The Rise and Structure of the Primo de Rivera Dictatorship in Spain

The Primo de Rivera Dictatorship (1923-1930)

The Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera began with a coup d'état against the constitutional regime of the Restoration. The military coup met with no opposition, leading to a peaceful outcome. The constitutional government offered no resistance, and King Alfonso XIII accepted the coup by appointing General Primo de Rivera as Prime Minister.

Context and Internal Factors Encouraging the Coup

The coup took place in a context dominated internationally by the triumph of the Bolshevik Revolution and the rise of Italian Fascism. However, several critical internal factors encouraged the coup:

• The political crisis produced by the depletion of the Restoration system.
• The ongoing problem in Morocco (the Rif War).
• The grave situation of public order caused by social unrest and labor conflicts.
• The rise of regional nationalism.

The coup, which failed to establish a purely fascist character, was an authoritarian attempt to solve Spain's ills, linked to Regenerationist solutions.

Execution and Acceptance of the Coup

The coup began to take shape when Primo de Rivera traveled to Madrid and contacted a group of generals whose aim was to remove the political class and replace the government with military power. During the celebration of the Diada in Barcelona, clashes between separatists and police provided the immediate context where the military coup took place, with Primo rebelling against the government.

Primo de Rivera published a manifesto addressed to the country and the army, in which he criticized the political class, holding them responsible for all the misfortunes Spain had suffered since the Disaster of 1898. Alfonso XIII dismissed the existing government and charged Primo de Rivera with forming a new one. Following the example of Italian Fascism, the dictatorship aspired to become a stable, long-term regime.

Stages of the Dictatorship: The Military Directory (1923-1925)

The dictatorship was developed in two stages, the first being The Military Directory.

• Primo formed a Directory composed entirely of military officers.
• This Directory was an advisory body, but Primo personally concentrated power to execute decisions efficiently.
• During this stage, there was a complete grasp of the military over the country's institutions. A state of war was declared throughout the country, and civilian rulers were replaced by military officers.
• Calvo Sotelo elaborated a proposal for administrative reform that granted more autonomy to local authorities.

The dictatorship immediately restored social peace and public order. The two main problems encountered during this phase were Catalan regionalism and the conflict in Morocco.

The Patriotic Union

Primo de Rivera proposed creating a political association to endorse the regime. He founded the Patriotic Union (Unión Patriótica), whose origins were closely linked to Catholicism.