Key Reforms in the Second Spanish Republic: 1931-1936

Land Reform in the Second Spanish Republic

Land reform was a structural and serious problem in a country that was still predominantly agricultural. The Republic played its prestige and credibility in addressing this issue. Amid increasing public pressure, the authorities were forced to implement reforms. F.L. Knight, Minister of Labor, was the real driver of these measures to improve conditions for farmers. Several legal measures were immediately adopted:

• Municipal Decree, April 20, 1931: Forced employers to hire day laborers from the municipality itself, preventing the hiring of scabs.
• Land Reform Act, September 1932: This Act provided for the expropriation, with compensation, of large farms that were not directly cultivated by their owners. It also allowed for the expropriation, without compensation, of the lands of the largest landowners in Spain. This law was entrusted to the Institute of Agrarian Reform (IRA). The results were disappointing for all.

Reform of the State: Autonomy Movements

They wanted a state that would allow regions with nationalist sentiments to have their own organization, a right that had been recognized in the 1931 Constitution.

• Catalonia

  The draft Statute of Autonomy was approved by the Catalan Parliament on September 9, 1932. The claims of the Statute of Nuria raised the opposition of right-wing forces in the state. The Catalan region had its own government and parliament.

• Basque Country

  The autonomy process in the Basque Country had popular support and was related to religion. The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) and Carlists gathered at the Estella Pact in 1931 to draft a preliminary draft of the Statute of Autonomy. In 1936, a statute was adopted, reflecting a nationalist, republican, and democratic socialist consensus. Aguirre became Lendakari (President).

• Galicia

  Nationalism was less pronounced in Galicia. In December 1932, a draft Galician Statute was approved in Santiago but never came to be adopted due to the Civil War. The granting of the Statutes of Autonomy aroused suspicion on the right.

Military Reform: Addressing a Constant Problem

The military problem had been a constant in Spanish political life since the delivery of the Law of Jurisdictions. This law had granted the military jurisdiction in the political system, a role that should have fallen under civil jurisdiction. This chasm was further deepened by the discrediting of the military following the disaster of 1898 and problems in Morocco. There was also a situation of macrocephaly (an excessive number of officers in disproportionate relation to the troops), and a large part of the budget was intended to pay their salaries.

Reform measures were implemented to address these issues:

• Loyalty to the Republic was demanded.
• Military personnel were authorized to retire while retaining their salary.
• Half of the military regions were suppressed.
• The ranks of Lieutenant General and Captain General were eliminated.
• The General Military Academy was closed.

These measures brought rationality to the composition of the armed forces, reduced military spending, and subjected the military to civilian power. However, they did not improve its effectiveness, nor could they provide the needed material. The reaction was immediate, as seen in the Sanjurjada (a classic pronunciamiento).

Religious Question: Limiting Church Influence

The Republic's attempts to limit the influence of the Church were reflected in the Constitution. These measures were not aimed directly against Catholic beliefs and practices but sought to neutralize the economic power of the Church and its social influence through education. The Church was reluctant to accept secular state legislation on education. The strongest reactions were to the deletion of obligatory religious teaching and the withdrawal of crucifixes from schools. Subsequent letters from the Cardinal put citizens on guard against the Republic, denoting hostility toward it while praising the monarchy. This culminated in the creation of a monarchist club. In response, the Republic immediately stormed the ABC newspaper, and the burning of churches and convents began.

Faced with this hostile attitude, the government expelled the Bishop of Vitoria.