The Spanish Second Republic: 1931 Constitution & Reformist Biennium
The Spanish Second Republic: 1931 Constitution & Reformist Biennium
The Constitution of 1931
The Provisional Government of the Republic, formed in 1930, comprised a diverse political spectrum. It included right-wing Republicans like Niceto Alcalá-Zamora and Miguel Maura, leftists like Manuel Azaña, the so-called radical Lerroux representing moderate Republicans, Catalan nationalists, the emerging Republican Left of Catalonia, and the PSOE with Indalecio Prieto. The Constituent Cortes elections in June 1931 resulted in a socialist and republican majority. The first government of the Second Republic mirrored the provisional one, excluding the radicals and right-wing Republicans. Manuel Azaña became the prime minister and Niceto Alcalá-Zamora the president.
The Cortes drafted the 1931 Constitution, a remarkably progressive document. Key highlights include:
- National sovereignty defined the state as a “Republic of workers of all classes.”
- A broad declaration of rights: universal suffrage (male and female), civil marriage and divorce, and social rights (right to work, education, etc.).
- A unicameral parliamentary system with legislative power and control over the executive.
- The President of the Republic, elected indirectly by the Cortes every six years, had restricted powers and was subject to parliamentary control.
- Provision for statutes of autonomy for regions.
- Separation of church and state and limitations on religious orders.
The Reformist Biennium (1931-1933)
The Reformist Biennium unfolded against a backdrop of economic hardship, including the inherited deficit from the dictatorship and the impact of the 1929 economic crisis. Key reforms included:
- Military Reform: The Azaña Law reduced troop numbers, modernized equipment, and subordinated the military to civilian authority.
- Agrarian Reform: The 1932 Agrarian Reform Law aimed to address land ownership inequality in the south by expropriating under-utilized estates and redistributing land to laborers. The Institute of Agrarian Reform (IRA) oversaw this process, hampered by budgetary constraints.
- Social Reforms: Education was prioritized with the creation of 7,000 primary schools and the promotion of a public, compulsory, free, and mixed education system, leading to conflicts with the Church. Labor reforms included collective bargaining, mixed juries to resolve disputes, and labor inspections.
- Catalan Statute of Autonomy (1932): Established the Generalitat of Catalonia, with Francesc Macià as its first president.
The biennium faced significant challenges:
- Social Conflict: Employers and landowners opposed reforms, while workers and peasants grew impatient with their slow pace. The CNT and PCE instigated protests, including land occupations and crop burnings. The Casas Viejas incident, where civil guards killed anarchist peasants, became a focal point of opposition against the Azaña government.
- Right-Wing Opposition: The right organized, forming the CEDA (Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Rights) led by Gil Robles under the influence of the Church. The CEDA accepted the Republic but aimed to reverse reforms, employing parliamentary obstructionism. Further right, monarchists under Calvo Sotelo and fascists led by Ledesma Ramos formed the JONS, later merging with the Falange. These groups rejected the Republic and plotted an insurrection, seeking support from disgruntled military figures and Fascist Italy.
- Sanjurjo Coup (August 10, 1932): General Sanjurjo’s coup attempt in Seville, motivated by opposition to military reforms, failed due to poor organization and lack of support.