Andalusia: Second Republic, Civil War, and Societal Shifts
The Second Republic and the Civil War in Andalusia
- The Republic was very well received by most Andalusians. The largest problem was the need to satisfy the hunger for land that the peasantry had. The Law of Agrarian Reform aroused great expectations, declaring large farms explopiables without compensation to the nobility of Spain, and began deliveries. However, the impatience of the laborers and the slow pace of reform led to violent demonstrations that were harshly suppressed.
- The Civil War dramatically affected Andalusia. No great battles were fought there, and fronts remained steady throughout the contest, but the suffering of the civilian population in the rear was significant.
Evolution of the Population
- Population growth has accelerated since the early twentieth century due to the start of the demographic transition. With the exception of the Civil War period, the birth rate experienced a slight decline, while mortality decreased considerably with food and health improvements.
- Movements intensified. Continuous emigration abroad was directed primarily to Latin America. Internally, the rural exodus accelerated, affecting almost one million people.
Economic Changes
- Agricultural activities continued to occupy most of the population. The interior drylands continued to cultivate cereals, vines, and olives. Irrigation specialized in citrus and vegetables.
- Industry introduced the mass production methods typical of the Second Industrial Revolution and diversified with the creation of hydroelectric and thermal power, chemical, food, cement, and automotive industries.
- Tertiary activities: Highlights included the construction of roads, new systems of communication, and finance.
Two Women in the Republic
The conservative mentality had made the daily life of women unfold around the family, marriage, and children. This traditional conception of women was changed from the time of the Restoration. But it was with the advent of the Second Republic that changes were produced on the status of women.
The changes began with the Constitution of 1931, which in its Article 36 extended the right to vote to women from 23 years old. Also worth emphasizing are the adoption of civil marriage and divorce, the abolition of prostitution, the suppression of the crime of adultery applied only to women, the recognition of natural children, the right of women to parental authority over children, the regulation of women’s work, equal pay with men, and the protection of maternity. The participation of women in public life increased during the Second Republic. Some women came to occupy political positions of some importance.
Reign of Alfonso XIII
The party system was maintained between 1902 and 1917 under two new leaders: Antonio Maura at the head of the Conservative Party, and Joseph Canalejas at the head of the Liberal Party. The Tragic Week of Barcelona (1909) was the most prominent internal problem of the period.
Decomposition of the System
- Military crisis: Originated in the Army’s claim for rising wages and promotion by seniority rather than war merits.
- Political crisis: Due to an assembly of Catalan parliamentarians, who demanded a new constitution and the creation of a decentralized state with autonomy.
- Social crisis: Triggered by the call for a general strike. The leftist parties and unions intended to protest the price hike, which impoverished the working classes, and overthrow the government.
Problems
Between 1919 and 1923, the situation worsened. Governments of concentration were formed, social conflict increased, and the disaster of Annual in Morocco occurred. General Primo de Rivera staged a coup in 1923, ending the Restoration and imposing a dictatorship.