Second Spanish Republic

By tepity
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    Self-government in Catalan

    The region of Catalan was granted an autonomy by the republic government. because of this, the Right WIng were unhappy because they felt a threat to Spain's overall power.
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    Catalan's control over the latifunda

    The Agarian reform law allowed Catalan to nationalise the latifunda* and then hand them over to the peasants.
    *large areas owned by the land
    - compensating the landowners was complicated and expensive
    - not everyone in the government agreed on the plan to take over the latifunda
    - it was never implemented on a large scale
    - consequently it angered the landowners and peasants
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    officer corps retires at full pay

    Half of the officer corps were made to retire at full pay (leaving little money for social reform);
    -Azana told the army they had no right to challenge the government;
    -a military revolt by General Sanjuro in 1932 was crushed
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    foundation of the right-wing Catholic CEDA party

    The government’s decisions led to the foundation of the right-wing Catholic CEDA party
    -led by Gil Robles.
    -At the same time a fascist party – the Falange (Phalanx) - was established by the son of Primo de Rivera, Jose Antonio.
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    Labour Arbitration Scheme

    Primo’s Labour Arbitration Scheme was extended and improved with the help of the UGT
    -The UGT trebled its membership during this period
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    Jesuits no longer allowed as a religious group

    The Jesuits were no longer allowed to operate as a religious group
    -the state withdrew subsidies to the Church
    -civil marriage was permitted
    -divorce was allowed and
    -Prime Minister Azana, well-known for being direct and honest (or insensitive and arrogant, depending on your perspective), said “all the convents in Madrid are not worth the life of a single Republican”.

  • end to compulsory education

    New government announces the end to compulsory education in schools
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    death of anarchist prisoners

    In 1933 government troops shot dead anarchist prisoners in Cadiz.
    -This created a crisis that led to elections being called for November 1933.
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    Right Wing colaition government

    A right-wing coalition government had power after the elections.
    -It reversed the process of reform and cancelled the measures against the Church
    -The period from 1933 to 1935 became known as the “two black years” by those on the Left, who became divided between
    -socialists (led by Prieto ) who wanted to work with the coaltion and
    -the UGT (led by Caballero ) who wanted violent opposition to it
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    opposition to the government exploded into violence

    In 1934 opposition to the government exploded into violence in the Asturias Uprising, an anarchist miners’ revolt
    -lasting two weeks which was only stopped after much fighting by the troops of General Franco
    -Franco became known as the "Butcher of Asturias".
    -Mass arrests followed (even Azana was briefly arrested),
    -left wing newspapers were closed and
    -the Catalan Autonomy Statute was suspended
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    The Asturias Uprising

    The Asturias Uprising was “a watershed in the history of the Republic” (a quote from the historian, Knight) because it led to more extreme politics:
    -It pushed the Left (especially the UGT of Caballero) towards a revolution, and
    -Convinced the Right that the Fascism promoted by Rivera’s Falange was the only way to control the workers.
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    The international situation

    The international situation strongly influenced the development of opposite ideas in Spain:
    -the growing power of Fascism and Communism in Europe convinced many on both sides of politics that moderate politics would mean disaster.

  • the countdown war

    • an election was called ▪ A Popular Front of Communists, Socialists, Republicans and Separatists was formed to oppose the government. ▪The right wing formed the National Front. ▪Increasing tension meant that the Left now regarded the Right as Fascists; the Right regarded the Left as Communists.

  • the countdown to war

    ▪The Popular Front won only slightly more votes than the National Front, but
    -the voting system made this into a large majority of seats in Parliament.
    ▪ However, Caballero’s socialists, still bitter about the failures of Azana’s earlier government, refused to join.
    -This weakened not only the government but also the Left wing of Spanish politics as a whole.
    ▪ Despite these problems, the new government immediately reintroduced the reforms of the 1931-3 government
    - banned the Falange and

  • the countdown to the war

    ▪ The socialist UGT called a general strike among the proletariat
    ▪ The fascist Falange started to grow dramatically
    ▪ Most seriously, the army began plotting to overthrow the weak new government..
    -The leader of the plot was General Mola.

  • the countdown to war

    On the 13th of July the monarchist politician, Calvo Sotelo, was assassinated by Republican police (revenge for the murder of one of their men by a Falangist).
    -The military now had the perfect excuse to make their move.
    -Their revolt began on the 17th of July in Spanish Morocco – led by Franco.

  • repubblic moves to valencia

    Republican government moves from Madrid to Valencia.

  • execution of miguel primo de rivera

    Miguel Primo de Rivera, leader of the Falange Española, executed in Alicante.