Spanish Second Republic Transition and Nazi Germany Policies
Spanish Political Shifts (1930-1933)
Dictablanda (1930-1931)
Period running between the resignation of Primo de Rivera in 1930 and the arrival of the Second Republic in 1931, with a soft dictatorship led by Berenguer and Aznar.
Pact of San Sebastián
Agreement between republicans and socialists signed in the summer of 1930, aiming to overthrow Alfonso XIII and the establishment of a Republic in Spain.
12/04/1931 Elections
Municipal votations held in Spain on April 12th, 1931, and interpreted as a referendum between monarchy or republic, with a strong republican vote in cities.
Sanjurjada (1932)
Military coup organised by General José Sanjurjo in 1932 to end the Republic during the Progressive Biennium, which was quickly neutralised by the state forces.
Casas Viejas Uprising (1933)
Occupation of lands by peasants next to Cádiz that was violently stopped by the state forces in January 1933 and finally ended with the Reformist Biennium.
Primo de Rivera’s Dictatorship (1923-1930)
In 1923, once the parliamentary government investigated the Annual Disaster, General Miguel Primo de Rivera led a coup supported by the conservatives, the middle class, and Alfonso XIII. He formed a military government while the constitution and the parliamentary government were suspended.
Domestic Policy
- He limited several freedoms.
- Established the Patriotic Union as the official political party.
- Repressed the Communist Party, the CNT trade union, and both Catalan and Basque nationalism.
Foreign Policy
His 1925 Alhucemas landing ended the Rif War in Morocco and increased the dictator’s popularity.
Economic Policy
Primo de Rivera carried out large public works. He expanded or modernised road networks, railways, and the country’s hydroelectric potential. He also established state monopolies like Campsa, Iberia, and Telefónica.
Primo de Rivera initially enjoyed strong support because his policies restored order and improved the economy. Thus, he made moves towards a long-term dictatorial regime with the creation of a National Assembly to draft a constitution. However, the effects of the 1929 Great Depression, increasing opposition, and the loss of army support led to the dictator’s resignation in January 1930.
Hitler’s Early Regime Policies
Having secured power, Hitler moved forward with his political vision by promoting the following:
- Rearmament: Hitler revived industries such as armaments, launched mass conscription of soldiers, and funded public works to improve the economy, reduce unemployment, and break with the Treaty of Versailles.
- Expansionism: Hitler’s aim was to regain the lands Germany lost after the First World War and to create a great German empire in Europe. He annexed the Czech Sudetenland and Austria (1938) and Poland (1939).
- Anti-Judaism: Hitler legislated against the Jews with norms like the Nuremberg Laws of 1935, which limited their rights, and actions like the Night of the Broken Glasses of 1938 against Jewish shops and synagogues.
- Indoctrination: Children were educated to believe Nazi ideals and to obey the Führer. Adolescents formed the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls, and the woman’s role was restricted to their family circle.
- Racial Hygiene: An approach to eugenics was carried out to give birth to a perfect Aryan race. From 1933 to 1939, 360,000 people were sterilised; during WW2, unwanted people were sent to concentration camps.