Spain’s Second Republic: The Reformist Biennium (1931-1933)

Posted on Nov 3, 2025 in History

The Second Spanish Republic (1931-1933)

In 1931, after the Republican victory in municipal elections, King Alfonso XIII left the country. His position had become very weak for having supported the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera in 1923. Despite trying to return to normalcy in 1930, he found that not even the monarchists supported him. In 1930, the opposition signed the Pact of San Sebastián with the purpose of establishing a Republic. A Constituent Assembly would be convened to approve a constitution and a statute of autonomy for Catalonia. The Second Republic attempted to solve historical problems within Spanish society. The first stage was the Reformist Biennium, which sought to modernize Spain and impose Regenerationist ideals; however, it failed due to several factors.

The Provisional Government and the 1931 Constitution

The new provisional government, led by Niceto Alcalá-Zamora, had to carry out interim measures to satisfy the people, such as establishing an 8-hour workday and improving wages. The Constituent Assembly elections resulted in a victory for the Republican-Socialist coalition. These Cortes approved a new Constitution of an advanced democratic character, which was characterized by the following:

  • It established popular sovereignty.
  • It developed a comprehensive bill of rights, including, for the first time in Spain, suffrage for women.
  • The central state institution was the unicameral Cortes.
  • Spain was constituted as an integral state that recognized the autonomy of the historical nationalities (Catalonia, Galicia, and the Basque Country).
  • The Republic was defined as a secular state, establishing the separation of Church and State.

The Reformist Biennium (December 1931 – November 1933)

After the approval of the constitution, the Cortes chose Alcalá-Zamora as president. Manuel Azaña chaired the government, and the reform program continued.

Key Reforms

  1. Labor Reforms: Promoted the passage of the Employment Contracts Act and the Law of Mixed Juries.
  2. Educational and Cultural Reforms: Schools were built, and salaries for teachers were increased. The model was a public, compulsory, and free school system. The elimination of religion as a subject drew opposition from the Church. Illiteracy was very high, and to bring culture to rural areas, pedagogical missions and drama groups like La Barraca were started. A large network of libraries was also created, and university expansion was supported.
  3. Military Reform: Aimed to reduce the number of officers and modernize their training and material endowment. It also imposed the obligation of compulsory military service and created a modern armed police force, the Assault Guard.
  4. Land Reform: Intended to provide plots of land to renters and laborers. The law also provided for compensation for expropriated lands, but landowners were opposed and supported the military coup led by General Sanjurjo. However, this coup failed and accelerated the adoption of this law.
  5. Public Works Plan: Intended to modernize infrastructure and boost the economy and employment, which were affected by the Crisis of 1929.
  6. Regional Autonomies: In 1932, the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia was adopted. However, the Basque project encountered more problems and was not passed until 1936. The same occurred with Galicia.

Opposition to the Government

The government faced opposition from both the property-owning right and the proletarian left:

  • The Right: Although there was a Republican right, other sectors opposed the reforms.
    • The anti-democratic right supported the military coup by Sanjurjo.
    • The “accidentalist” right was represented by the CEDA, which accepted the Republic as a lesser evil and awaited an opportunity to revise the constitution.
  • The Working Classes: Initially excited about the Republic, their support began to wane as land reforms developed slowly, leading to high unrest against the government. They acted with insurrectionary calls, which were not very successful but undermined the government’s prestige, especially after the events of Casas Viejas.