Second Spanish Republic: Reforms and Challenges (1931)
Biennium 1931: The Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic emerged from Republican causes, marked by constitutional aspirations and a provisional government focused on social, educational, labor, and military reforms.
Proclamation and Initial Actions (April 14, 1931)
On April 14, 1931, the Second Republic was proclaimed in Eibar, where the Republican flag was first raised. Several cities, including Barcelona, Seville, Zaragoza, and others adhering to the San Sebastián Pact (SSEB), joined the movement. In Madrid, the revolutionary committee, stemming from the SSEB Pact, transitioned into a caretaker government pending elections. They marched to the government building in Puerta del Sol and hoisted the flag to symbolize the change.
Key figures in this government included Alcalá Zamora as President, Manuel Azaña of Republican Action as Minister of War, and Largo Caballero as Minister of Labor. Alfonso XIII, upon learning the election results, considered his options with the armed forces. However, the army and Civil Guard largely sided with the Republic. Recognizing his limited support, Alfonso XIII voluntarily suspended his royal powers and moved to Marseille.
The Provisional Government aimed to rapidly convene general elections and consolidate the new republican system by addressing military, religious, agricultural, and social issues. In the absence of a parliament, the government acted through decree-laws.
Military Reforms
Azaña, as Minister of War, implemented anti-militarist policies to reform an army deemed ineffective and outdated since 1820. The Spanish army suffered from macrocephaly, with a disproportionately high number of officers compared to troops. A significant portion of the budget was allocated to wages rather than modernizing the army’s equipment.
Azaña reduced the 16 regional military divisions by half and dissolved the Military Academy in Zaragoza (though its director, Franco, displayed acceptable discipline despite his displeasure). He abolished the Supreme Council of Military Justice, ending the Jurisdiction Act of 1906, and transferring jurisdiction to the Supreme Court. He established the Assault Guard and city police. A supplemental scale was implemented, enabling military personnel to attend college. These measures reduced military expenditures and placed the army under civilian control, although they did not provide the necessary material improvements.
Agricultural Reforms
Despite industrialization, Spain’s agricultural sector remained problematic, requiring urgent solutions due to popular pressure. The government, through decree-laws, initiated reforms under the guidance of Minister Largo Caballero to improve the conditions of the peasantry:
- Law of Mixed Juries: Composed of employers and workers.
- Law of Municipal Hiring: Requiring landowners to hire laborers from the municipality.
- Ensuring a minimum wage per hour.
- Decree of Obligatory Cultivation: Requiring landowners to cultivate their lands.
These measures did not fully satisfy unions, and land occupations occurred in some areas.
Social Reforms
One of the most important decrees addressed women’s rights. Although women were not initially granted the right to vote, they could be elected, and on June 3, 1931, female deputies were elected to advocate for women’s suffrage. Prior to the Second Republic, women were often considered intellectually inferior. The reforms allowed women to become lawyers, notaries, and registrars, and provided for equal contractual rights, eliminating termination clauses based on marriage.
Catalan Independence and Religious Issues
The proclamation of the Catalan Republic by Macià on April 15, 1931, challenged the San Sebastián Pact. The Church also presented a major challenge, with Alcalá Zamora facing both support and opposition. The Republic established the separation of church and state, civil marriage, secular education, and freedom of religion. The Church expressed displeasure with the separation, particularly regarding education. Cardinal Segura’s pastoral letters incited Catholics against the Republic, leading to Republicans storming the ABC newspaper and burning churches and convents, met with indifference from the government and public order forces. Some intellectuals viewed this violence as inconsistent with the Republic’s ideals.