Industrialization and Social Reform in Asturias 1886-1933

Development of Capitalism in Asturias

The Coal and Metallurgical Union: It was constituted in 1886. This process culminated in the concentration of Duro Felguera, which became the first producer-consumer of coal, supplying the railways.

Impact on the Asturian Working Class

There was a significant increase in the number of the proletariat in Asturias. People began seeking work from other locations within the region.

The Golden Age (1915-1925)

This period coincided with the First World War. Wages increased, although this prosperity lasted only a short time.

Evolution of the Labor Movement

Worker ideologies entered the region through the port of El Musel, underlying the formation of the Socialist Federation of the Asturias region.

Formation of the Asturian Miners Union

The SOMA (Sindicato de los Obreros Mineros de Asturias) was formed in November 1910, following a massive propaganda campaign.

The 1917 General Strike

In 1917, the general strike placed particular stress upon Asturias.

Causes of the Strike

• Political crisis
• The Disaster of Annual
• A blocked parliamentary system

Reorganization of the State

This involved the regeneration policy of Spain: dissolving councils, creating the "Patriotic Union," addressing the Moroccan problem personally, and creating the National Consultative Assembly.

Economic Policy

Characterized by interventionism (tariffs and founding of industries), leading to public debt. It established monopolies and a national corporate organization.

The Constitution of 1931

Elections were won by the PSOE, followed by Lerroux and Azaña. There was a gender discrepancy with right-wing and religious sectors. Niceto Alcalá-Zamora resigned as leader of the government.

Key Features of the Constitution

• Democratic, parliamentary, and secular regime with social property.
• Division of powers: Unicameral system above all; the President maintained some margin of authority.
• Voting rights: Universal suffrage for men aged 23, and for women from 1933. Indirect election.
• Territorial configuration: Adoption of statutes of autonomy.
• Rights: Labor and individual rights.
• Separation of Church and State, divorce, and secular burials.

The Republican-Socialist Biennium (1931-1933)

It was very difficult to advance these reforms against the opposition:

• Land Reform: Social, political, and economic purposes. It faced problems and opposition from Anarchism.
• Labor Reform: Included the Law of Contracts, the Mixed Juries Act, and the Municipal Boundaries Act (obligatory cultivation).
• Military Reform: Aimed to subordinate military power to civil authority and reduce the number of officers.
• Educational Reform: Led by Fernando de los Ríos and the Institución Libre de Enseñanza.
• Autonomy Reform: Statutes for Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia.