparceros.-autonomous development is specified in the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia.
“The religious problem erupts by the confrontation between the bourgeoisie and the Church anticlerical. Company Dissolves Jesus-teaching was the main objective of the Republic. It proposes the extension of secular education and free for all Spaniards-social problems are compounded by the impact of the crisis of 1929.
Despite progress, the government loses Azana gradually social support. The more conservative leaders succeed in the new elections.
Triumph of the rightist parties (1933-1935)
Radical Party leader, Alexander Lerroux, is responsible for governing. The two-year term on the right are characterized by the breakdown of previous projects, in particular, land reform. These measures led to strikes by farmers from Andalusia and Extremadura.
After the entry of the CEDA in the government, leftist parties and unions fear a further shift toward UGT derecha.La calls general strike in October 1934, with the highest incidence in Catalonia and Asturias. Here took place the so-called revolution in Asturias. There was a strong military crackdown that ended the uprising working.
The Popular Front The center-left parties is bound to the February 1936 elections the Popular Front, an alliance of all anti-fascist forces. After his victory, Alcala Zamora was ousted by the new Cortes and Azana is named President. Continue with the reform program of the first two and then comes a spiral of violence leading to the Civil War.The transition N (1975-1982) After the death of Franco in 1975, was proclaimed King Juan Carlos I (22 November 1975), as planned. It produces the so-called democratic transition, ie the transition from a dictatorship to a democratic regime by way of covenant, tolerance and reconciliation that occurred between 1975 and 1982.
In December 1976, was approved in Referendum on Political Reform Act that opened the indicated transition process without breaking the established law.
Between 1975 and 1978 the country experienced a pre-constitutional period that ended with the enactment of a Constitution (1978) that continues in the present: on 15 June 1977, held its first democratic elections since 1936, ie had been more than 40 years, and outlines major policy trends: Union of Democratic Center (UCD), Spanish Socialist Workers Party(PSOE), Communist Party of Spain (PCE), People’s Alliance (PA), and so on. The CDU, led by Adolfo Suarez, formed a government to obtain a simple majority in relation to other parties. The Spanish people approved the new constitution (in the Cortes, 31 October 1978 and by referendum on 6 December that year), which created a political system that recognizes the national sovereignty, constitutional monarchy, the separation of powers, the construction of a social and democratic state of law, etc. Its main advantage is the State of autonomy as a new form of state organization español.La adoption of the Constitution led to the call (1 March 1979) a new general election, which won the UCD, and Adolfo Suarez continued to be president. Important laws were adopted (on divorce, election law, autonomy), but lead to internal strains Suarez president to resign in January 1981. On 23 February 1981, when he was voting for his successor (Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo) in the Congress of Deputies, there was a coup attempt.
Moreover, it ETA terrorism and contributed to instability GRAPO política.En 1982, new elections are called socialists winning the PSOE.