Spain’s Second Republic (1931-1936): Causes, Reforms & Constitution
The Second Republic (1931-1936)
Causes and Provisional Government (1931)
Meaning of the Scheme
The Second Republic marks a crucial stage in Spain’s contemporary history. It represented an ambitious attempt at political and social modernization. However, the resulting tensions and conflicts ultimately led to the Spanish Civil War.
This period was complicated by international circumstances, including the Great Depression, which began in America in 1929 and had widespread economic repercussions.
The Provisional Government
The proclamation of the Republic and the establishment of the Provisional Government involved key groups.
Electoral Victory and Regime Change
The Republic was proclaimed on April 14, 1931, following municipal elections that gave Republicans a victory in provincial capitals. The main objective was to call for elections to form a constituent assembly.
Composition of the Provisional Government
The proclamation allowed the Revolutionary Committee, chaired by Niceto Alcala Zamora, to assume power.
First Reforms and Conflicts
Major activities included:
Social Policy
The Labor Minister issued decrees addressing municipal boundaries, establishing the 8-hour day, and implementing Jurados Mixtos (mixed juries). Measures were also taken against the eviction of tenants.
Army Reform
War Minister Azaña undertook reforms to address the excessive number of officers relative to available troops.
The Autonomic Question
The Catalan question was a sensitive issue. The government relied on the San Sebastian agreements to align the situation with the new republican legality.
Other Conflicts
The Republican administration faced religious conflicts, including the burning of convents, which strained relations with the Vatican. The first major strike, convened by anarchists of the CNT, also occurred during this period.
Elections to the Constituent Cortes
The Interim government called for elections to the Cortes, reducing the minimum voting age and considering only the provinces as constituencies.
The results gave a landslide victory to the Republicans and socialists. The members of the House were diverse, including the PSOE and other parties of the bourgeois left.
The Cortes introduced significant innovations, with Besteiro elected as president. The primary task was to draft a new constitution.
The Constitution of 1931: Key Features
The Constitution, enacted in 1931, was drafted by Luis Jimenez de Asua, a legal expert, law professor, and socialist. It established a democratic, parliamentary, secular, modern, and decentralized state. Sovereignty explicitly resided in the people.
- The legislature was unicameral, represented by the Congress of Deputies.
- The executive and the Supreme Court were subordinate to the legislature.
- Universal male suffrage was implemented for electing deputies to the Cortes. Women were later granted the right to vote.
- The electoral law favored the majority, leading parties to form blocs for electoral victory.
- Statutes of autonomy for the regions were approved, requiring a project to be discussed and approved in Parliament.
- Social rights were included in addition to individual rights.
- The separation of church and state ended subsidies to the clergy and prohibited religious orders from teaching, which antagonized the Catholic right and the Church.