The Proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic (1931)
The Proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic
The transition from the monarchy to the Second Spanish Republic marked a pivotal moment in Spain's modern history, characterized by intense political restructuring and social mobilization.
The Crisis of the Monarchy (1930)
During 1930, popular mobilizations were occurring in favor of democracy to restructure the political parties in favor of the Republic. There were several parties within these, led by figures such as Niceto Alcalá Zamora, Miguel Maura, and Manuel Azaña.
The Pact of San Sebastian was a meeting held in San Sebastian by Republican sectors, monarchists, and critics of the dictatorship and the monarchy of Alfonso XIII. There, it was agreed to:
- End the monarchy
- Proclaim the Republic
- Hold elections by universal suffrage
- Recognize the autonomy of Catalonia within a new Constitution
Seeing that the opposition was widespread, Alfonso XIII replaced General Berenguer with Admiral Aznar as head of the government. The new head of government received the commission to convene municipal elections as a first step back to the liberal parliamentary system.
The Proclamation of the Republic
The elections of April 12, 1931, became a referendum for or against the king's role during the dictatorship. The results were to some extent contradictory: throughout the State, more Republican councilors were elected than monarchists, which showed the division of the country and highlighted the influence that caciquism (political bossism) still had.
In the cities, the Republican victory was clear, raising a wave of euphoria and a state of opinion in favor of an immediate change.
On April 14, the Second Republic was proclaimed. In the Catalan capital, where the opposition to the monarchy had more strength, the CNT was reorganized and constituted a new party, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (March 1931), directed by Francesc Macià. This party proclaimed the Catalan Republic within the Iberian Federation of Republics.
The king and some conservative parties thought it was possible to suppress the demonstration, but seeing the magnitude and realizing it could cause a massacre, they finally decided to release the revolutionary committee, and the Spanish Republic was proclaimed. In the evening, the king went quietly from Madrid to Cartagena, where ships took him on the way to exile.
The Opening of a Constitutional Process
The revolutionary committee became the provisional government of the Republic under President Alcalá Zamora. The elections were held on June 28, and the outcome was favorable to the Republican-Socialist coalition, which won 90% of the seats.
This project defined the political regime as a Spanish Democratic Republic of workers, featuring:
- A unicameral system (there was no upper house or Senate chamber)
- An independent judiciary
- A Court of Constitutional Guarantees
- Regional autonomic organization
- Advanced individual and collective rights (such as the right to work, the introduction of universal suffrage, and women's right to divorce)
This Constitution was adopted on December 9, 1931. Topics such as the autonomy of Catalonia and the separation between the Church and the State created deep divisions.