The Second Spanish Republic (1931-1936): A Tumultuous Period

Posted on Nov 2, 2024 in History

The Second Spanish Republic (1931-1936)

ITEM 9: THE REPUBLIC II (1931-1936)

A) INTRODUCTION:

April 14, 1931, marked the birth of the Second Spanish Republic. The new system was met with widespread enthusiasm and high hopes. It presented an opportunity to democratize the political landscape, modernize the country, and initiate significant socioeconomic reforms. However, this period was also characterized by political instability and social unrest due to several factors:

  • The challenging international context, following the 1929 economic crisis and the rise of fascism.
  • A strong and radical reaction from conservative and right-wing factions (royalists, Catholics, fascists) against the reform policies.
  • Constant internal conflict among Republican sectors, including middle-class progressives, moderate reformists, and radicalized workers demanding swift and profound reforms.

B) THE PROCLAMATION OF THE REPUBLIC AND THE CONSTITUTION OF 1931

1. The Emergence of the Republic and Formation of a Provisional Government

The municipal elections of April 12, 1931, significantly altered the political landscape. Republicans secured victory in cities and provincial capitals, where voting was relatively free and less controlled. Following the results, many cities spontaneously declared the Republic, and crowds took to the streets. Alfonso XII abdicated and went into exile. A provisional government was formed, comprising all sectors that had signed the Pact of San Sebastián in defense of the Republic:

  • The Socialists, with leaders like Largo Caballero, Julián Besteiro, and Indalecio Prieto.
  • Left-wing Nationalists (Esquerra Republicana de Catalonia, led by Macià).
  • Republican Left (Radical-Socialist Party of Marcelino Domingo and Republican Left of Manuel Azaña).
  • Republicans of the center (Radical Party of Alejandro Lerroux and Liberal Republican Right of Alcalá Zamora).

The new Provisional Government acted swiftly, calling for elections to the Constituent Cortes in June. Initial reforms were introduced in agriculture and labor, and negotiations began with Catalans and Basques to grant them autonomy. However, the new government faced serious challenges from the outset:

  1. The proclamation of the Catalan Republic by Macià in April 1931 complicated the situation. To avoid military intervention, the Provisional Government attempted to appease Catalonia by promising autonomy.
  2. Serious social problems arose, including a surge in conflicts, strikes, and unrest among workers and peasants.
  3. The new regime created distrust among large landowners and entrepreneurs, whose investments were crucial for maintaining production and employment. This led to a decline in investment and capital flight, negatively impacting the economy. The Second Republic coincided with the international crisis of 1929, which significantly reduced Spain’s exports.
  4. An anticlerical outburst in Madrid in May 1931 further strained the situation. Several churches were attacked, and the Church accused the government of failing to prevent the incidents. This fueled opposition from the Church and Catholic sectors against the new republican regime.
2. The Constitution of 1931

Elections held on June 28 gave the majority to the Republican-Socialist coalition. The new composition of the Constituent Cortes reflected a significant shift in Spanish politics: parliament became the center of political activity, and governing parties evolved into mass organizations with large memberships and mobilization capabilities. The primary task of the Cortes was to draft the 1931 Constitution, whose key features included:

  1. Popular Sovereignty: All power emanated from the people, represented in Parliament.
  2. Total Separation of Powers:
    • The legislature resided in the Cortes, a unicameral body elected by direct universal suffrage.
    • The executive was dualistic, with a president and a prime minister.
  3. Comprehensive Declaration of Rights and Freedoms: These rights extended to economic and social spheres.
  4. Subordination of Property Rights to Social Interest: The Constitution allowed for the expropriation of property for social utility, with compensation.
  5. Administrative Divisions: It envisioned an “integral state” that permitted regional autonomy.
  6. Secular State: Separation of church and state and freedom of religion were established.

The Constitution did not achieve consensus among all political forces, highlighting discrepancies between the left and right.

C) THE REPUBLIC OF THE LEFT: THE SOCIAL-AZAÑA BIENNIUM AND REFORMS (1931-1933)

Between December 1931 and September 1933, Manuel Azaña headed the government, supported by socialists and left-wing republicans, while Alcalá Zamora served as president. The new government continued the work of the provisional government and deepened reforms.

1. Reforms of the Social Biennium
ARMY REFORM

The goal was to create a modern, professional, and democratically experienced army, eliminating its top-heavy structure and ensuring loyalty to the new regime. Measures included:

  1. The Law of Retirement, requiring all military personnel to pledge allegiance to the Republic, allowing those who refused to retire with full pay.
  2. Reduction of existing military divisions.
  3. Dissolution of the Military Academy of Zaragoza, considered an anti-Republican center.
  4. Abolition of Military Courts and the military press.
  5. Creation of the Assault Guards, an armed force loyal to the Republic.

The army reform fell short of its objectives. The number of retired officers was lower than expected, and many within the military perceived it as an attack on military tradition.

RELIGIOUS REFORM

The Republic aimed to limit the Church’s influence in Spanish society by secularizing social life and challenging its control over education. Measures included:

  1. The Constitution established a secular state, guaranteeing religious freedom and abolishing the budget for worship and the clergy.
  2. Laws were passed allowing divorce, civil marriage, and the secularization of cemeteries.
  3. Efforts were made to curb the Church’s influence in education. The Congregations Act was introduced, prohibiting religious orders from teaching.
REFORM OF THE CENTRAL STATE: AUTONOMY

Spain had been a centralized country, denying autonomy to its regions. The 1931 Constitution recognized the right to autonomy:

  1. Catalonia: On April 14, Macià, leader of the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, proclaimed the Catalan Republic within a Spanish Federation. This created a conflict that the provisional government attempted to resolve through negotiations, granting Catalonia an autonomous government (Generalitat) and drafting a statute.
  2. Euskadi (Basque Country): The preparation of the statute was more complex due to the issue of Navarre’s incorporation into the Basque statute. Navarre ultimately remained outside the process, contrary to the Basque Nationalist Party’s (PNV) position. Another obstacle was the conservative and Catholic nature of the PNV. The statute proposed by the nationalists was rejected by Republicans and Socialists in the central government.
  3. Galicia: Nationalism in Galicia was a minority movement. A referendum on a draft Statute was not held until June 1936, and it was never approved by the Cortes due to the outbreak of the Civil War.
AGRARIAN REFORM

Land reform was the Republic’s most ambitious project, considering the importance of agriculture in the Spanish economy. The situation in the countryside was deeply inequitable: in La Mancha, Extremadura, and Andalusia, over 50% of the land was owned by a small group of landowners. The Second Republic sought to implement reforms that would improve the living conditions of farmers, redistribute land, and modernize farms. It prohibited perpetual leases and established a minimum wage. The government enacted the Decree of Crop Intensification, stipulating that improperly cultivated lands would be distributed among peasants. The Law of Provisional Bases for Agrarian Reform aimed to expropriate estates and distribute land among peasants. It allowed for the expropriation of noble lands without compensation. To implement the law, the Agrarian Reform Institute (IRA) was created, which expropriated land and facilitated the settlement of farmers. However, the reform was slow, leading to social consequences:

  1. Landless laborers (yunteros) became radicalized due to the slow pace of reform, and conflicts in the countryside escalated.
  2. Landowners opposed the Republic.
LABOR REFORM

Reforms were implemented to improve the working conditions of laborers. The Employment Contracts Act regulated collective bargaining and the right to strike. The Juries Act allowed judges to act as arbitrators in disputes between employers and workers. Social insurance was created, and working hours were reduced.

EDUCATION REFORM

With 34% of the population illiterate, the Republican government established schools and school canteens. The aim was to promote a liberal, secular, compulsory, and free education system. 10,000 new schools and 7,000 new teaching positions were created, funded by the state to address the needs previously met by the Church. Educational Missions were established to spread culture in rural areas. However, a lack of resources hindered the rapid implementation and completion of these reforms.

2. Rejection of Reforms and Social Conflict: Political Polarization

The implementation of reforms polarized Spanish political life, radicalized by:

  1. Conservative sectors affected by the reforms, leading to strong resistance and the political reorganization of the right.
  2. On the left, frustration with the slow pace of reform fueled the radicalization of the working class and increased social unrest.
Reorganization and Radicalization of the Spanish Right

: The right was fragmented politically. The need to stop the reforms of the Republic and win elections led them into a group and reorganization. Did the CEDA (Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Rights) led by Gil Robles. Sectors defenders Alfonso XIII monarchists were grouped into Spanish Renewal, led by Calvo Sotelo. Carlists organized in traditional communities.in response to the increase of the labor movement right-wing radical groups emerged of a fascist. First the JONS (National Syndicalist Offensive boards) and then Spanish Falange, a party founded by José Antonio Primo de Rivera. Was antidemocratic Falange, an ultranationalist, inspired by Italian fascism was faced to the left and the movement obrero.La implementation of the reforms also radicalized army in 1932, General Sanjurjo was a coup. The failure of the coup led to the creation of the Spanish Military Union. – Radicalization workers and increased social conflict: The slow pace of reform led to the despair of the working masses who were increasingly radicalized más.Al growth of the Communist Party have joined the radicalization of the Socialists, through the Federation of Workers of the Earth. the CNT grew up to a million members. As a result of this radicalization of the labor movement, social unrest have multiplied. The anarchists led the uprising of the miners of the High Llobregat in Barcelona and were numerous peasant uprisings in Andalusia. The most prominent was the revolt of Casas Viejas, where the Civil Guard killed twelve laborers anarchists. Socialists did Castilblanco riots like in Extremadura. D) THE RIGHTS OR CONSERVATIVE biennium (1933-1936) The conflicts and problems to implement the reforms led to the crisis in the Republican-Socialist government ana. elections were held in November 1933. In these elections, the victory went to the center-right parties: 1) the middle class, frightened by the massive social unrest, moved away from the left. 2) Part of the labor movement abandoned the moderate left frustrated by slow of reforms and the repression of peasant revolts (Casas Viejas). The governments of this period is articulated around two political forces: the Radical Party Lerroux and CEDA. Radical government was formed and chaired by Lerroux support in the parliament of the CEDA. 1. cessation of radical reform, the government halted land reform expropriated land was returned to the landowners and worsened the living conditions of laborers. Regional reform stalled: the central government faced the Generalitat and slowed the discussion in parliament of the Basque statute. Religious reform was offset back to set a budget for worship and clergy. Also approved an amnesty for participants in the military coup in 1932 Sanjurjo. Led to the confrontation with the nationalists and the left, and radicalization of the PSOE, whose left wing, led by Largo Caballero, increasingly advocated the need for a social revolution against Indalecio Prieto Besteiro who advocated cooperation with the moderate Republicans left.2. Increased conflict and the 1934 revolution’s radicalization PSOE and paralysis of the reforms led to increased disputes and strikes. The CEDA was public order and demanded entry into the radical government. CEDA’s entry in the government led to the rejection of the leftist groups that led to the Revolution of 1934: the PSOE and the UGT staged a general strike throughout the country sought to overthrow the government. lack of coordination of movement in different areas, non-participation of the CNT and the repressive response of the government, caused the failure of a movement that succeeded only in Asturias and Catalonia: 1) Asturias miners staged a social revolution through collaboration of anarchists, socialists and communists. Workers and miners occupied the villages in the mining areas and municipalities replaced by revolutionary committees. The government sent the Legion under the coordination of General Franco to crush the movement. The resistance was very tough mining and lasted for ten days. repression was very hard and there were hundreds of thousands of executions and prisoners. 2) In Catalonia, the revolt was led by the Generalitat. Lluís Companys, who had replaced Macià the front of the presidency of the Generalitat, proclaimed the Catalan Republic within the Spanish Federal Republic. While the Socialists and Communists were allied and organized the general strike. CNT in Catalonia did not support the strike, which led to failure of the insurrectionary movement. The army occupied the Palace of the Generalitat and the Catalan government halted, suspending the autonomy of Catalonia. 3. Biennium Crisis Conservative The consequence of the revolution of 1934 was: 1) In response the government turned over to the right and the influence of CEDA increased Gil Robles became Minister of War. The CEDA defended the crackdown and enforcement of sentences imposed on the revolutionaries, and the brake on reforms and amendments to the Constitution of 1931. 2) Repression joined forces left, against government policy and defense of an amnesty for detainees in the revolution of autumn 1935 1934.en Radical-CEDA government into crisis, the Radical Party was affected by corruption scandals as the “case of the black market.” led to differences between Radicals and cedistas and discredit radicals as an option for government. President of the Republic refused to give the premiership to the CEDA and called new elections for February 1936. E) THE POPULAR FRONT OF VICTORIA (1936) The events that unfolded in the previous biennium led to the polarization of political life. strong repression of the labor movement after the 1934 revolution and the slowdown suffered by the reforms, on the other hand the strong social unrest and fear of revolution favoring the unity of the rightist forces. The two opposing blocs were:2) Popular Front: all the left parties, left out the anarchists. The joint program was the granting of an amnesty for those imprisoned in the 1934 revolution, a return to the jobs of workers expelled for political reasons and return to the reform legislation of the first two. 1) The right-wing parties, partial agreements reached only in specific provinces. The Falange did not enter into such agreements by requiring more representación.El outcome of the elections: the Popular Front won 48% of the votes (majority in large cities and the outskirts of the country) and 46 right-wing parties, 5% (especially indoors). after the Popular Front victory, Manuel Azana was named president and Casares Quiroga, president of the government. The government, composed of ministers and parliamentary support Republican Socialist launched the Popular Front’s electoral program: amnesty for political prisoners, acceptance by the companies of the workers expelled after the strikes of 1934, resumption of land reform and return of autonomy to Cataluña.La left victory brought great labor mobilization and increased the climate of social unrest. Strikes and were multiplied in the field laborers, occupied lands and the government went ahead. The disorder and violence was growing more radical sectors of the right, the Falange, clashed in the streets izquierdas.eran groups increasingly prone sectors of the military coup. In preparation played an important role General Mola and involved the collaboration of the Spanish military and political sectors of the derecha.Punto highlight that triggered the coup was the murder of José Calvo Sotelo, in response to the assassination of the left anterior Castillo. July 18 there was the military uprising and civil war began.