The Spanish Second Republic: From CEDA to Popular Front
> 16.1 Radical-CEDA biennium .-
Reforms of social biennium feat polarized Spanish life and the regime Lican _ met with resistance from the sectors directly affected (the Church, army, landowners, employers’ organizations etc. ..) which were gradually joining in the defense of their interests. So at the end of 1932 created the CEDA
Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Rights) that encompassed all democratic parties of the right (royalists, Catholics, agricultural etc.). This party was led by Gil Robles and declared “accidental” with respect to the Republic (not currently questioning the political regime) but trying to win elections by bringing together all the votes right.
On the other hand the most uncompromising of the right undemocratic, authoritarian organizations created as JONS (Juntas National Offensive unions) Redondo Onesimo or SPANISH FALANGE Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera who were followers of the European fascist ideas.
The second general election of the Republican period were held in November 1933. The CEDA was the largest party, followed Lerroux Radical Party (which had drifted towards more conservative positions.) The left parties (which had been presented separately) had mixed results, the PSOE held its electorate, but the leftist parties like the Republican Azaña suffered a major defeat at the polls. Also influenced the outcome of anarchist slogan abstention. Another feature to note is that these elections were the first that allowed women to vote.
In view of the election results would correspond to be head of government to Gil Robles, but the President Alcalá Zamora called the party to form government Lerroux radical because he did not trust the CEDA, given the ambiguity regarding republican legality. Gil Robles agrees to give parliamentary support to the Radical government, but instead requires the cessation of the reforms undertaken by the government of ana.
Lerroux’s new government with the support of the CEDA, took measures such as:
“He stopped agraria. Reform-were returned to the grandees of Spain farms expropriated without compensation .- The total freedom of contract granted to farmers (regardless of minimum wages or working time) ‘” He stopped the discussion of project ‘Basque autonomy orders were allowed to continue devoting religious wing are teaching a new budget was prepared to fund the Church properties were returned to the Jesuits, was approved amnesty for those involved in the uprising Sanjurjo 1932 and for collaborating with the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera.
This conservative shift and obstruction of reforms in the previous biennium had resulted in a radicalizació n the PSOE and the UGT.
Its left wing, led by Largo Caballero, intended not to cooperate more with the bourgeois forces as well as providing social revolution, while the more moderate sector of socialism, led by Prieto, defended the need to work with Republicans from left to stabilize system and deepen the reforms. For its part the anarchists continued with the strikes and uprisings in the countryside, maintaining a social conflict, as they had done in the previous biennium.
The government also faced
Lerroux nationalists:
With thePNV in the Basque cessation status. With the Catalans following the approval by the government of the Generalitat of “Cultivation Contracts Act” which allowed tenants Catalan peasants vines (rabassaires) access to land ownership working, paying the owners about pricing. The government sent Lerroux this Act to the Tribunal of Constitutional Guarantees declared – incompatible with the Constitution and annulled. The government of the Generalitat, chaired by Companys, did not accept the cancellation y. Reintroduced shortly after a new law very similar to the previous. The confrontation with the nationalist forces and the radicalization of the Socialists and the proliferation of disputes and strikes, led to the CEDA to harden its position and seek stronger action on public policy, requiring direct participation in the government, under threat to withdraw its parliamentary support. Lerroux agreed to these requests and granted three ministerial portfolios to the CEDA.
> 16.2. The October Revolution of 1934 .-
The entry of members of the CEDA in the government was interpreted by the Left as an open path to fascism (in the same year, Hitler had won the German election was over to democracy and established the dictatorship of the party Nazi). The reaction was immediate. The day after the formation of new government initiative of the UGT and CNT low participation, there was a general strike in major cities. The motion was presented as a means to re-restore democratic legitimacy, violated by the admission of the CEDA in the government. But the lack of coordination of movement and the overwhelming response from the government declared a state of war put paid to the uprising ended in failure. Only two areas of the country the events took on a special relevance. These areas were:
.- In Asturias Asturias miners staged a social revolution, the result of prior agreement among anarchists, socialists and communists. Columns of armed miners occupied the towns of the mining, took much of the Civil Guard barracks and municipalities replaced by revolutionary committees that took the supply of food and water supply and electricity. The miners besieged Oviedo and went through some principal streets of the city, but could not take s landmark buildings as the Cathedral and City Hall. He also won the revolution in Gijón and Avilés. Lerroux government alarmed by the events of Asturias and resolution and the situation in the rest of Spain, decided to send the Principality all available forces, the army, aviation and the forces of the Legion who came from Africa, under the under General Franco. Asturian resistance lasted for about ten days, but finally rebel s all nuclei were defeated. The balance of the conflict was very bloody. The most reliable estimates speak a thousand deaths among miners and 450 between the military and law enforcement. The subsequent repression was very hard. Responsible for conflict Five were sentenced to death and handed down multiple life sentences. The prisoners rose from 10,000.
Cataluña a. –
Barcelona president of Catalonia, Lluis Companys, proclaimed on October 6, the Catalan Republic within the Spanish Federal Republic. At the same time, an alliance of labor forces (PSOE, UGT, Rabassaires Union and Communists, but with the abstention of the CNT) organized a general strike throughout Catalonia ..
This revolt was political in nature (extend and unlock the transfer of its autonomous powers) But given the lack of participation of anarchism and the lack of citizen cooperation movement failing finished ~ The army, under General Batet, occupied the Palace of the Generalitat. The government of Companys was jailed and suspended block Catalan autonomy. In total there were over 3,500 detainees. Even Azaña who was in Barcelona for private reasons he was jailed.
The consequences of the October Revolution were:
Increased the influence of the CEDA in gobiernoy proceeded to a reorienting toughest domestic politics, was suspended the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia Gil Robles was appointed Minister of War and General Franco’s chief of staff.
The harsh crackdown against the rebels in October, joined forces left, up. Then divided. Against government policy and around a common agenda in the first place demanded amnesty for · all detainees.
Moreover, the Radical Party was hit by a series of scandals like the case of “black market” (a rigged roulette that under bribery had tried to implement in several casinos Spanish), in this case involved a family Lerroux. Another scandal was the “subject Nombela where attempts were reported of embezzlement of public funds by political radicals. These issues compounded the differences between the 2 parties forming the government (The Radical Party and the CEDA). Lerroux Robles Gil resigns and seeks being appointed Prime Minister, to apply unfettered party program. But Alcalá Zamora (still not trust Gil Robles) refused again and decided to advance the elections scheduled for February 1936.
> 16.3. The Triumph of the Popular Front .-
In the elections of February 16, 1936 (last election in the Republic) as the forces of right and the left, were presented in two blocks, exactly the opposite. The left parties (Republican progressives, socialists and communists) were grouped in the Popular Front, an electoral coalition based on a common agenda advocated: an amnesty for those convicted of October and the implementation and expansion of reforms in the first two Republican suspended by the governments of the Radical Party and the CEDA. The rightist parties united in the National Bloc (consisting of the CEDA, monarchists alfonsinos and central sector) but did not achieve a joint bid for Spain, not writing a manifesto agreed. The election result was as follows: The Popular Front won 48% of the votes and 46.5% right, the forces of school (Radical Party, the party of Alcalá Zamora etc.) Gained only 5.4% . But as the election law took precedence over the list votes, the difference was larger seats and formed the Popular Front government.
The electoral victory brought about a major change in policy:
It formed a government made up entirely of Republicans left. The Socialists this time would not be part of it and settled for giving his support in Parliament.
Manuel Azana was named president in place of Alcalá Zamora i had to leave office. Casares Quiroga was appointed Prime Minister. It decreed an amnesty for October repressed and freed more than 30,000 political prisoners. Also forced companies to reinstate workers dismissed for strike action in October.
He returned to power the government of the Generalitat and restored the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia.
Negotiations begin for the adoption of new statutes of autonomy “in the Basque Country and Galicia resumed Agrarian Reform and General Franco, Mola Goded and were transferred to long-haul (Franco in the Canaries, Balearics and Mola Coded in Navarre.
The most conservative sectors of society reacted negatively – projects reformers. Many owners opposed to the new measures entamientos peasants, some industrialists closed their factories – their capital out of the country. The Catholic Church feared a return to you lerical Pontic. Part of the army (Africanists) started a conspiracy against the Republic. On the other hand the most radical sectors of the Left demanded faster reforms: the peasants came forward to the compulsory purchase order and occupied land in cities is on strike, the anarchists proclaimed a social revolution and socialist sector, led by Largo Caballero is also oriented towards more revolutionary, approaching the positions of the Communist Party.
Among the more radical right (fascist), Spanish Falange took a strong leadership and fostered a climate of civil strife and political tension. Falangist groups formed and armed uniformed patrols that began violent actions against leftist militants fighting between left and right spread between February and July 1936. Among the conservatives began to take shape the idea that the coup was necessary.