The Spanish Republic: Challenges and Transformations in the 1930s
Republic
Progressive Reformist Biennium: A stage of left-wing socialist government that was quite moderate. The objective was to transform the country’s social and economic landscape to face the problems that prevented it from living up to the standards of modern capitalist countries.
All this meant political reforms addressing structural problems such as land ownership, industrial development, the influence of the church, nationalism, and military issues. This culminated in a modern constitution that included a wide range of freedoms and the separation of church and state, as well as women’s suffrage (1931-33).
Problems That Arise: The international context (the 1929 crash and the rise of fascism), opposition from various sectors affected by the reforms, and examples of churches opposing the republic from the beginning (due to the separation of church and state through reforms). Landlords resisted reforms, and the military sector was totally against Catalan autonomy and the republic’s reforms. In recent years, the right organized itself to counter these reforms, with the CEDA (Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Rightists) led by Gil Robles.
Ideology: The conservative right-wing party positioned itself as a defender of property within the republic against property expropriations, vineyard owners, and Catholic ideologies, including monarchism.
Additionally, the Phalanx emerged, represented by Antonio Goicoechea. It allied with CEDA for more authoritarian and extremist positions, even leaning towards anti-democracy.
Phalanx Ideology: Shares ideologies with fascism and Nazism, rejecting freedom and democracy. Its leader was Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, the son of the dictator. However, younger and more radical sectors of CEDA gravitated towards the fascist movement.
On the left, opposition to the republic was particularly strong among radical union sectors, such as the peasantry of Andalusia. Anarchists opposed all forms of government, leading to a crisis that impeded reform and resulted in anarchist movements occupying land, especially in Andalusia.
Ultimately, the defense of the republic’s constitution led to the repression of these same workers.
FAI: The most radical anarchist sector, which became somewhat independent from the CNT and formed an anarchic federation called the Peninsula. Top leaders included Joan Peiró and Angel Tab. They distrusted the republican reforms, considering them insufficient.
Manifesto of the Thirty: This document warned of the dangers of radicalization and the need to support the republic.
The UGT, in favor of the republic, argued that the working class must radicalize against fascism, which eventually led to a shift towards communism. The top leader was Francisco Largo Caballero.
Final 33
The crisis of the government led to the elections of 1933, convened due to the previous results. Hitler’s rise to power carried an expansionist policy.
In the elections, women voted, which sparked debate as they were heavily influenced by the church. In 1931, the left was supported, but now the left used the excuse that the government was harmful and sought to revolutionize against fascism. The right was well-organized and had a very charismatic leader.
Radicalcedista Biennium or Black Biennium
The government led by the retailer and the Lerrouxist CEDA came to power in 1934. This coalition between the radical group (Lerroux) and the cedistes marked the arrival of the republic to its own government in Catalonia. However, within the state government, there was a push for a united Spain, recognizing the historical context and ceding some powers, thus returning generality to Catalonia. This statute was imposed in Catalonia, granting the government certain powers.
The statute was voted on by the people and then sent to Madrid for approval, named after Nuria, which became the Nuria Valley.
Objectives or Laws Imposed: Catalan was established as an official language alongside Spanish in official relations with the republican government. The generality of teaching culture, civil law regulation, public works, agriculture, municipal government, police, and public order were also addressed.
However, once approved, it suffered major cutbacks. Catalonia was recognized as an autonomous region, with two co-official languages, but federations were prohibited, and financial resources for education were cut, despite managing significant powers regarding administration.
Regionalist League: Opposed the reforms of the republic, renamed in 1933 as the Catalan League.
Democratic Union of Catalonia: A democratic party, slightly less right-leaning than the league, which emerged in 1933.
Republican Left of Catalonia: Led by Mas Francesc and Lluís Companys, who were the main leaders in the statute.
Ideological Forces: Republicanism and anarchism, with Catalan ideology having two branches: enduring ideology and progressive parties that were small due to the influence of anarchists, which led to a lack of votes for the left. The union of various parties formed the Republican Left of Catalonia, which won municipal elections and became the main leaders during the biennium.
POUM and PSUC: These parties sought to build on the ideologies of previous parties and their electoral results.
In Catalonia, the FAI was involved with the anarcho-syndicalist CNT, which ultimately expelled itself in favor of anarchic radicalism.
Radicalcedista Objectives: To end all previous reforms, return to a military structure, and reduce the powers of the statute. There was increased control over the UGT, leading to a more right-wing, undemocratic government. This situation escalated in October 1934 when the CEDA entered the government (which had previously been a minority with Lerroux), bringing with it fascist ideology.
At this point, all leftist parties faced danger, leading to a general strike against the government known as the Events of October. This strike failed in several areas, including Asturias, but an armed insurrection occurred, with workers seizing power and significant support from the UGT, capturing industries, arming themselves, and even attempting to establish a communist society.
This led to confrontations with the police and ultimately the army, notably under Franco’s leadership.
This committee called for communism: to proclaim industries for improving workers’ hours and women’s rights.
When this effort failed, the consequences included filled prisons with prisoners, particularly from Asturias, and severe repression, including the closure of camps.
In 1934, there were confrontations between the central government and the Catalan government, which sought land reform.
Defense of the Land Act
Goals included permanently reducing unemployment through ownership structure, land redistribution, and rationalizing cultivation to ensure land served a social function.
Context: The reformist biennium from 1931 to 1933 saw significant reforms, including land reforms, despite opposition from bourgeois sectors against farmers. The League denounced the constitution, leading to immediate removal by the central government.
After the Catalan government came to power, the cedistes declared it an insurgent government.
Implications included the imprisonment of Lluis’s comrades and brutal repression of the labor movement.
February 1936: The Popular Front came to power. The Popular Front aimed to restore reforms, grant amnesty for prisoners from the October events, and accelerate land reform regarding land distribution. This prompted an automatic response from the church, which opposed these changes, leading to a coup. In May, there was a change of prime minister, and later, on July 18, a coup occurred.
The crisis of the Republican Party was evident, marked by contradictions, opposition party goals, the impact of international events (Hitler’s rise), and the objectives of the popular elections of 1936 to recover Catalonia and its work.
From June 14 to 16, there was an emergency recovery.
February 26 elections and the July coup initially failed but led to the Spanish Civil War, which lasted three years.
Causes:
- Internal: Oligarchic sectors, large landowners, the church, the army, and economic sectors that historically dominated Spain despite changes in the 19th century, viewing the republic as a threat to their interests.
- External: The rise of fascism in Europe, with the international civil war gaining significance as it was seen as the first assault on the republic, suggesting that if fascism came to power, it would slow the advance of fascism in Europe.
The main figures were Sanjurjo and Mola, with the first revolution occurring in Melilla, but the insurgency later spread throughout Spain.
Republicans faced two parallel phenomena: war and revolution.
European powers established a non-intervention committee, treating the conflict as an internal issue. Of all the signatories, only the English and French respected the pact. This was influenced by two factors: the expansionist process led by Hitler and the fear of a social revolution government that would abolish private property and class distinctions.
The USSR was the only nation to support the republic, sending volunteers to fight, believing it was the first step to halting fascism (in an international context). These volunteers were known as the International Brigades.
In November 1936, the government included anarchists led by Largo Caballero. At that time, there was a military government, and for the first time, a woman minister (Federica Montseny) was appointed.
The militias were ineffective compared to a professional military combat force.