Spanish Constitution of 1931 and the Second Republic

The Spanish Constitution of 1931

The 1931 Constitution established a separation of powers, although priority was given to Parliament. Parliament had the power to control the government's actions, and even consisted of the President of the Republic. In contrast, the President had very limited powers. Finally, the Constitutional Court was established to ensure the legality of laws enacted by the government.

Another important aspect was the Church-State separation. Key features included:

• The definition of Spain as an integral state compatible with the autonomy of municipalities.
• Castilian as the official language.
• Finally, abandoning war in its external relations.

The most controversial aspect was its anti-clerical stance. Freedom of worship, the abolition of the state budget for the Church, and the secularization of cemeteries upset many. The dissolution of the Society of Jesus and the prohibition of teaching by other religious orders caused commotion. Local authorities could also ban any religious procession.

The Republican Biennium (1931-1933) and Azaña's Reforms

During the 1931-1933 period, several reforms were implemented.

Army Reform

Azaña aimed to create a small, modern army loyal to the Republic and to remove officers who might attempt a coup. There were too many officers, which was a burden on the Treasury. Both merit promotions from the war and old promotions were removed.

Catholicism

Republicans regarded the Catholic Church as aligned with the right-wing and the monarchy. That is why the Jesuits were disbanded and removed from education. The remaining orders were respected, but forbidding them from teaching also condemned them to disappear. Besides, the government would fully control them and could dissolve them if they were considered a danger to the state. Crucifixes were removed from schools, the Catholic newspaper "El Debate" was closed and temporarily seized several times, and religious events needed government approval. There was an unfriendly separation between Church and State because the reforms were too fast and undemocratic.

Nationalisms

The Catalan problem was addressed initially. The provisional government granted self-government, and the Statute of Nuria, which granted jurisdiction, was drafted and approved by referendum. The most important political force in Catalonia was ERC, a party torn between independence and nearly complete autonomy. However, this statute had to be approved by the Spanish Parliament. The right was against self-government, and many intellectuals and center-left Republicans saw it as the beginning of the country's decay. The Army was also against it. After several months of dialogue, and after Azaña's dissolution, the Catalan Statute was approved (1932).