The Second Spanish Republic: From Reform to Civil War
The Rise and Fall of the Second Spanish Republic
Why was the Republic proclaimed in 1931?
Municipal elections led to the Republic.On 12 April 1931 they were seen as a choice between a monarchy and a republic.Those opposed to the monarchical regime (Republicans,socialists and left-wing nationalists) created a coalition for the elections (Pact of San Sebastián, 1930).The elections resulted in a greater number of councillors for the monarchist parties.Thousands of citizens took to the streets and the Second Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931.The elections were held in June and the Republican parties won by a significant majorityThe new government included members of left-wing and nationalist parties.The Constitution:-defined Spain as an integral state, with the possibility of establishing autonomous regional governments -established that legislative power resided in the Cortes(one house), while executive power was held by the Consejo de Ministros and the prime minister.- recognised individual rights and established extensive public and personal freedoms that guaranteed equality before the law, in education and in work.it recognised the right to private property, although the government could expropriate property when it was of public interest.
What reforms were undertaken by the Republic (193)During the Reformist Biennium, the government promoted agricultural reforms.This was the so-called Reformist Biennium .At that time, farmland mostly consisted of large estates (latifundia), farming techniques were primitive, farm wages were low and working conditions were harsh.The government expropriated latifundia and uncultivated land and distributed them to peasants.The insurrectionary movement was particularly strong in :wing parties formed the Frente Popular to participate un elections.The centre and right-wing parties formed a coalition in most provinces.To re-establish Catalonia`s Generalitat and start the process to form governments in the Basque Country and Galicia.To move military officers suspected of planning a coup (Franco, Mola and Goded) far away from Madrid.Army officers opposed to the Republic joined far-right groups (monarchists, Falangists, etc.
MILITARY REFORMRetirement Law for military officers not loyal to theRepublic .EDUCATIONAL REFORM Ban in teaching by religious orders.Regulation of civil marriage and divorce law.40-hour working week and higher salaries Social welfareTERRITORIAL REFORMPossibility for historical nationalities to establish statutes and autonomous governmentsCatalonia had a provisional Generalitat in 1931 and approved a Statute of Autonomy The Basque Country drew up a statute in 1936 and the Basque government was created.In Galicia, the Civil War prevented the statute from being approved.AGRICULTURAL REFORMExpropriation of land belonging to some nobles (Grandees of Spain) without compensation.Expropriation of badly cultivated or unused land, with compensation .Distribution of expropriated land in peasants (settlements) PROMOTION OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE The educational reform, inspired and promoted by the Free Institution of Education, was considered essential to educate new generations who would modernise the country.There was also a comprehensive reform of teacher training degrees to ensure that teachers were committed to the new Republican principles: modernisation, secularism, coeducation, etc.Republican reformism faced opposition from different social sectors:The Church, landowners and the army, the main groups disadvantaged by the reforms.This disillusionment led to uprisings against the government, including the Casas Viejas incident in Cádiz in January 1933.The protest was severely repressed by the police, which increased the discontent and weakened the stability of the government.
Why were there social divisions (1933-1936)?Political opposition to the government grew stronger: The parties hostile to the Republic were strengthened, including the monarchical Spanish Renovation, the Carlists of Comunión Tradicionalist and the fascists groups belonging to FET y de las JONS, led by Primo de Rivera The most conservative sectors (Church, landowners and major businessmen) joined the Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas (CEDA), led by José M.
Some workers` parties and unions, such as the UGT and the CNT, were radicalised and called for protests, strikes and even armed insurrections to start a true social revolution.Manuel Azaña resigned and the president called a general election for November 1933
The elections were won by right-wing (40% of the vote) and center (21%) parties.The new government began to dismantle the Republican reforms, paralyzing the agricultural and military reforms, changing religious policy and granting to rebels of the coup led by General Sanjurjo The entry of CEDA ministers into government in October 1934 provoked strong opposition from left-wing parties and unions, which feared a drift towards facism.
Why did the Restoration (1902-1931) go into crisis?Alfonso XIII came to the throne in 1902 under the protection of the 1876 Constitution, which defined Spain as a parliamentary monarchy The previous bipartisan system, in which the two main parties alternated in power, continued.The new leaders were the liberal José Canalejas and the conservative Antonio Maura In response to the demands for reform and regeneration due to the serious crisis of 1898, attempts were made to end caciquismo and electoral fraud, but with no success.
and the strengthening opposition…Although the main parties continued to alternate in power, the opposition groups grew stronger and increased their political role:
-The Republicans founded the Unión Republicana coalition and, later, Alejandro Lerroux founded the Partido Republicano Radical. -Socialism (PSOE and UGT) gained power among the working class, although some militants broke away and created the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) in 1921. In 1910, anarcho-syndicalist workers founded the trade union Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT).- Nationalism was strengthened in Catalonia with the Lliga Regionalista and in the Basque Country with the Partido Nacionalista Vasco…. put a strain on the system In 1917, a widespread crisis was caused by the discontent of some soldiers, a general workers’ strike due to rising prices and Catalonia’s demand for autonomy (Assembly of Parliamentarians).
• Between 1919 and 1923, the social unrest spiralled into violence.
PRIMO DE RIVERA’S DICTATORSHIPThe seeds of the military coup were sown in 1921, after the Picasso Report blamed army officers and even the King for the Disaster of Annual in Morocco, in which more than 10 000 soldiers died.In 1923, General Primo de Rivera organized a military coup with The King`s consent and the support of sections of the high bourgeoisie and conservative politicians.The new regime suspended the Constitution and the Cortes .In addition, Catalan and Basque nationalism was suppressed and their languages were banner in public.Driven by the favourable climate of Europe of the Roaring twenties’ , the dictatorship started a programme of public works and monopolies (CAMPSA, Telefónica,etc.The King replaced him with General Berenguer in 1930.In addition, municipal elections were organised for 12 April 1931 as the first step in the return to constitutional normality.
The insurrectionary movement was particularly strong in :wing parties formed the Frente Popular to participate un elections.The centre and right-wing parties formed a coalition in most provinces.To re-establish Catalonia`s Generalitat and start the process to form governments in the Basque Country and Galicia.To move military officers suspected of planning a coup (Franco, Mola and Goded) far away from Madrid.Army officers opposed to the Republic joined far-right groups (monarchists, Falangists, etc.
What two sides fought in the Civil War?The exiled military officers (Emilio Mola in Navarre, Francisco Franco in the Canary Islands and José Sanjurjo in Portugal) staged a military coup with the support of far-right groups (some monarchists, traditionalists and Falangists).The coup was started by General Franco on 17 July 1936 in the Canary Islands and some African strongholds (Melilla, Ceuta and Tetouan).It spread to the Peninsula on 18 July.
THE NATIONALIST REBELS: CREATION OF A MILITARY DICTATORSHIP After some hesitation about who should lead the initiative, the Junta de Nacional Defensa, the first institution of the new state, appointed Francisco Franco as head of the government.The new government’s main political measures were the prohibition of parties, the annulment of the Constitution and all statutes of autonomy, a return to Catholicism as the official state religion and the dismantling of all Republican reforms.traditionalists and Carlists, became the only party, with Franco as the national leader.The new party adopted the Carlist red beret and the Falangist blue shirt as the uniform, and used the fascist saluteTHE REPUBLICANS: THE SOCIAL REVOLUTIONThe Republic was supported by large sectors of the population with different ideologies: moderate Republicans, reformists, socialists, left-wing nationalists, communists and anarchists.But the most radical left-wing sector, which prevented the military coup from succeeding in many parts of Spain in the first few weeks of the Civil War, wanted to start a social revolution.Those loyal to the Republic argued about the need to prepare for war and the need to continue the revolutionary process.
To impose a new revolutionary order, they created workers` committees made up of representatives of the anti-fascist forces that were leading the war effort and civilians in the rearguard.The workers’ committees occupied and collectivised factories and confiscated large estates to distribute to peasants.
How did the conflict evolve?JULY 1936-MARCH 1937: THE BATTLE OF MADRID The rebel troops advanced through Andalusia, Extremadura and Toledo, and arrived at the gates of Madrid in November 1936.In the Battle of Madrid, Republican forces (part of the army, militia volunteers and members of the International Brigades) resisted the attack.The rebel commanders tried other ways to enter the city (the battles of Jarama and Guadalajara), but Franco finally decided to abandon Madrid and move to other regions.Franco`s army bombed the most important cities on the Cantabrian coast.The Republicans launched a counterattack in Brunete (Madrid) and Belchite (Zaragoza) but couldn`t prevent the fall of Cantabria (August 1937) and Asturias (October 1937) JANUARY 1938 APRIL 1939: THE BATTLE OF THE EBRO AND THE END OF THE WAR In February 1938, the Franco’s troops occupied Teruel, advanced on Aragón and arrived at the Mediterranean.The Republican government concentrated all its forces in the Battle of Ebro (July-October 1938) the longest and bloodiest of the Civil War.Between November 1938 and February 1939, Catalonia was taken by the rebels.Only Madrid and the centre of the country resisted, but they were eventually taken between February and March.
How did the war affect the population?The war changed the lives of all Spaniards. Hunger and fear were common. Everyday life was overshadowed by the deaths of thousands of soldiers, a shortage of basic goods, bombings, destruction and enemy retaliation.Food shortages led to constant hunger, especially in Republican areas, which had less agriculture.Bombings by land and air, the enemy occupation of towns and cities, and the deaths and injuries caused enormous sufferingSometimes the inhabitants fled from the advancing troops and became refugees. They faced miserable conditions and insecurityMany people were persecuted because of their political or religious beliefs. This happened on both sides: on the rebel side, repression and terror were part of the institutional policy of the new totalitarian regime, on the Republican side, the persecution wasn’t so institutional, but was carried out by uncontrolled, autonomous groups long-term consequences:Population: the number of soldiers and civilians killed is estimated to have exceeded 400000.Economy: it was very expensive to rebuild the Infrastructure that was destroyed during the fighting Agricultural and industrial production also decreased drastically.Politics: the war led to the destruction of democracy and a military dictatorship that robbed Spaniards of their rights and freedoms for almost 40 yearsSociety: the winners and losers remained divided throughout the Franco regime, which prevented any reconciliation policy.