Establishing the Second Spanish Republic: 1930-1933 Reforms
The End of the Dictatorship and the Republic’s Proclamation
Following Primo de Rivera’s resignation, the return to the previous regime’s dictatorship was impossible for three reasons:
- The dynastic parties had lost their organizational structure and were discredited.
- The monarch was unpopular, because public opinion compared his figure unfavorably to that of the dictator.
- The anti-dynastic forces took a united initiative, which culminated in the Pact of San Sebastián (1930).
Republicanism until 1931 was characterized as fragmented and politically ineffective. The signatories of the Pact of San Sebastián agreed to the abolition of the monarchy, the proclamation of the Republic, and the creation of a provisional government to convene a Constituent Cortes to approve a constitution and a statute of autonomy for Catalonia.
Failed Uprising and the Path to Elections
The strategy to topple the monarchy was to match the rising of some Army units with a general strike, which would increase social agitation. However, three days before, two captains came forward and rose up in Huesca. They were defeated and executed. The next day, representatives of the Provisional Government of the Republic were illegally arrested in Madrid. The attempt to promote the strike had failed, and the attempt to establish the Republic did not succeed.
In early 1931, the atmosphere of unrest remained. Dámaso Berenguer resigned, and Juan Bautista Aznar was appointed president of the government. He called municipal elections, and the results were clearly favorable to Republicans. That same year, the Provisional Government of the Republic was formed, headed by Niceto Alcalá Zamora. In Catalonia, Francesc Macià, leader of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, proclaimed the Catalan Republic within the Iberian federation. Alfonso XIII went into exile, and the proclamation of the Republic was met with general joy.
The New Regime: Major Reforms (1931–1933)
During this period, the Provisional Government of the Republic was led by center-left forces. The provisional government called parliamentary elections and implemented reforms in four key aspects:
- The countryside (Agriculture/Labor)
- Education
- The Army
- The Church
Reforms in Labor and Agriculture
Regarding the countryside, the Government established the 8-hour workday and the obligation to give priority to laborers to work the estates of their term. Owners should keep farmland cultivated, otherwise it could be passed to these workers.
Educational and Military Changes
Regarding education, the creation of many schools and teaching posts was decreed, and their salaries increased.
Pertaining to the Army, generals, chiefs, and officers were offered the option to retire with a full salary. This measure reduced the number of commanders and divisions, and removed soldiers who did not want to be part of a Republican army. Manuel Azaña closed the Military Academy of Zaragoza and annulled all merit-based promotions awarded during the dictatorship, which caused unrest in the military. He also created the Assault Guards, a Republican police force.
Church and State Conflict
Concerning the Church, the Vatican asked the bishops to respect the new regime, but two events prevented this. First, a pastoral letter by Cardinal Segura praising the king, which was not welcomed by the Republicans. Second, some young members of the Monarchist Circle played the Royal March in the streets, an event that involved the burning of a large number of convents. Because of this, many Catholics began to see the Republic as a regime contrary to their ideas.
Other issues which the church opposed were: civil marriage, divorce, and the Religious Congregations Act, which declared church buildings public property. Therefore, the church was always in constant opposition to the regime.
The Republican Constitution of 1931
The 1931 elections gave victory to the forces of the left-center, while the Right became a minority. The Cortes that emerged from the elections drafted a new Constitution, 1931. This Constitution