Spanish Second Republic: History and Legacy
1. Proclamation of the Republic and Initial Reforms
1.1. Fall of the Monarchy and Provisional Government
In the municipal elections of April 12, 1931, monarchists secured a majority of councilors due to the influence of local chiefs in rural areas. However, the center-right coalition’s victory in major cities signaled waning support for the monarchy. The republic emerged peacefully and was celebrated by many. For some, it symbolized the hope of political and social reforms to address the country’s pressing issues.
On the night of April 14, 1931, Niceto Alcalá Zamora proclaimed the Second Spanish Republic in Madrid and requested the King’s departure. The Revolutionary Committee, formed by the Pact of San Sebastián, became the provisional government.
Headed by Alcalá Zamora, the government included representatives from all pro-republican parties: Alcalá Zamora and Miguel Maura (Right Liberal Republican); Alejandro Lerroux and Diego Martínez Barrio (centrist Radical Party); Manuel Azaña and Marcelino Domingo (left-leaning Republican Action); Fernando de los Ríos and Indalecio Prieto (PSOE); Santiago Casares Quiroga (Galician Republican Party); and Nicolau d’Olwer (Catalan Republican Party). These members represented the professional middle classes, the petite bourgeoisie, and socialist labor leaders.
1.2. Immediate Reforms
The provisional government’s primary objective was convening a Constituent Cortes. However, it also implemented several immediate reforms:
- Territorial Debate: Nationalist aspirations for a new state territorial organization became a key issue. On April 14, Francesc Macià (leader of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya) proclaimed the Catalan Republic as an independent entity within an Iberian federation. The government compromised, restoring the Generalitat of Catalonia until Parliament approved an autonomy statute.
- Agrarian Reform: Driven by Labor Minister Largo Caballero, social reforms aimed to alleviate peasant hardship. The Compulsory Cultivation Decree mandated land cultivation by owners. The Municipal Decree addressed unemployment, requiring landowners to hire local laborers. Work injury insurance was approved, the workday was limited to eight hours, and evicting small tenant farmers was prohibited.
- Educational Reform: Marcelino Domingo (Minister of Public Instruction) focused on eradicating illiteracy and promoting secular education. Decrees were issued to create nearly 7,000 schools and hire a similar number of teachers. Coeducation and non-compulsory religious instruction were established, which the Church viewed as an attack on religion.
- Military Reform: War Minister Manuel Azaña sought a modern, efficient army under civilian control. A decree mandated military allegiance to the Republic. The Zaragoza Military Academy (directed by Francisco Franco) was closed, and the 1906 Jurisdiction Act was abolished. Azaña faced fierce opposition and accusations of undermining the army.
- Public Order: The Assault Guards, a new armed police force, was created to maintain urban safety. The Republic sometimes employed the same repressive tactics as the monarchy.
1.3. Initial Reactions and Conflicts
The Republic’s establishment triggered economic anxiety. Share prices plummeted, loans were reduced, private bank withdrawals increased, and substantial funds were removed from banks.
A major conflict arose with the Catholic Church. While some Spanish bishops accepted the new regime, others displayed hostility, along with monarchist and Catholic press (ABC and El Debate). Cardinal Segura’s May 1st pastoral, praising Alfonso XIII and Church-state relations under the monarchy, sparked open conflict and Segura’s expulsion.
In May, incidents led to the burning of churches and convents in Madrid and other cities by extremist leftists. This strained Church-state relations and alienated Catholic supporters of the Republic.
2. The 1931 Constitution
2.1. Constituent Cortes Elections
The provisional government called elections for the Constituent Cortes on June 28, 1931, to draft a republican constitution. A decree amended the 1907 electoral law to curb fraudulent practices by local chiefs. These were Spain’s first free and fair elections, though women were excluded due to continued male suffrage.
The Republican-Socialist coalition won a decisive victory, with the Socialist Party and Radical Republican Party prominent. For the first time, three women were elected as deputies: Clara Campoamor and Victoria Kent (Republican), and Margarita Nelken (Socialist). The conservative right faced the elections disorganized and disoriented.
2.2. The Constitution of 1931
The Cortes drafted and approved Spain’s first republican constitution. In late June, a committee chaired by Luis Jiménez de Asúa prepared a draft, representing a compromise between Socialists and Republicans to establish a secular democratic republic.
The constitution defined Spain as a democratic republic of workers of all classes. It included a comprehensive bill of rights and freedoms, including women’s suffrage, civil marriage, and divorce. It enshrined the right to free and compulsory primary education and recognized private property rights, subject to expropriation for social utility with compensation, and allowed for nationalization of certain sectors.
It established a strict separation of powers, granting the Cortes broad legislative powers and political control, including the ability to remove the President. The head of state was the President, whom the Cortes could dissolve twice. The judiciary was based on the autonomy and independence of judges and courts, and the jury system was introduced.