Radical-Cedista Biennium and the Popular Front Victory

The Radical-Cedista Biennium and the Popular Front

In the general election of November 1933, the right-wing parties, specifically the CEDA and the Radical Party, emerged victorious. Parliament underwent a considerable change, characterized by a highly fragmented and polarized assembly. The first government of the Radical Party, headed by Alejandro Lerroux and under pressure from the CEDA, approved an amnesty law and reversed several reforms enacted during the previous biennium.

The administration soon faced a series of challenges: a rural general strike promoted by the FNTT (National Federation of Land Workers) and conflicts with the Generalitat of Catalonia and the Basque Country. Following the formation of a new radical government including three ministers from the CEDA, the Socialists rose up to proclaim the perceived risk of fascism. A revolutionary insurrection, led by Largo Caballero, broke out in October 1934. Although the plans failed to seize the main centers in Madrid, the movement succeeded in Asturias. In Catalonia, Lluís Companys, President of the Generalitat, proclaimed the "Catalan State," though the rebellion was quickly suppressed by the military garrison in Barcelona.

Following the failure of the revolution, the Catalan Statute of Autonomy was suspended, and reforms were accelerated to rectify the policies of the first two years. However, before a constitutional review could be undertaken, a crisis erupted within the Radical Party due to corruption scandals, such as the Straperlo and the Nombela affair. Consequently, Gil-Robles forced Alcalá Zamora to hand over power. The latter decided to dissolve Parliament and call for new elections on February 16, 1936. The results revealed a stark balance between two antagonistic blocs that had divided Spain.

The Popular Front and the 1936 Victory

The left-wing parties formed a grand alliance known as the Popular Front, the result of an electoral agreement, while the right and center also united. The election results showed a very tight victory in terms of votes for the Popular Front, but they secured an absolute majority of seats. Following this victory, Alcalá Zamora charged Manuel Azaña with forming a government composed only of the Republican Left. This new administration immediately granted a general amnesty for prisoners from the October 1934 events and resumed the reforms of the first biennium, specifically regarding land and religious matters.

The Crisis of the Republic

The crisis of the Republic was driven by several critical factors:

• The worsening economic situation.
• Hostility toward the government from the right wing, the Church, and the Catholic press.
• Union-led strikes aimed at accelerating reforms.
• Instability contributed by both the PSOE and the CEDA.
• A spiral of violence and the assassinations of political leaders.

These tensions led to a double plot: a civil conspiracy involving representatives of the old monarchical oligarchy and the fascist far right, and a military conspiracy involving anti-republican generals such as Mola, Fanjul, and Franco. The murder of Calvo Sotelo served as the catalyst for the Coup of July 17, 1936. Its failure in most large cities led to a tragic and bloody Spanish Civil War that lasted three years.