Political Transformations in the Second Spanish Republic

The Second Spanish Republic: Political Transformations (1931-1936)

The Reformist Biennium (1931-1933)

The Reformist Biennium aimed to establish democracy and modernize Spain's economy and society. Key objectives included:

• Establishing a democratic system.
• Modernizing the economy.
• Reforming society.

Major Reforms of the Reformist Biennium

• Military Reform

  The Military Reform introduced a Retirement Law, encouraging voluntary retirement and reducing the number of officers and soldiers. It also invalidated promotions granted between 1923 and 1930 and eliminated military academies like those in Toledo and San Gregorio.

• Educational Reform

  Educational reforms focused on secularization:

  • Separation of Church and State.
  • The Church lost state financial aid.
  • A ban on the Church providing education.
  • The Jesuit order was forbidden.
  • Marriage, death, and divorce were secularized.
  • Increased number of school places and accelerated school construction.

• Territorial Reform

  This reform involved the decentralization of state statutes, granting autonomy to regions. The first regions to receive statutes were Catalonia, the Basque Country, and Galicia.

• Agricultural Reform

  With 85% of the population engaged in agriculture, the reform addressed the significant problem of latifundismo (large estates) in Andalusia and Extremadura. Characterized by a large number of laborers and few landowners, the reform involved:

  • Expropriation of uncultivated lands.
  • Distribution of these lands among poor peasants, who were required to pay compensation.

Opposition to the Reformist Biennium

The reforms faced strong opposition from various sectors:

• Landowners
• The Army
• The Church

Consequences of this opposition included:

• The 1932 coup attempt led by General Sanjurjo.
• Creation of the CEDA (Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas), a grouping of conservative parties.
• Formation of the Falange, a fascist party founded by Primo de Rivera.
• Monarchists and Carlists joined the government.
• Left-wing groups like the UGT (Unión General de Trabajadores), FAI (Federación Anarquista Ibérica), and CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo) advocated for a socialist revolution.

The Conservative Biennium (1933-1936)

This period was marked by a shift to the right and increased social unrest.

• The Uprising at Casas Viejas: A massacre of peasants by the Civil Guard.
• Manuel Azaña called for new elections during a period of crisis in November 1933.
• Alejandro Lerroux and the Right won the elections, with Lerroux becoming president.
• The new government began to reverse the previous reforms, which led to the radicalization of the Left.
• In 1934, the government was reshuffled to include ministers from the CEDA.
• Social unrest and riots broke out across the country:
  • Asturias: A leftist revolution, primarily involving miners, was brutally suppressed.
  • Catalonia: Lluís Companys proclaimed the independence of Catalonia from Spain, leading to his imprisonment and the annulment of the Generalitat (Catalan government).
• Internal problems plagued the Right, including financial scandals.
• The Popular Front, a coalition of left-wing parties, was formed, while the Right remained divided.
• In 1936, the Popular Front won the elections, and the reforms of 1931-1933 were reinstated.
• This period saw increasing street violence and radicalization, setting the stage for a coup attempt.