Political System of Spain During Alfonso XIII’s Reign
Political System During the Reign of Alfonso XIII
The regency ends on 17 May 1902 with the enthronement of Alfonso XIII, who reigned until April 1931. The monarchy of Alfonso XIII is characterized by the generalized crisis of the system, caused by:
- The disappearance of the leaders that gestated and directed the Restauración.
- Failure to respond to the demands of parties outside the turnismo.
- The stiffness of a system that only promotes changes in the Spanish countryside.
The First Government of Alfonso XIII
Conservative Government (1902-1904)
The coronation takes place during the government of Francisco Silvela, who briefly led the Conservative Party after the death of Cánovas. His principal work is the creation of the Institute of Social Reforms. This organization seeks to develop the policy of social reforms. Due to the reluctance of workers, it generates only a bureaucratic exercise.
In 1903, Maura initiated a brief government facing the interests of local government reform and resigned in December 1904.
Unstable Governments of the Liberal Party (1905-1907)
Political instability determined the existence of only four presidents in two years. The Liberal party returned to power in 1905, with the exhaustion of its program. The action of the Liberal government comes amid tensions with the army, which is the subject of criticism in Catalonia, whose headquarters are raided by a large group of officers. The Moret government, president since December 1905, leads to the Courts Jurisdiction Act of 1906, by which the crimes of insulting the army are judged by the military.
The Conservative Regeneration of Maura (1907-1909)
Antonio Maura, Conservative leader, takes over the leadership in January 1907 with the obsession to enable the political participation of the neutral masses. Among his measures are the electoral reform law of 1907, establishing compulsory voting, the Sunday rest law, and the creation of the National Institute of Prevision. Economically interventionist, his work on protectionism and the steel industry stands out. But Maura’s most clearly Regenerationist initiative is the Local Administration Act, aimed at counteracting caciquismo. The project envisages the creation of mancomunidades. The project does not pass discussion, as the events in Barcelona in 1909 brought down the Maura government.
The Tragic Week
After the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the period of Spanish penetration in North Africa begins. The Algeciras Conference consolidates the distribution of Moroccan territory between Spain and France, under the protectorate. The attacks on Spanish workers provoke the reaction of the Spanish troops under General Pinto, who will be corralled into the Barranco del Lobo and suffer numerous casualties. The Moroccan campaign mobilizes reservists to protect mining enclaves.
During the summer of 1909, demonstrations and agitations are promoted by supporters of radical journalist Alejandro Lerroux. The protest is concentrated in Barcelona, home to the Third Brigade, a city that breathes an anti-militarist atmosphere. On July 26, 1909, the general strike is proclaimed. The strike movement, with little direction, causes street riots, a situation that terrifies the clerical middle classes, who distance themselves from the protest. The army represses the strikers with extreme harshness and becomes the owner of the center of Barcelona. The government regains control in the early days of August. The balance is tragic: more than a hundred deaths and imprisonment for more than a thousand people. Francesc Ferrer Guàrdia was arrested and tried by a military tribunal as the mastermind, and is convicted and executed. Alfonso XIII forces Maura’s resignation, giving way to a brief Moret government.
The Regeneration of Canalejas (1910-1912)
José Canalejas stands as the great leader of the Liberal Party from February 1910 until November 12, 1912. He has to solve the social and political crisis stemming from the tragic events of the previous week.
Canalejas promotes reforms, making military service compulsory in wartime and redeemable in peacetime, and suppresses the tax on consumer goods. He promotes the separation of church and state and opens a dispute with the Vatican. This situation of increased tension leads to the so-called “Ley del Candado”, which prohibits the installation of new congregations for two years. Canalejas faces a large strike movement and suspends constitutional guarantees to avoid the call to strike. The draft of municipalities is approved by Congress, but its passage through the Senate is paralyzed because of the assassination of Canalejas.