Architects and Leaders of the Second Spanish Republic
Niceto Alcalá-Zamora (1877–1949)
Alcalá-Zamora was twice a Liberal minister in the monarchy, shifting his allegiance to the Republicans during the dictatorship. This move attracted moderate and Catholic groups to his party. He was president of the Republican Committee and was jailed in 1930. After the Republic was proclaimed, he became the first Head of Government in 1931, resigning when the approved constitutional articles relating to religious freedom were passed. However, two months later, he was elected President of the Republic, a position he held until the Republic was overthrown in 1936 after the popular victory of the Popular Front.
Alejandro Lerroux (1864–1949)
Lerroux founded the Radical Party in 1906, a Republican and left-leaning group known for its markedly demagogic discourse. Until the Republic’s proclamation, he had a troubled political life. He gradually drifted into increasingly right-wing positions, which caused some divisions within the Radical Party. His most outstanding work took place during the Center-Right Biennium, with the support of the CEDA. The black market scandal ended his political career, and in the 1936 elections, he failed to secure a seat as an MP.
Manuel Azaña (1880–1940)
Azaña took part in the Pact of San Sebastián, and once the Republic was proclaimed, he assumed a major political role. He served as War Minister and Chairman of the first two governments, boosting major constitutional reforms during the First Republican Biennium. In 1934, he joined Republican Action with the radical socialist sector of the party, forming the Republican Left, which was part of the Popular Front electoral victory in 1936. This victory made him the second and last President of the Republic. He died in exile in France.
Julián Besteiro
A member of the PSOE, Besteiro was part of the strike committee, leading to his imprisonment. He was later pardoned and elected as a deputy. He was appointed to be elected president of the PSOE and the UGT, but refused, which led him to resign from his positions in the party. During the war, he advocated for a negotiated peace and participated in the coup against the Negrín government. He was sentenced to prison after the war, where he died.
Santiago Casares Quiroga (La Coruña, 1884 – Paris, 1950)
A lawyer and member of the regionalist party, the Autonomous Galician Republican Organization (ORGA), Casares Quiroga participated in the Pact of San Sebastián. He served in the Navy and Interior ministries with Azaña, with whom he merged his party. With the triumph of the Popular Front, Azaña was elected President of the Republic, and Casares Quiroga became Head of Government. He resigned from this position after the outbreak of the military uprising of July 18, due to his opposition to distributing weapons to the population.
Fermín Galán
Galán served in the Tercio (Spanish Foreign Legion), where he acted under the orders of its first commander, Francisco Franco. He became interested in politics, adopting radical positions and opposing the system, eventually joining the liberal movement. He participated in the Sanjuana (a frustrated operation against the dictatorship), which led to his imprisonment.
Francesc Macià
Macià was a Lieutenant Colonel. The assault by some military personnel on a Catalan newspaper changed his mind, leading him to join the Catalan solidarity movement. He entered politics and founded a new party. He was exiled during the dictatorship. Subsequently, he was elected President of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), but died shortly after taking office.