Center-Right Biennium in Spain: 1933-1935, Elections, and 1934 Revolution
The Center-Right Biennium (1933-1935)
The general elections were held in November 1933 under a new electoral law that favored the formation of broad alliances and became effective with electoral and voting rights for women. The campaign developed in an environment of strong political confrontation and an impressive display of propaganda. The right, especially the CEDA, mobilized Catholic voters in their defense of order and religion. The radical wing of the Socialists (Caballero) showed a break in the discourse of collaboration with the bourgeois republicans and called for revolution if the right won. The anarchists of the CNT and the FAIT waged a campaign against the Republicans and the Socialists and in favor of abstention.
In October 1933, José Antonio Primo de Rivera founded the Spanish Falange, an ideology close to fascism.
Electoral Success of the Right
The election results represented a triumph for the Right, the CEDA, and the Radical Party, and the defeat of the Left Republicans and Socialists. Reasons for these results:
- The parties of the new anti-republican right and the monarchists were presented together in a coalition. The joint program raised the review of the reforms of the first biennium, such as land reform and religious reform, amnesty for those convicted of the coup in 1932, and the revision of the constitution.
- The Socialists ignored the recommendation of their leader, Indalecio Prieto, of reissuing the alliance.
Despite the relative influence of restraint advocated by the anarchists, the results showed a shift in the electorate to the right. The parliament underwent a considerable change. The Assembly was very fragmented and highly polarized. On one side were the major parties who questioned the republican regime and, secondly, the founding parties of the Second Republic.
The October Revolution of 1934
A history of the revolution lies in the change of strategy in socialism. In January 1934, the UGT, led by Largo Caballero, adopted a revolutionary program. In May, it formed a working alliance between the PSOE and the UGT to fight fascism and establish a socialist federal republic. The CNT refused to join.
In October 1934, the CEDA entered the government as demanded. On October 4, 1934, a new radical government formed with three CEDA ministers. Left Republicans saw the entry of the CEDA into the government as a betrayal of the republic. For socialists, it was the signal for the uprising against the risk of fascism. The Socialists justified their illegal actions with the excuse that it was necessary to prevent Gil Robles from destroying the republic. However, the facts contradict this justification. Alcalá Zamora had clearly taken a moderate stance.
Development of the Revolution
The revolution broke out in October 1934. The socialist revolutionary committee (Caballero) started the uprising on October 5 with the convening of a general strike in major cities. Its incidence was low, except in Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa.
In Catalonia, the entry into the CEDA government ministers was interpreted as a threat to the status of autonomy. Lluís Companys, President of the Generalitat, proclaimed the Catalan State within the Spanish Federal Republic.
Only in Asturias was there a genuine social revolution between October 5 and 18. The revolution started from the two mining centers, Sama de Langreo and Mieres. The Regional Committee of the Workers’ Alliance adopted measures of socialization and repression of the enemies of social revolution, which resulted in violence against landlords and the clergy.
To quell the rebellion, the government declared a state of war and resorted to the army of the Protectorate of Morocco, which, together with the Civil Guard, carried out strong repression.
The repression continued after the failure of the revolution. Throughout Spain, thousands of arrests were made. Hundreds of prisoners were tortured, and 20 death sentences were pronounced. Catalan autonomy was suspended indefinitely, and the Contracts Act was overturned.