The Popular Front in Spain: 1936 Program and Elections
The Popular Front’s Program in 1936
The Popular Front, a coalition of left-wing Republican forces including the PSOE, PCE, POUM, UGT, Republican Left, and the Federal Republican Party, joined forces to contest the elections scheduled for February 16, 1936. The CNT, while not formally part of the agreement, lent its support. The Popular Front’s program aimed to reinstate the reformist policies of the first biennium (1931-1933), which had been stalled during the subsequent right-wing biennium, and to grant amnesty to those imprisoned after the 1934 Asturian Revolution.
One of the primary objectives was to secure amnesty for those affected by the 1934 revolution in Asturias. Following the workers’ control of several councils, the government responded with severe repression, deploying the Legion and regular troops under the command of Franco. This resulted in over 1,000 deaths and thousands of arrests. The Popular Front sought to pardon those imprisoned and provide compensation to the victims and their families. Notably, even before the formal establishment of the Popular Front, funds were being raised across Spain to aid the victims of the 1934 events.
The Popular Front pledged a return to the “Empire of the Constitution.” They believed that the CEDA government had violated the 1931 Constitution by halting land reform, allocating budget to the Church, and suspending the Statute of Catalonia. They committed to fully restoring constitutional principles. Due to issues with the Generalitat during the right-wing government, the Catalan Statute had been nullified. Consequently, in Catalonia, the Front d’Esquerres was formed, paralleling the Popular Front and eventually merging with it.
The Popular Front opposed the demands of the PSOE and PCE for state ownership of land and industrial nationalization, fearing a scenario similar to that in Russia. Both parties conceded, but in return, they demanded the swift implementation of the Land Law and the reinstatement of labor laws passed during the first biennium.
Education was a key focus. During Gil Robles’ tenure, state funds were diverted to the clergy, contrary to the Constitution. The Popular Front aimed to rectify this, removing these funds and emphasizing the need to build new schools for the public.
The signing of the Popular Front Pact occurred amidst significant instability. The aftermath of the October Revolution was still palpable. Lerroux was embroiled in a corruption scandal, and his relationship with Alcalá Zamora was strained. Lerroux was impeached, and attempts to form a government under Chapaprieta failed. Subsequently, Manuel Portela Valladares formed a government, only to dissolve Parliament and call for new elections.
The 1936 Elections and Their Aftermath
These elections were held on February 16, 1936, against a backdrop of rising fascism in Europe (Germany, Italy, and Austria) and fears of Soviet communism. In Spain, this manifested in the emergence of fascist groups like the Spanish Falange, which eventually merged with the JONS. However, José Antonio Primo de Rivera was unable to secure a place on any electoral list due to disagreements with Gil Robles. Additionally, the JAP engaged in violent clashes with left-wing extremists.
The elections resulted in a narrow victory for the Popular Front, with a near tie reflecting the deep polarization of Spanish society. There was a notable absence of a strong centrist party. The right-wing reacted strongly to the election results. Calvo Sotelo and Franco urged Portela Valladares to declare a state of war, but the situation did not warrant it. Meanwhile, prisons were opened, releasing 34 inmates without government consent. Manuel Portela Valladares ultimately resigned.
Azaña formed a government with the support of socialists and communists and began implementing the Popular Front’s program, despite resistance from the right. This included granting amnesty, reassigning disaffected soldiers, and legalizing land reform. The Left Bloc successfully replaced Alcalá Zamora as President of the Republic (a political maneuver based on his having dissolved Parliament twice), and Manuel Azaña assumed the presidency. Santiago Casares Quiroga became Prime Minister after Prieto’s candidacy was blocked by hardliners within his own party, led by Francisco Largo Caballero.
However, the February election results failed to calm the political climate. Both the right and the more radical left gained ground, both in parliament and in street-level political activism. The focal point of social and political polarization became street fighting, which escalated into intense political violence. Hundreds of fires, murders, and violent skirmishes became the primary political weapons, and the government proved incapable of maintaining order.
This internal division extended to the Army. The political assassinations of Lieutenant Castillo and Calvo Sotelo in July 1936 precipitated the military revolt, marking the beginning of the Spanish Civil War and the end of the Second Republic.