Primo de Rivera's Dictatorship: Causes, Opposition, and Fall

Primo de Rivera's Dictatorship: Opposition and Fall

Patriotic opposition to the dictatorship arose from various sectors. The old parties criticized the excessive duration of the scheme, and several military leaders participated in conspiracies, such as the plot of St. John in 1926. The dictatorship sought to tightly control intellectuals and academics through censorship and limiting their freedom, even closing universities. Ortega y Gasset and Blasco Ibáñez, among others, signed a manifesto against the cultural policy. Unamuno was exiled, and Blasco Ibáñez moved abroad.

Political conflict was particularly pronounced in Catalonia. Measures taken by Primo de Rivera, including the liquidation of the Commonwealth and the prohibition of political use of the Catalan language and dancing the Sardana, were perceived as anti-Catalan and caused significant distancing from the CNT. This stance against the regime aggravated the confrontation between supporters of radical and violent positions.

The Fall of the Dictator

King Alfonso XIII opted to withdraw his confidence in Primo de Rivera, who then resigned. General Berenguer was appointed to replace him, tasked with holding elections to allow a return to constitutional normality (dictablanda). The opposition began organizing, and Republicans, the Catalan left, and the PSOE agreed to the joint signing of the Pact of San Sebastián.

Berenguer was unable to prepare the elections and was replaced by a government led by Aznar, who launched three levels of elections: municipal, provincial, and legislative councils. The government decided to hold local elections first.

Causes of the Military Coup

The coup involved a political-military strategy to achieve power by force. The first phase aimed to avoid military overflow, exemplified by Commander Riego's manifesto to achieve Accession of the Constitutionalists. The second phase involved civic boards replacing liberal absolutist authorities.

Reasons for the coup include:

• Instability and blocking of the parliamentary political system.
• Fear of the economic elite regarding a social revolution.
• Increasing influence of republicanism and nationalism.
• Peripheral discontent within the army after the Annual disaster.

In his inaugural address, Primo de Rivera announced his determination to rid the country of caciques and banditry, end political and social indiscipline, and address threats to national unity. Some historians suggest that Primo de Rivera sought to prevent the political regime from eventually democratizing. The last government of García Prieto sought an amendment to the Constitution, the Electoral Act, the party in power system, and industrial relations. The dictatorship was an unconstitutional solution to stop the possible reform that could be threatening to certain sectors.