The Second Spanish Republic: From Reform to Turmoil (1931-1936)
The Second Spanish Republic (1931-1936)
From Dictatorship to Republic
Following the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, Spain transitioned towards a republic. The 1930 Pact of San Sebastian, signed by various political parties including socialist republicans and nationalists, aimed to overthrow the monarchy. With the support of the army and the CNT (National Confederation of Labor), they succeeded. The municipal elections of April 12, 1931, saw a victory for the republican and socialist parties, leading to the proclamation of the Second Republic on April 14, 1931.
The Progressive Biennium (1931-1933)
This period, also known as the Reformist or Socialist Republic, saw Niceto Alcalá Zamora as President and Manuel Azaña leading the government. Key reforms and actions included:
- Reform of the Army: Attempts were made to modernize and ensure the army’s loyalty to the Republic. This included reducing the number of officers, offering retirement options, creating a non-commissioned officer corps, and establishing the Assault Guard. These reforms led to concerns within the army and a failed coup attempt by General Sanjurjo in 1932.
- Separation of Church and State: This involved the secularization of public life, the legalization of civil marriage and divorce, the abolition of the church budget, and the dissolution of the Society of Jesus. These measures caused anticlerical violence, including the burning of convents in 1931, and opposition from the Catholic Church.
- Education and Culture: The government aimed to expand access to education and culture through the construction of schools, teacher training, and educational missions. The educational model was secular, mixed, compulsory, free, and innovative.
- Agrarian Reform: This involved the expropriation, with or without compensation, of land from large landowners, particularly neglected or potentially irrigable land. The land was then distributed to farmers. The Instituto de Reforma Agraria (IRA) was created to manage the reform. However, the reform faced challenges due to lack of budget, bureaucracy, and land seizures by eager peasants. Landowners opposed the reform, viewing it as an attack on their property rights.
- Catalan Autonomy: On September 9, 1932, the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia was approved. This established Catalonia as an autonomous region within Spain, with Catalan as a co-official language alongside Spanish. The Catalan Parliament and the Government of Catalonia were created, with competencies in justice, public order, education, and territorial administration. Francesc Macià became the first president of the Generalitat of Catalonia.
Crisis and End of the Progressive Biennium
Azaña’s policies were considered too moderate by some on the left and too radical by others on the right. This led to opposition and unrest from both sides. Key events that marked this period include:
- The burning of convents (1931)
- The Sanjurjada coup attempt (1932)
- Worker revolts, some with army intervention
- Clashes between the Civil Guard and farmers (Castilblanco, Casas Viejas)
- The creation of right-wing, anti-democratic parties like the Falange Española (Spanish Phalanx)
These events, along with growing political polarization, led to the defeat of the republican-socialist coalition in the November 1933 elections.
The Black Biennium (1933-1936)
The 1933 elections saw a victory for right-wing parties, including the CEDA (Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Right-wing Groups). Although the CEDA won the most seats, President Alcalá Zamora appointed Alejandro Lerroux, leader of the Radical Party, as head of government, with parliamentary support from the CEDA. The policies of the conservative government during this period included:
- Reversal of Agrarian Reform: The government halted the agrarian reform and allowed greater freedom in land contracts, leading to rural unrest.
- Rollback of Catalan Autonomy: The government slowed down the implementation of the Basque Statute of Autonomy and attempted to curtail Catalan autonomy.
- Restoration of Church Privileges: Measures were taken to restore the influence of the Catholic Church and its budget.
- Amnesty for Sanjurjada Participants: Those involved in the 1932 coup attempt were pardoned.
- Increased Repression: The government strengthened law enforcement and cracked down on trade union activity.
- Proposed Constitutional Reform: The government proposed reforms to the 1931 Constitution, further increasing tensions with the left.
The Black Biennium was marked by growing political instability, social unrest, and polarization, setting the stage for the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936.