Spain’s 1917 Crisis and the End of the Restoration
The Triple Crisis of 1917
Beyond the existing tension between people and employers, there was also a military crisis. One of the main problems in the Spanish army was the excessive number of officers in relation to the number of soldiers. Also, promotion could only be achieved through merits of war, benefiting only the Africanists (fighting in Morocco), while peninsular military personnel had no possibility of advancement.
The third problem was that the military was also affected by the crisis and inflation in consumer prices, while their wages remained much lower. This situation caused great unhappiness among the medium and low-ranking soldiers, who formed the so-called Defense Boards. This was a sort of military association that demanded:
- Pay increases
- Promotions by seniority (not just war merit)
They also produced a manifesto blaming the government for the army’s situation and demanded changes, in a regenerationist tone.
The Political Crisis
There was also a political crisis, or the Assembly of Parliamentarians. At the time, the Liberals were in power, with Romanones as Prime Minister. This government was accused of corruption and fraud by the Conservatives. When there were political and economic crises, elections were usually called. The Conservatives returned to power in 1917, with Dato as chairman, who governed during the military protests. Faced with these protests, Dato closed the courts and imposed press censorship.
The other parties, like the Lliga Regionalista, convened an Assembly of Catalan Parliamentarians in July 1917. This was done illegally and privately, summoning all Catalan parliamentarians to Barcelona. This assembly demanded that the government convene new elections, reform the political system, and create a decentralized state in Spain.
Due to its success, a subsequent assembly was called, inviting all Spanish deputies and senators to Barcelona. This was a failure because the majority of attendees were Catalan nationalists and Republicans, and it was also illegal. This assembly movement had no continuity, and its failure was evident, as it never had the support of the dynastic forces.
The Social Crisis
The social crisis manifested itself in great labor conflict. This was due to the significant rise in prices and low wages. Since 1916, the two main trade unions, UGT and CNT, had signed a manifesto demanding that the government control prices. If not, they threatened a general strike.
The strike began in Valencia and spread throughout Spain. The intention was to continue until a provisional government was established and elections were called. In the most industrialized areas (Barcelona, Madrid, the Basque Country, and Asturias), the strike had a significant impact, but less so in other parts of Spain. The government acted harshly, declaring martial law, resulting in hundreds of deaths, injuries, and life sentences.
The events of 1917 did not achieve any of the proposed objectives. However, the triple crisis had a series of consequences in subsequent years. Politically, it favored the resignation of Prime Minister Dato and the formation of a concentration government (both dynastic parties ruling together) to save the Restoration system.
On the social front, living standards worsened, causing great social unrest demonstrated by numerous strikes, which also spread to rural areas (not only in industry). These strikes led to the Bolshevik Triennium (1918-1921), so named because of the three years of great social upheaval, wildcat strikes (riots, burning of crops, etc.). It is referred to in reference to the Bolshevik Russian Revolution, where the people killed the Tsar and took power.
The Decomposition of the System
The End of the ‘Turno Pacifico’ System
The ‘Turno Pacifico’ (Peaceful Turn) was one of the pillars of the Restoration, but it was a pillar that ultimately contributed to its downfall.