The Spanish Second Republic (1931-1939): Politics and Culture
The Conservative Biennium (1933-1936) and the Radical-CEDA Biennium
Azaña’s government fell in September 1933 as a result of political disagreements between the parties that had supported him after the Casas Viejas incident. The right reorganized, and two groups could be distinguished within its ranks:
- Those opposed to the Republic
- Conservative Republicans
Right and center candidates won the elections and formed a government commissioned by Alcalá-Zamora. Alejandro Lerroux, leader of the Radical Socialist Republican Party, and the PSOE and UGT prepared armed insurgencies. These were to be accompanied by a general strike, but it only succeeded for two weeks in Asturias. The Asturian Revolution (1934) was severely repressed by the Army of Africa, led by General Franco.
The 1936 Elections and the Popular Front (February-July 1936)
Following the deepening crisis of October 1934, the center-right governments were eroded politically. In September 1935, Lerroux’s government was forced to resign following the scandal of the black market. New elections were called for February 16, 1936. Under electoral law, the Popular Front won a majority in Congress. In early March 1936, the first contacts between generals took place to prepare a military uprising against the Republic, which was to be carried out in July. The social and ideological division of the country became radicalized, and on February 18, 1936, after the elections, the President asked Azaña to form a government again. Azaña immediately began implementing the Popular Front’s program. On April 7, Alcalá-Zamora ceased to be President of the Republic, and Manuel Azaña was elected to the position on May 10. During Azaña’s presidency, the government was assumed by Santiago Casares Quiroga, who could not prevent the deterioration of the country. Political attacks featured both Falangists and monarchists, as well as communists and anarchists. The most significant of these took the life of José Calvo Sotelo on July 13, a deputy and leader of the Monarchist Renewal Party. Despite this, war was not inevitable. In Spain, insurgent sentiment in a sector of the Army would be critical.
Spanish Culture from the Beginning of the Silver Age to 1936
The Silver Age
The first third of the twentieth century is a key moment in the history of Spanish culture, often called the Silver Age. There was a real cultural boom that largely inherited the Free Institution of Education. But it was a culture of elites in a country that in 1930 still had over 30% illiteracy.
The Generation of ’98
The Generation of ’98 was formed by a group of intellectuals and writers who were active during this period. They were influenced by Regenerationism, in particular by the ideas of Joaquín Costa, and therefore their works denounced the distance between official policy and the real life of the country and attempted to define the identity of Spain. The main members of the Generation of ’98 were Miguel de Unamuno, José Martínez Ruiz ‘Azorín’, Pío Baroja, Antonio Machado, and Ramón del Valle-Inclán. Santiago Ramón y Cajal, who received the Nobel Prize in Medicine, was also ideologically linked to the Generation of ’98.
The Generation of 1914
The men of the Generation of 1914, however, advocated the opening of Spanish culture to European cultural currents. The Generation of 1914 was led by José Ortega y Gasset, founder of the Revista de Occidente and a thinker of great prestige among intellectuals. Other representatives were Gregorio Marañón, Ramón Gómez de la Serna, and Eugenio D’Ors.
Culture Supports the Republic
The arrival of the Republic was accompanied by fervent support from intellectuals, and the theme of culture for all became a collective goal. Ortega y Gasset was also very critical since the adoption of the Constitution. On the contrary, and with different nuances, men like Valle-Inclán and Antonio Machado supported the left. During the Second Republic, the Generation of ’27 came to the fore, whose members, Federico García Lorca, Rafael Alberti, etc., felt totally identified with the spirit of the Republic.
Political Culture of the Republic
The Provisional Government and the Second Republic designed an ambitious educational reform agenda, implemented by Marcelino Domingo, Minister of Public Instruction, and Fernando de los Ríos. It included a plan to create schools and train teachers. In compliance with the articles of the Constitution, religion was eliminated as a mandatory subject. There were other cultural experiences promoted by the government, such as traveling theater groups operating in the villages. The labor movement also contributed to cultural improvement through the libertarian Athenaeums and the People’s Houses, where militant attitudes were combined with popular culture.
Plastic Arts
Architecture in the early 20th century continued the heyday of modernism centered in Barcelona, with the construction of Domènech i Montaner’s Palau de la Música Catalana and the recent works of Antoni Gaudí. Sculpture joined the European avant-garde. The best painters also integrated into the avant-garde that opened new paths for art with the creation of Cubism. Artists such as Juan Gris, Joan Miró, and Salvador Dalí also began their careers during those years.