The Spanish Second Republic: From Reform to Civil War
The Fall of the Monarchy and the Rise of the Republic
The End of Primo de Rivera’s Dictatorship
Growing opposition to Primo de Rivera intensified when the King and his entourage realized the dictatorship threatened the monarchy. The King withdrew his support, and Primo de Rivera resigned on January 30, 1930. General Berenguer, tasked with restoring constitutional normalcy, replaced him.
The Pact of San Sebastian and the 1931 Elections
The opposition, including Republicans, left-wing Catalan nationalists, and the PSOE, signed the Pact of San Sebastian. Elections held on April 12, 1931, saw high participation and Republican-socialist victories in major cities. On April 14, several city councils proclaimed the Republic, and people celebrated in the streets. King Alfonso XIII abdicated and went into exile.
Reforms of the Second Republic (1931-1933)
The government initiated reforms to modernize and democratize Spanish society. Key goals included limiting the Church’s influence and secularizing society, as reflected in the Constitution.
Military and Educational Reforms
Manuel Azaña led military reforms to create a professional, democratic army. Officer retirements were enacted, and the Assault Guard was created. Educational reforms aimed to create a liberal, secular system with the state guaranteeing education rights. The Pedagogical Missions were launched to improve cultural levels.
Land Reform
was the most important project initiated by the Republic. It was intended opner end the predominance of large estates and improve the living conditions of farmers. La Republica promoted a liberal, secular education and make the state the guarantor of the right to education extended opr first time in our history. Moreover, to improve the cultural level of the opblacion, promoted the pedagogical mission.
REP 3 BIENNIUM In autumn 1933, the head of government, Azana, has resigned and President of the Republic, Alcala Zamora, Courts dissolved and called elections for November. The left played the entrance of the CEDA in the government as a drift toward fascism. A day after the formation of new government strikes and demonstrations occurred in some large cities to defend the reforms but the motion failed. Revolution of Asturias. In Catalonia, the revolt took a more political character, an alliance of leftist parties and trade unions organized a general strike. A strong government crisis erupted in autumn 1935. The Radical Party was hit by a series of corruption scandals, as the case of the black market. These scandals essential to a relay in power. Zamora decided to call new elections for February 1936.
POP WAR 1 The July 17, 1936 in Melilla, Colonel Yagüe, commander of the legion, took up arms against the Republic. The uprising spread rapidly between 18 and 19 July, most of the garrisons of Spain joined with civilian sectors and Carlist Falangists (Requete). On 19 July, before the popular clamor against the rebels, Casares Quiroga was replaced as head of government José Giral, who decided to deliver arms to militias in the unions and the Popular Front parties. Similarly, the army and security forces remained loyal to the government, and it was possible to suppress the uprising in much of Spain.The uprising succeeded in virtually all inland Spain, in Galicia, Andalusia in the Guadalquivir and predominantly agricultural areas where large property owners or small very conservative. The uprising failed, where workers and leftist forces outweighed: in industrial zones, part of Castile, Extremadura and Andalusia. In Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia the uprising collapsed after days of fighting. On the contrary, the rebels succeeded in Seville and Zaragoza. Within a week the evidence that the coup had not succeeded originated the division of the country into two camps. GUERRA 2 REVOLUTION To tackle the rising Republican government of Jose Giral had to hastily organize a military force capable of opposing the insurgents . This gave arms to militias of parties and unions and decreed the creation of battalions of volunteers in the militias to be integrated. As a result unions, left parties were the only armed force capable of defending the republican legality. In the summer and autumn of 1936, the power of the state suffered a near total collapse and was replaced by councils, committees and boards that dealt with the government. In some areas, the committees were merged to form regional councils among which highlighted the Sovereign Council of Asturias. These agencies met the forces of the Popular Front. The Republican forces were aware of the need for concerted efforts to win the war. In September of 1936. Fco Largo Caballero, a new government composed of Republicans, socialists, communists and anarchists. The draft Largo Caballero was able to reconstruct the militarized state militias and creating the Popular Army. WAR 3 The political and social groups that had supported the military uprising did not have a common project. The army was in charge of organizing the new state. The accidental death on July 20, 1936, in the general Sanjuro and the fact that the insurrection is not triumph, raised the issue of leadership. On July 24, Burgos was created in the National Defense Council, composed of military. The mission board was d ela govern the occupied territory and its first actions was to ban the activity of all political parties, suspend the constitution and order the freezing of the agrarian reform. Francisco Franco was imposed, especially after Hitler and Mussolini get recognized him as the only valid interlocutor to negotiate their support for the uprising. The military was elected chief of the uprising, was recognized Head of State and Government of Generalissimo of the Armies. The rebels had been prohibited in the territory they controlled, all political parties and all unions. Only acted as political groups and the Spanish Falange de las JONS.