The Rise and Fall of Primo de Rivera’s Regime in Spain
Primo de Rivera’s Dictatorship in Spain: 1923-1930
On September 13, 1923, General Miguel Primo de Rivera rebelled against the constitutional government, declared a state of war, and demanded that power be transferred to the military. King Alfonso XIII subsequently entrusted him with the formation of a new government composed exclusively of military officers. The dictatorship saw two forms of government: the Military Directorate and the Civil Directorate, named for the origin of their members. The coup was justified by arguing that the constitutional system was blocked and discredited, and that there was a serious danger of social revolution. The dictator was perceived as an indispensable remedy. His rhetoric had regenerationist and even moral claims, and presented a clear populist component. Primo de Rivera announced his determination to rid the country of *caciques* (local political bosses), social indiscipline, and threats to national unity. It is also believed that Primo de Rivera’s decision was greatly influenced by the desire to avoid accountability for the *Disaster of Annual* in the Spanish protectorate of Morocco. Some historians have recently suggested that Primo de Rivera probably did not intend to end an outdated and stagnant system, but rather to prevent the political regime from democratizing. Thus, the coup was also presented as a way to stop the possible reform of the system that could be threatening to certain sectors and interests.
The Military Directorate (1923-1925)
The first steps of the Military Directorate revealed its dictatorial nature: the suspension of constitutional rule, the dissolution of the Legislature, the removal of civil authorities, the ban on activities of political parties and trade unions, etc. All this was accompanied by the militarization of public order and the repression of the radical workers’ movement. Regenerationist policy was one of the primary objectives of the dictator’s rhetoric. With the aim of ending *caciquismo*, a Municipal Statute and a Provincial Statute were developed. Existing councils were dissolved and replaced by boards of associated members comprising the largest contributors in each locality, appointed by the provincial governors. The promised regeneration turned out to be a farce, merely substituting some *caciques* for others.
The Civil Directorate (1925-1930)
The regime called for a new way of doing politics, and for this purpose, a new party was created: the Patriotic Union. It was a government party without a defined ideological agenda, and its primary mission was to provide social support to the dictatorship. During the first stage of the dictatorship, the conflict in Morocco occupied the attention of Primo de Rivera, who personally assumed the High Commissioner in Morocco in 1924. From 1925, he initiated a policy of collaboration with France that included coordinated military action. One such collaboration was the landing of Alhucemas in 1925, which resulted in great success. After several defeats, Abd-El-Krim surrendered. From 1927, Spanish troops finally ended the occupation of the entire Protectorate. During the Civil Directorate, Primo de Rivera attempted to institutionalize his regime with the creation of a National Consultative Assembly in 1927 and the holding of a plebiscite to endorse his domestic and foreign policy. The Assembly had a corporate, authoritarian character. It was composed of corporate representatives elected by indirect suffrage, by officials, and by representatives selected from among those in positions of social power. Universal suffrage was completely relegated to oblivion.
Key Terms and Concepts
- Populism: A political doctrine without specific ideological content that appeals to the immediate aspirations of the people.
- Demagoguery: Flattery of the masses to make them an instrument of one’s own political ambitions.
- Francisco Ferrer Guardia: An anarchist pedagogue, founder of the Modern School.
- African Military: Army sector in favor of colonialism, linked to the crown and Alfonso XIII.
- State of Emergency: Involves the suppression of civil rights. It occurs in extreme situations like a war.
- General Strike / Revolutionary General Strike: Both involve a strike in the areas of production, but a revolutionary general strike also requires a change of government.
- UGT (General Union of Workers): A workers’ organization founded in 1888, which shares its origins with the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party).
- CNT (National Confederation of Labor): A trade union with a syndicalist ideology. Founded in 1910 in Barcelona, it embodied the spirit of the Spanish anarchist movement.