The Reform Biennium: A Deep Dive into Spain’s Second Republic
The Reform Biennium
The Reform Biennium: Once the constitution was approved, Niceto Alcalá Zamora was elected president of the republic, and he commissioned Manuel Azaña to form a government.
The establishment of the Republic coincided with the global crisis of 1929-1933. The sector most affected was foreign trade. The influence of the Great Depression was particularly strong in agriculture and mining, with unemployment reaching 10%.
The objectives of economic policy were to maintain a balanced budget and a strong currency. However, the reforms increased expenditures, and financial resources were inadequate. This negative development hampered the implementation of reforms and intensified social conflict.
Separation of Church and State
The government was determined to establish a clear separation of Church and State and reduce the influence of the Church on society. The government developed laws such as the Divorce Act and the Law of Confessions and Religious Congregations, which fueled the Church’s opposition to the republic.
Educational Reform
The foundation of educational reform was to make education free, secular, and a universal right. In two years, approximately 13,000 schools were built, and the number of teachers significantly increased by 15,000. The number of high schools doubled, and a network of libraries was established in primary schools. The Pedagogic Missions were created to extend culture, with the collaboration of Antonio Machado and Miguel Hernández.
Labor Laws
The labor minister, Largo Caballero, passed the following laws:
- The Employment Contracts Act: Contracts would be made in writing with a minimum duration of two years.
- The Mixed Jury Act: Agencies formed by workers and employers to give them arbitrary function.
- The Labor Law of Associations: Regulating the trade unions.
Regional Autonomy
One of the issues inherited from the Restoration was addressing the aspirations of regions with nationalist sentiment. The constitution attempted to resolve the problem by granting regions the right to create an autonomous status.
Catalonia
Catalonia was the first to start the process. The initiative came from Esquerra Republicana. The Statute of Núria was drafted, which was approved in a referendum by 99% of voters in Catalonia. The draft statute suffered cuts as it made its way through the courts. Education, public policy, and finance were shared competencies between the central government and the Generalitat.
Basque Country
The Basque status was more difficult and complex. The final project failed because it included the three Basque provinces and Navarre, who rejected it.
Galicia
In Galicia, the main problem was the lack of a strong nationalist party. However, thanks to the work of the Galicianist Party, a bill was presented and passed by 84% of the population, but it did not pass the courts due to the Civil War.
Andalusia
In Andalusia, a Regional Assembly held in Córdoba, with the crucial involvement of Blas Infante, adopted a draft statute.
Anarchist Influence and Social Unrest
One sector supported the anarcho-syndicalist path of negotiation, discarding immediate revolution. The pattern of the anarchist CNT was widespread in the worker-peasant movement. Its aim was to establish anarchism through direct action.
Since late 1931, the anarchists engaged in intense action through strikes and disturbances to public order. The government reacted with the Law on Defence of the Republic, which suspended constitutional guarantees. The bloodiest riots were in Cádiz, culminating in the events of Casas Viejas, with the confrontation between CNT and the Civil Guard and Assault Guard.