Spanish History: Reformist Biennium to Civil War

Reformist Biennium (1931-1933)

The government, headed by Manuel Azaña and the Republican coalition made up of socialists, initiated political reforms aimed at transforming the state and decentralizing power. The Catalan Autonomous Government and Parliament, known as the Generalitat, were approved. Projects for autonomous statutes were also developed for the Basque Country, Galicia, and Andalusia, but they were not approved.

• Social Transformation: Efforts were made to improve the working conditions of workers. Key decisions included establishing a 40-hour work week, creating social insurance, and increasing rent.
• Agricultural Transformation: The goal was to distribute land more fairly. The Agricultural Reform Act was approved, allowing for the expropriation of poorly exploited large estates (latifundios) with compensation. This facilitated the establishment of farmers, individually or in cooperatives.

Popular Front and the Conservative Biennium (1933-1936)

After the elections, the Radical Party, headed by Lerroux, formed a government in collaboration with the CEDA. The CEDA was a right-wing coalition of parties led by the conservative José María Gil-Robles. The new government halted the previous transformations, leading to mobilizations and strikes. The October Revolution of 1934 gained significant force in Asturias and Barcelona. This period saw increased polarization of political attitudes. The left-wing coalition, the Popular Front, eventually won the elections.

The Popular Front government faced challenges from radical sectors within the PSOE who supported social revolution. On the right, support for the Spanish Falange, a far-right fascist movement, grew.

Civil War (1936-1939)

Sides and Support in the Coup

The military uprising spread throughout Spain, succeeding in rural areas but failing in industrialized regions. The rebels included conservative military officers, landowners, the upper bourgeoisie, monarchists, and many Catholics and Carlists.

Internationally, a non-intervention committee was established to prevent a world war, but it failed to prevent both sides from receiving aid. Germany and Italy supported the rebels, while the USSR and the International Brigades supported the Republic.