Second Spanish Republic: Essential Historical Concepts and Reforms
Law on Religious Congregations
Legislation applied by the reformist government (1931-33) which limited the possessions and power of religious orders through the nationalization of ecclesiastical assets. It also limited the influence of religion in education.
Law on Officer Retirement
Military reform legislation framed during the biennium (1931-33), consisting of the option given to army officers to choose between a retirement with full salary or remaining in the army on condition of showing their commitment to the republican regime.
Agrarian Reform Law
Legislation passed in 1932 that established the expropriation of large estates in order to improve land use and the settlement of peasants. The purpose of the law was to achieve a greater redistribution of land and optimization of agricultural production.
Statute of Autonomy
The legal framework of self-government for national or regional communities that are part of a state. In Spain, the first statutes adopted were those of Catalonia (1932), the Basque Country, and Galicia during the Second Republic. Repealed by the Franco dictatorship, the 1978 Constitution recognized the right to autonomy of nationalities and regions and regulated the procedures for obtaining it. Statutes of Autonomy specify the name of the community, its own language (if any), the flag, and the basic institutions and financing.
Pedagogical Missions
Associations of students, teachers, and intellectuals that promoted cultural awareness campaigns among the population in less favored rural areas.
Black Biennium
A term used by the left to refer to the two years of Conservative government (1933-35), as they considered it a time of difficulty for progressive forces due to the halt of reforms. It corresponded to the conservative government of the CEDA and the Radical Party.
Popular Front
A coalition of leftist republican parties, socialists, and communists. It was formed in Europe to stop the progress of fascist regimes. It was a common defensive front, gathering organizations of the working class, peasants, and the small urban and liberal bourgeoisie to curb the advance of fascism and nationalism. It materialized for the first time in 1934 with the alliance of the Communist Party and the French Socialist Party. As an exponent of the tactic of the world communist movement, the Popular Front took different forms depending on the states.
Straperlo Case
A corruption case involving a conservative government, linked to the fraudulent introduction in 1934 of a 'Straperlo' brand roulette wheel at a San Sebastián casino. The roulette was controlled by the casino and dismantled by the police.
Law on Crop Contracts
Legislation on land reform during the biennium (1931-33) by allowing farmers to access ownership of leased land.
Trentistas
Name given to a sector of the CNT (Confederación Nacional del Trabajo) following a 1931 manifesto signed by thirty significant leaders, including Ángel Pestaña and Joan Peiró.
Africanists
Military officers serving in Africa, often considered more interventionist in political affairs.