The Rise and Fall of the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1936)
On April 12, 1931, municipal elections were held in which the Republican ticket won. On April 14, the republic was proclaimed. In response, King Alfonso XIII left the country for exile. The representatives of each party who signed the Pact of San Sebastián concluded a provisional government that proclaimed the Second Spanish Republic, which immediately called for elections to the Constituent Assembly. In parallel, the government enacted a series of measures. The republic had popular support, but there was also opposition from landowners, the financial oligarchy, and the Catholic Church.
1931 Constitution Niceto Alcalá-Zamora. It had a progressive democratic character that defined Spain as a republic of workers of all kinds, organized in a system of freedom and justice. State property was set in a holistic manner but allowed for self-government. The legislative power remained with a single chamber, while the executive and judiciary were independent. It also included a comprehensive bill of rights and freedoms, and for the first time, granted the vote to women. It did not declare any official religion and recognized civil marriage and divorce. This made significant differences, especially in religious matters and regional divisions, which caused tension in Catholic areas regarding government spending.
1931-1933 Biennium: Left The republic limited the influence of the church, especially due to fears of the influence exerted by religious orders in education. The government banned religious orders from engaging in education, supplemented by the Law of Congregations, which merely regulated the property of religious orders. The church hierarchy did not hesitate to express their antagonism toward the republic. There were also reforms in the army, as Manuel Azaña intended to create a professional and democratic military. This required reducing the military, leading to the retirement of officers who had pledged their commitment to the republic, with the option to retire with full salary if they wished. The agrarian reform was an important project of the republic, aimed at ending landlordism, which was essential due to the role of agriculture in the Spanish economy. One of the first decrees established was the prohibition of terminating leases, setting an eight-hour workday, and establishing a minimum wage. The agrarian reform law allowed for the expropriation without compensation of poorly cultivated land owned by the nobility, while irrigated land could not be expropriated without compensation. This law resulted in increased social tension. Another important reform was in education, with the main purpose of promoting a liberal and secular education. It aimed to dismantle the hegemony of religious education and adopted a model of compulsory and free schooling. Additionally, there were cultural campaigns aimed at improving the educational level of the population, particularly targeting the most humble through pedagogical missions. Socialist Largo Caballero, from the Labor Ministry, initiated a series of reforms to improve working conditions, including the Employment Contract Law and the Mixed Jury Law. The working week was established at 40 hours, and there were incentives for wage increases.
1933-1935 Biennium: Conservative Elections were held on November 18, where the left presented a united front while the right organized separately, resulting in a victory for the right-wing parties, which led to two years of Conservative government known as the “two black years.” The two political forces that benefited most from the outcome were the Radical Party and the CEDA, with the President of the Republic forming a government in trust with the Radical Party. The new government, headed by Alejandro Lerroux, paralyzed much of the previous reformist project. Land reform was halted, returning lands to the nobility, annulling the expropriation of poorly cultivated land, and granting complete freedom of contract. The government also attempted to counter the religious reform by approving a budget for religion and clergy. As for the army, the reforms of the republic were not implemented, but an amnesty was passed for the rebels of Sanjurjo and employees of the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. Educational material changes were respected, but the budget was reduced. This series of reforms led to a radicalization of the PSOE and UGT, culminating in a social revolution. The PSOE threatened to withdraw its parliamentary support unless their demands were met, leading to the granting of three ministerial portfolios to the left. This was interpreted as fascism, resulting in strikes and demonstrations in major cities. The consequences of the October Revolution were notable, with the yield favoring convictions being rigorously applied, and the autonomous status of Catalonia being challenged. Property was returned to the Jesuits, and Gil Robles was appointed Minister of War under the head of state, Francisco Franco. The Spanish government faced a crisis, with the Radical Party affected by a series of corruption scandals, including the black market case, leading to elections being called for February 1936.
In the elections, the left parties presented themselves grouped in the so-called Popular Front, advocating a common agenda that included an amnesty for those jailed during the October Revolution. Right-wing parties presented themselves in different coalitions, ultimately leading to a victory for the Popular Front. Manuel Azaña was appointed President of the Republic, with Casares as head of government. The new government resumed the reform process and submitted a project for the return of communal property to the towns and the resumption of land settlement for farmers. The right rejected this new situation outright. The Spanish phalanx encouraged a climate of civil strife and political tension, using the dialectic of fists and guns, forming armed patrols to control left-wing violent actions. Due to the climate of violence, General Franco attempted to declare a state of war. A group of generals agreed to an uprising to establish order. Initially, the military conspiracy had little strength and poor organization until General Emilio Mola took the lead. His plan was to modernize a military coup to stop simultaneously, but these rumors prompted the government to transfer the general to a more direct involvement, though they did not dare to sack him. The conspiracy contacted Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, and on July 14, the assassination of monarchist leader José Calvo Sotelo in Madrid accelerated the events leading to civil war, which officially began on July 17.