-
The parliament approved the Constitution of 1931, which stablished a fully democratic regime. -Rights: Many individual freedoms were established
-Religion: Spain became a non-confessional state with no official religion
-Decentralisation: It allowed for the possibility of creating autonomous regions.
-Social welfare: Assets that were of public use could be expropiated, and public education was promoted -
In the early 1930s, nearly all Spanish women were poorly educated. They were under the authority of men, they had no political rights.
The suffrage movement was less developed in Spain than in other countries. After the Second Republic was proclaimed there was three female members of the parliament: Clara Campoamor, Margarita Nelken and Victoria Kent.
Clara Campoamor believed it should be granted inmediately the female suffrage. Female suffrage passed with 161 votes in favour and 121 against. -
Azaña´s government carried out a series of reforms in the period 1931-1933. Main reforms were: -Autonomy of Catalonia.
-Military reform: Army officers had to swear loyalty to the republic.
-Agrarian reform: A law was passed expropriating large estates and uncultivated land.
-Labour reforms: The regulated contracys between employers and workers, and established minimun wages and accident insurance for workers.
-Education: This was made a priority.
-Civil marriage and divorce were legalised. -
Republican changes, such as the agrarian reform, were halted or reversed during a two-year period known as the Bienio Conservador.
Tensions grew between the left and the right when Lerroux named three ministers from the CEDA, which left-wing parties considered anti-democratic. -Asturias: A general strike turned into a full-scale insurrection in this mining region.
-Catalonia: The Generalitat, joined the uprising and its President Lluis Companys brieflt proclaimed a Catalan State. -
The coup turned into a long and violent civil war. The rebelion was successful in conservative rural areas in wast and north-west Spain, where right-parties had received many votes in the elections.
The Republic was supported by sectors of the middle class, organised labour, and radical agricultural workers in Andalusia. It maintained control in many important cities, Madrid and Barcelona, also Basque country -
Republican Spain: In serveral regions, workers groups carried out a social revolution, expropiating factories and farms. Civilians spontaneously formed armed militias to defend the republic, but then, the People´s Republican Army was formed. Nationalist Spain: The rebels established a military council called the Junta de Defensa Nacional. General Francisco Franco become the most important rebel. Franco was supported by a range of groups, and he merged them all into FET y de las JONS. -
The Popular Front consisted of socialists, communists, left-wing republicans and some nationalisys. On the right the CEDA was still the main party, but with the Falange. The Popular Front won the elections, they reformed Spain and freed those who had been imprisioned in 1934. General Emilio Mola began to plan a military coup d`etat against the Republic. On 12th July 1936 right-wing gunmen killed Lieutenant Castillo. In reveng, José Calvo Sotelo was killed. -
Military support for Franco: German and Italian aviation was sent to help Franco. Hiter and Mussolini´s main aim was to weaken European democracy. Military support for the Republic: Stalin provided weapons, military experts and supplies to the Republic. which were paid for with gold reserves from the Bank of Spain. International public opinion: Both sides appealed to international public opinion, which became increasingly pro-republican. Republicans also had support of leading intellectuals.
Plan projects on a visual timeline
Map milestones, phases, deadlines, and key events in one place so the sequence is easier to see and share. Timetoast is a timeline maker for work, school, research, and stories.