The Primo de Rivera Dictatorship: 1923–1930 in Spain

The Primo de Rivera Dictatorship: 1923–1930

In 1923, General Miguel Primo de Rivera, Captain General of Catalonia, staged a coup d'état that met with little opposition. King Alfonso XIII agreed to the coup and appointed Primo de Rivera as the first president of a military government called the Directory. The new government seemed to echo a general outcry against the old *cacique* politics. The dictatorship is divided into two main phases:

Military Directory (1923–1925)

This phase was intended as a temporary solution where the Prime Minister exercised sole authority. The state of war was proclaimed. The Constitution was not repealed, but the courts were dissolved. This period saw the militarization of the administration and the relegation of political liberals.

Civil Directory (1925–1930)

The creation of the Civil Directory demonstrated the dictator's will to remain in power and institute a stable, enduring system. This government was composed mostly of external civilians, including figures like **Calvo Sotelo** (Finance) and **Aunós** (Labor).

In 1927, an advisory National Assembly was convened to adopt a new legal text and expand social support. The Assembly was composed of representatives from the Administration, social classes, professional activities, and the Patriotic Union. This authoritarian and conservative initiative was supported primarily by the Right and the country's powerful economic interests.

Major Policies and Achievements

Important measures implemented by the dictatorship included:

1. Formation of the Militia: The *Somatic National Militia* (1923) was established to control public order, particularly in Barcelona, to combat unionism.
2. Suppression of Catalan Nationalism: The suppression of the Catalan language and nationalism pushed the movement further left, leading to a more radical boom than even the *Lliga Regionalista*, notably the rise of *Estat Català*.
3. Completion of the War in Morocco: Primo de Rivera moved to the offensive through a joint Franco-Spanish military operation, beginning with the **Landing of Al Hoceima** (1925). This victory was the dictatorship's greatest success.
4. Establishment of a National Corporate Organization (1926): Joint committees were formed to resolve labor disputes. Collaboration was achieved with socialists and free trade unions, but the *CNT* (National Confederation of Labor) and the *PCE* (Communist Party of Spain) were marginalized, persecuted, and outlawed.
5. Economic Policy: The dictatorship oversaw a period of strong profit growth until 1929.

Opposition and Collapse

The dictatorship banned or suppressed opposition groups, which included former supporters of the Restoration, certain sectors of the army (who organized conspiracies like the *Sanjuanada*), and most intellectuals. Dissidents persecuted by the regime—including Catalanists, the CNT, and the PCE—united against it. From 1928, the regime began to falter, and Primo de Rivera became ill. In 1930, the dictator resigned and was exiled to Paris, leaving King Alfonso XIII facing a massive governmental crisis.