The Second Spanish Republic (1931 – 1939) was the second and last period in Spanish history in which the election of both the positions of Head of State and Head of government were in the hands of the people. The First Spanish Republic was from 1873 – 1874.

The Second Republic began on 14 April 1931 after the abdication of King Alfonso XIII, following local and municipal elections in which republican candidates won the majority of votes in urban areas. The abdication led to a provisional government under Niceto Alcalá-Zamora, and a constituent Cortes to draw up a new constitution, adopted on 9 December 1931. This led to a republican-socialist government under Manuel Azaña.

The first president was Niceto Alcalá-Zamora (1931 – 1936). The Basques and the Catalans claimed independence but did not actually immediately receive even the autonomy they wanted. The Straperlo scandal undermined the confidence in centrist republican parties and led to polarization.

Overview

Despite the brevity of its existence, the Second Spanish Republic achieved stunning developments on many fields, that surprised the world and placed Spain at the vanguard in many social and cultural matters. The agrarian reform, the introduction of female suffrage, numerous advances in legislative subjects of all sorts, an effective separation of powers, a strong promotion for worker's rights, widespread improvements in the education and health systems, the complete and successful secularization of the Spanish state, a strong promotion of the arts and culture as well as many scientific developments, could be counted among the Republic's many successes.

These political and social changes, accompanied by a widespread reactivation of the political landscape and the debate of ideas caused by the reintroduction of free speech, would progressively widen the deep rift in Spanish society. Previously ignored and under-privileged social actors such as labour unions, left-wing parties, workers, poor peasants and anarchist groups felt suddenly encouraged by the government's actions that provided them with new rights that they had previously been unable to enjoy. At the same time, the big landowners, the upper classes, the most reactionary faction of the army, and the heads of the Catholic Church in Spain (the traditional priviledged members and elite rulers of the Spanish society), started to feel a strong resentment torwards these new groups that were quickly gaining power and becoming social actors of their own.

This division of the Spanish society would continue to widen, as the impatience of left-wing groups and the poorer social classes would evolve into a virtual revolution against clerics, landowners and monarchists. Some groups, such as the POUM or the CNT, would start to collectivize factories and farms by force, and commit political assassinations against what were perceived as "enemies of the people". These political changes would be met with extreme aggression from the right-wing parties, monarchists, fascist and catholic groups. Groups such as the Spanish Phalanx or the Carlists would retaliate and attack left-wing groups, carrying out bombings and political assassinations against left-wing parties, syndicates and anarchist politicians.

The Popular Unity government would become weakened from internal dissention, as well. Some of the parties supporting the Popular Unity coalition would accuse the others of being either excessively reformist and centrist, or excessively radical, violent and impatient. This, combined with nationalist desires of greater autonomy from the different Spanish regions, right-wing reaction, and political turmoil and lawlessness fomented from both right and left sides of the spectrum, would eventually prevent the republic from overcoming this deep rift between the factions of the Spanish society, reaching from fascist Falangists to monarchists, conservative liberals, left liberals, socialists, communists and Anarcho-Syndicalists.

Asturian Uprising

New elections on 19 November 1933 led to a right-wing victory, nominally led by the centrist radical Alejandro Lerroux but dependent on the parliamentary support of the CEDA, a party led by José María Gil Robles with support ranging from Christian Democrats to fascists. The entry of three CEDA ministers into the government on 1 October 1934 led to coups d'état by socialists and anarchists in Asturias and Catalonia on 6 October. Miners in Asturia revolted, occupying Oviedo, leading to the death of about 40 people. The uprising was put down by force by General Francisco Franco. The Uprising and its suppression divided the nation.

Spanish nationalists later pointed at this as an indication that left-wing republicans only supported democracy when they won elections, thus justifying a similar approach from the right.

The establishment of a popular front by left-wing parties enabled the left to regain power at elections on 16 February 1936, installing Manuel Azaña as the second president (1936 – 1939).

Civil War

The Republic suffered a terrible crisis when General Franco and other army officers attempted a coup on 18 July 1936, which was the start of the Spanish Civil War, this can be seen as the prelude of the Second World War because of the direct military aid to Franco's forces by Fascist Italy and the German Nazi Condor Legion where they tried out weapons and tactics, including the first destruction of a town by aircraft bombardment at Guernica. The Republic, under military boycott by Britain and France, was militarily inferior to Franco's Nazi-aided forces and dependent for aircraft and tanks upon Stalin's distant USSR and for some of its front line troops upon International Brigades comprising socialist volunteers from around the world and Spanish anarchist militias. Azaña's government lasted until February 1939, though with control over a gradually reducing proportion of Spain. The Republic formally fell when General Franco and his troops took Madrid on April 1, 1939, with the assistance of Franco's "fifth column".

A dictatorship (Franquismo) was established. During this period, Franco declared Spain to be a monarchy, but kept himself as regent to the throne. Only 36 years later, on Franco's death in 1975, did Spain revert to a royal head of state.

Modern Views

Many authors emphasize that the Spanish Republic should be remembered not by the political turmoil and social divisions that marked its time, nor by the fascist reaction and repression that followed it, but by the strong priority that its successive governments gave to the arts, to culture, to free speech, to social equality, to defend the rights and welfare of women, children, workers and the poor, the weakest and most unprotected sectors of its time. The Republic made a bet in favour of the defence of public spaces as the fundamental scenario of Spanish life and development, assuming the need to match the living conditions of rural and urban populations, and developing politics in promotion of equality, not only among individuals, but also among the richest and the poorest regions of the country.

Nowadays, the re-establishment of a democratic republic in Spain is a cause embraced by numerous left-wing and anti-monarchist groups, even though most of the mainstream political parties don't endorse the idea. The Second Spanish Republic is remembered in Spain and Latin America as the representative of an entire generation of activists, emmigrants (or immigrants, depending on the country), artists and intellectuals, and as a cause célebre that failed due to the reactionary nature of many sectors of Spanish society, the inactivity of the international community, and the interference of the fascist governments of Italy and Germany. For such reasons, the Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War and the abolition of the Republic are regarded by many as the first defeat of democracy, and a prelude of what was about to happen in the rest of Europe.

External links

• Constitución de la República Española (1931)

1931 establishments | 1939 disestablishments | Former countries in Europe | History of Spain | Spanish Civil War

Segunda República Española | Втора испанска република | Segona República Espanyola | Zweite Spanische Republik | Segunda República Española | Dua Hispana Respubliko | Seconde République espagnole | Segunda República Española | Tweede Spaanse Republiek | Вторая Испанская Республика | 西班牙第二共和国