Reforms of the Second Spanish Republic (1931-1933)
Biennium Reformer (1931-1933)
a) Reforms of the State (Decentralization)
1. Means: The Constitution of 1931
Article 1: Spain is a Democratic Republic of workers of all kinds, organized in liberal Justice. The power and all its organs derive from the people. The Republic is an integrated state, compatible with the autonomy of municipalities and regions.
Article 8: The Spanish State shall be composed of municipalities and provinces and regions that constitute autonomy arrangements.
2. Process of Approval of the Statute of Autonomy for Catalonia and Opposition
In April 1931, the Republican government agreed with Catalonia on the immediate preparation of a statute of autonomy, which would then be passed to the Spanish Parliament. The statute was adopted en masse by the Catalan people in a referendum. Catalonia was granted a high level of self-government, a situation of legal and political equality.
With the Spanish umbrella, Catalonia would claim what was always the will of the Catalan people freely expressed through the right of self-determination.
b) Religious Reform
1. Government Objectives
- Secularization of society and social uses.
- Separation of church and state, creating a secular state.
- State control of the activities of religious associations.
- Review of the heritage of ecclesiastical lambs.
- Elimination of the influence of the clergy in the educational system.
2. Means: Statutes, Articles of the Constitution, Decree-Laws
- Dissolution of the Society of Jesus (January 24, 1932)
- Decree of Nationalization of their assets.
- Secularization of cemeteries (January 30, 1932)
- Divorce Law (February 2, 1932)
- Law of Confessions and Religious Congregations (June 2, 1933) (banned religious orders from industry, trade, and teaching)
3. Opposition to Reforms: Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, Right-Wing Parties (Cardinal Segura, Collective Statement of the Bishops)
Some Catholics considered the Republican legislation an attack on religion. Cardinal Segura (a fundamentalist monarchist) issued a violent pastoral letter against the Republic and was expelled from Spain. The bishops issued a collective statement against the constitution (December 20, 1931). Part of the clergy united with right-wing parties and launched violent anti-republican campaigns. The religious clash (due to increased popular anti-clericalism) created an atmosphere of great tension and violence in republican society. The Catholic Church became an irreconcilable enemy of the Republic.
c) Reform of Education
1. Government Objectives (Public Education, Free, Coeducation)
Establish a public education system without the influence of the church, combat illiteracy, and guarantee the right to education for all social classes. Education was considered a right and should be free.
2. Reforms and Actions of the Government
To achieve these objectives:
- 10,000 new school places were created, generating 100,000 teachers.
- Education budgets were increased by 50%.
- An attempt was made to remove the religious aspect from teaching.
- Drama and theater were encouraged (e.g.,”The Shac”).
d) Land Reform
1. Government Objectives: Economic and Social Reforms
- Improve the conditions of the millions of people living at a subsistence level (laborers).
- Break up large estates (property that was not exploited or poorly operated) and expropriate these lands for distribution to farmers.
2. Actions: Agrarian Reform Law
This law stated that land could be expropriated from estates by the state without compensation, to be settled by farmers without land. The AI was created for resources (50,000,000 pesetas).
3. Opposition to Reforms
Landlords and the CNT seriously disobeyed the government’s reform efforts.
4. Realization and Results of the Reformation
Simply handing over land was not enough, as farmers lacked everything else (animals, etc.). Resources were insufficient, and the National Agricultural Bank failed due to excessive bureaucracy. As a result, there were few expropriations, and the agrarian reform ultimately failed.
e) Military Reform
1. Characteristics of the Spanish Army as the Republic was Proclaimed
Most army officers were monarchists, so the Republic did not have their loyalty. There was excessive intervention in political life and an increase in the official budgets spent on the military.
2. Government Objectives
- Ensure that the military was subordinate to civil power.
- Ensure that the army was loyal to the Republic.
- Reduce the influence of officers.
3. Political and Legislative Action
- Abolition of the Law Courts and the Supreme Court of the Army.
- Reduction of the size of the army and closure of the Harbor Academy of Zaragoza.
4. Opposition from the Military and Right-Wing Parties
- Conspiracy against the Republic and a coup d’état.
- Rejection of the supremacy of civil power.
- Opposition to social reform and the decentralization of the Republican state, which they believed endangered the unity of the homeland.
- Belief that the reforms were an attack on military tradition and the power of the army.