Spanish Second Republic Reforms (1931-1933)

Second Spanish Republic: Initial Reforms (1931-1933)

Initial Measures

The Second Spanish Republic, proclaimed in 1931, initiated a series of ambitious reforms aimed at modernizing the country. These included:

• Education: 7,000 new teaching posts were created, teacher salaries were increased, and a wide network of libraries was established. The Republic aimed to reduce illiteracy significantly.
• Military: Reforms were carried out, including early retirement of senior officers, especially generals who opposed the Republic. The Military Academy of Zaragoza was closed, and war-merit promotions were suspended. The Assault Guards, a state security body, were created.
• Church: Cardinal Pedro Segura, the Primate of Spain and Archbishop of Toledo, was removed due to his opposition to the Republic. Civil marriage was instituted, divorce was legalized, and cemeteries became civilian. The Jesuits were expelled, their sacred buildings became public property, and the Church lost many privileges. Religious education was removed from public schools, although private religious schools were permitted.

Constitutional Government (December 1931 - November 1933)

Following the approval of the new constitution, the government focused on implementing reforms through legal and constitutional means.

Key Areas of Reform

A) Agrarian Reform

Led by Agriculture Minister Marcelino Domingo, the primary law for land reform aimed to achieve a fairer distribution of land and increase agricultural and livestock production. The effects included:

• Expropriation of large, underutilized estates.
• Settlement of landless families.
• Strong opposition from landowners.
• A failed coup attempt by General Sanjurjo in Seville in 1932.
• Disappointment among day laborers due to the slow pace and limited scope of land redistribution (only 12,000 families benefited initially).
• Peasant unrest, culminating in incidents like the Casas Viejas tragedy, where the Civil Guard set fire to a hut, killing 25 anarchist workers.

B) Labor Reform

Labor Minister Largo Caballero, also a leader of the UGT (General Union of Workers), aimed to improve workers' living conditions across all sectors. Faced with the economic crisis of 1931, the government sought to create jobs and social benefits. Achievements included:

• Extension of labor contracts to farmers.
• Mandatory land cultivation to create jobs.
• Establishment of mixed juries to prevent abuses by employers or workers.

Effects: Opposition from entrepreneurs and the far-left, who demanded more radical reforms.

C) Education Reform

The objective was to provide progressive, secular education, separate from Church indoctrination. This involved:

• Dignifying the teaching profession with salary increases.
• Improving teacher training.
• Establishing a curriculum based on the teaching methods of the Institución Libre de Enseñanza (ILE).

Achievements included the expulsion of the Jesuits and the banning of religious congregations from teaching in 1933. 10,000 new schools were created. These reforms led to strong opposition from the Church and the far-right.