Spain's Parliamentary Crisis & WWI Impact: 1914-1923

Crisis of Parliamentarism (1914-1923)

This period was connected with the postwar economic depression.

Impact of the First World War

The outbreak of the First World War (1914) was followed by Spanish neutrality. This neutrality did not prevent public opinion from being divided into pro-Allies and pro-Germans. The economic consequences were an economic boom fueled by orders from the warring nations. The situation was reflected in foreign trade, and industry and commerce took advantage of the situation.

Crisis of 1917

Political Developments (1913-1917)

Count Romanones replaced Eduardo Dato and tried to continue his program of government but met with opposition from conservatives and resigned in 1913. Alfonso XIII appointed the conservative Eduardo Dato to form a government. The conservatives and liberals, with Dato, Romanones, and Garcia Prieto, followed a moderate line. The only serious project was the program of Finance Minister Santiago Alba (1916).

Crisis of 1917

Ortega y Gasset spoke of "old" and "new" politics and identified three problems: the Juntas de Defensa, the Parliamentary Assemblies, and the General Strike.

Juntas de Defensa

There was a politicization of the army that was caused by the endless war in Morocco and differences between artillery and infantry. In 1917, the causes of the crisis were that the military's salary was low, fitness tests were established that had to be taken by infantry officers, and in 1910, promotions based on war merits were reintroduced.

In 1917, Juntas of infantry and cavalry officers had already formed, whose objectives were to oppose promotions based on war merits, request an increase in wages, and demand that governments respect the army (this was established in the Army Act of 1918).

Political Crisis: The Assemblies of Parliamentarians

The second act of the crisis of 1917 was the Parliamentary Assembly. Since February 1917, the Cortes (Parliament) were closed. The opposition had been demanding the reopening of the Cortes, but the government did not accede to the request. Francesc Cambó, head of the Lliga Regionalista, decided to intervene. On July 1st, the Lliga chose to convene a meeting of Catalan parliamentarians. On July 5th, an assembly met in Barcelona City Council and called a meeting of national parliamentarians. It was held on July 19th and attended by 71 representatives and senators, resulting in an agreement to require a change of government and the convening of the Constituent Cortes. In the months following the Assembly, its power of influence was diluted due to the fear of social revolution, as attempted in the general strike of August.

Social Crisis: The General Strike

In 1916, there had been a major strike action, and in March 1917, the CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo) and UGT (Unión General de Trabajadores) agreed to sign a manifesto urging the government to intervene to contain prices. The tension erupted in August following a railway dispute in Valencia, and the UGT decided to call a general strike. The strike was widespread and had an important following in many cities of the country. The mining, metallurgy, and manufacturing zones experienced large-scale unemployment. Martial law was applied, drawing the troops into the streets, causing a confrontation with pickets. This resulted in an increasing number of dead, wounded, and arrested. On the 20th, the unions began to call off workers, and normalcy was restored throughout the country. The balance was tragic. On September 29th, the strike committee members were sentenced to death, and later the government declared an amnesty, releasing them.