The 1936 Elections and the Rise of the Popular Front in Spain
4. The Elections of 1836 and the Triumph of the Popular Front.
4.1. The Covenant of the Popular Front.
The long campaign that took place was promised to be one of the toughest in the history of Spain. On 15 January, the pact of the Popular Front was signed, and the left unit proposed by the Communist Party took shape before the 1936 elections. The CNT, i.e., anarchists, supported the nominations for the release of political prisoners. Under the slogan of Bread, Peace, and Freedom, their program promised to restore the law of the early republic, in a leftist pact with a reformist agenda, but not revolutionary.
4.2. The Elections of February 1936.
On 16 February, the general elections were held with tranquility, presenting the following blocks:
The Popular Front, which the CNT would vote for.
The National Bloc.
4.3. The Popular Front Government.
a) First Issues:
In light of the results, the Azaña Republican Left formed the government, but the Socialists refused to join the new government. Weakly supported, the Republican politicians were hopelessly caught between the fear of the conservatives and the new hopes of the working class. The government represented the petty bourgeoisie and the middle classes. Strikes and land invasions increased, and social and industrial unrest threatened the constitutional order more than ever.
There was a general opposition against Alcalá Zamora, the president of the republic. The monarchists considered him a traitor to the monarchy, the CEDA blamed him for the departure from power, and the Popular Front thought of him as an enemy. The Constitution established the possibility of deposing its president since he had dissolved the Parliament on two occasions, so he had to be replaced. What was approved by Parliament elected Manuel Azaña as President of the Republic, who had the support of the entire left and center, but not of the PSOE, so he had to call Santiago Casares Quiroga, who began to rule.
b) Reforms.
They began to fulfill the promises of the Popular Front:
– Cease Franco as Chief of Staff.
– Amnesty for political prisoners.
– Amnesty for workers, with reinstatement for those fired for strike or political opinion, entitled to compensation.
– Restoration of the Generalitat of Catalonia.
– Boosting the Agrarian Reform.
– Closing religious schools and increasing teachers in public education, promoting co-education of children in the classroom.
c) The Social Crisis.
It was a mistake to appoint Azaña without Alcalá Zamora, which originated the radicalization of the Republic and served to sharpen the differences between the two Spains. In the towns, fists and guns replaced political debate, and social unrest was fueled by the revolutionary sector of the PSOE, the UGT, and the CNT. Labor demands increased. In the field, violence had become the last resort to escape poverty. Landlords no longer feared for their possessions but only for their lives. In the streets, the conflict intensified. Everywhere, the word revolution was heard, to which some aspired and others opposed.
d) The Conspiracies.
– The Military Conspiracy.
For a growing number of military personnel, a coup d’état was the only way to restore order. The idea of military intervention by a coup had been simmering since the start of the Second Republic. The conspiracy did not have a clear ideology, but for the success of the coup, it needed the cooperation of civil organizations of the extreme right. Warned of the military conspiracy, the government decided to send more openly right-wing generals far from the Peninsula. General Franco was sent to the Canary Islands, and General Goded to the Balearic Islands, while General Mola was sent to Pamplona.
– The Civil Conspiracy.
The Falange was a paramilitary strike force, drawing also on violence. Its growth was dramatic, adding violent youth disillusioned with the CEDA and middle classes who feared a leftist revolution.
The Carlists also organized militarily, known as requetés.
The CEDA persisted in its anti-republicanism, and its leader Gil Robles, along with Calvo Sotelo, used to star in violent verbal clashes with leftist parties.
The Church was frightened by the growing anti-clericalism and outraged at the closing of religious schools.
e) The Trigger.
The deteriorating law and order was widely disseminated by the press, which made the situation worse. All that remained was the spark, which arrived on 12 July: Deputy Assault Civil Guard José Castillo left his home to begin his service. He had received death threats and was shot dead by four gunmen who escaped. The comrades of the dead lieutenant called for measures against the Falange, although it was never clear that the murderers were Falangists. As Gil was on vacation, he decided to go to Calvo Sotelo and convinced him to go to the commissioner. On the way, Luis Cuenca, who was with him in the same car, was killed. The Spanish middle class was paralyzed by this cruel murder, and the coup gained considerable popular support at a critical juncture. On July 17, 1936, nothing could save Spain from a civil war.