The Second Spanish Republic: From Dictatorship to Civil War

Primo de Rivera

In 1923 another pronunciamiento took place: General Miguel Primo de Rivera came to power with the consent of the king. Public disorder was rampant, and the system wasn't working. Primo de Rivera had been in Catalonia as Captain General. They thought he could bring calm and peace.

Primo de Rivera wanted to regenerate the system and later he would give the power back again. It did not work. He stayed for longer than promised and became unpopular. He tried to start a political party, the Unión Patriótica.

His dictatorship can be divided into two periods: Military Directory (1923-1925) and Civil Directory (1925-1930). He had great success at the beginning. Along with the French, the Spanish Army defeated the Moroccan rebel Abd-el-Krim at the Alhucemas landing. The Moroccan question seemed to be over. In the second stage of his government, he implemented a number of public works, created state regulatory agencies, boosted exports, and created a state-owned petroleum company. The 1929 crisis affected Spain: the peseta lost value. The dictator lost the support of the army and the king and finally resigned in 1930. Berenguer and Aznar became the heads of government. In the summer of 1930, Republican supporters met in San Sebastián to discuss the establishment of the republic (San Sebastian Pact). In December, an attempted uprising took place in Jaca but failed. In the municipal elections held on April 12, 1931, Republican parties won in most towns. Having lost the affection of his people and to avoid any bloodshed, Alfonso XIII left Spain. On April 14, 1931, the Second Republic was proclaimed.

The Popular Front (February-July 1936)

Raymond Carr calls this period "Descent into violence." In February 1936, elections took place. The previous legislature wasn't completed. President Alcalá-Zamora dissolved the Cortes: he thought the Republic had to be moved center-right. The first two years had been ruled by left-wing parties; the following two, by the CEDA and the Radical Party of Lerroux.

The rise of fascism and Nazism in Europe, along with the rejection by the Comintern (Third International, ruled from Moscow) of an immediate move into class struggle, favored the creation of left-wing party alliances. The term "Popular Front" was coined by the communists.

On October 20, 1935, a Popular Front, devised by Azaña, was established in Spain: socialists, communists, left-wing republicans, Esquerra Republicana, ORGA, POUM. The Partido Nacional Republicano, led by Sánchez Román, refused to take part, as did the anarchists, but they encouraged their supporters to vote for the Popular Front.

The idea of having a Popular Front can be seen as a reaction against the moderate government of Lerroux and the CEDA. A large part of the left wanted to have absolute power, with no choice for the right. They wanted only the left to rule. For this reason, the armed rebellion of July is not seen as a revolt against a democratic power: democracy had ceased to exist in Spain.