Spain: dictatorship and democracy
political evolution (1920-30)
A military dictatorship was followed by a period of democracy with the establishment of the Second Republic
A civil war brought the triumph of a new dictatorship and the collapse of the democratic system
DICTATORSHIP OF
PRIMO DE RIVERA
In 1923, General Miguel Primo de Rivera led a military coup
Alfonso XIII accepted the dictatorship and Primo de Rivera was named president of the government
reforms
Domestic policy
Foreign policy
the Patriotic Union became the official party of the dictatorship
Rivera won the war in Morocco after the success of the landing of Spanish troops at Alhucemas in 1925
economy
a plan was implemented to build large public works
From 1928 onwards, Primo de Rivera's dictatorship faced growing opposition
The situation was made worse by the economic crisis of 1929
in January 1930, Primo de Rivera resigned and a constitutional monarchy was restored
THE SECOND SPANISH REPUBLIC
In April 1931, the constitutional monarchy of Alfonso XIII was restored and municipal elections were held
Republican-Socialist coalition won and Alfonso XIII went into exile
On 14 April 1931, the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed
The Second Republic is divided into three periods
left-wing biennium(1931-33)
Niceto Alcalá Zamora president of the Republic, and Manuel Azaña head of the government
One of the first measures they carried out was to write a new Constitution (1931)
significant reforms
Territorial
Cataluña was given a statute of autonomy
Military
the Azaña law reduced the excessive number of army officers
Agricultural
large agricultural estates were expropriated
Labour
the Law of Labour Contracts forced business owners to negotiate working conditions with the trade unions
Educational
a secular, mixed gender, compulsory free education system was established
centre-right biennium (1933–36)
Elections were held and the centre-right parties won,
Niceto Alcalá Zamora, named Alejandro Lerroux as the
new head of government
The PSOE and the PCE, organised a general strike in October 1934 (October Revolution)
Popular Front (1936)
Left-wing parties (the Socialists, Communists and Republicans) formed a coalition
Manuel Azaña became the president of the Republic, and Casares Quiroga became head of the government
En with violent clashes between extreme right-wing militants
Falangists and communists.
THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR
The civil war (1936-1939)
Reasons of war
17 July 1936, anti-republican section of the army rebelled in Morocco against the government of the Republic
On 18 July, the rebellion, led by Emilio Mola, José Sanjurjo and Francisco Franco, spread to the peninsula
aims of rebellion
end public disorder
end left-wing government reforms
re-establish the political and social order
TWO SIDES AND INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
Supporters of the Republicans
Stalinist USSR supported a workers' revolution
International Brigades
Mexico sent food and healthcare supplies
Supporters of the Nacionalsists
Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy
Portugal and Ireland supplied volunteers
development of the war
end of the war
in March, the Nationalist army took Madrid and on 1 April 1939, the war ended
Battle of the Ebro
Republicans began the battle of the Ebro in order to stop the Nationalist advance towards Cataluña
Northern campaign
the next objective for Franco was to take Asturias, Cantabria and País Vasco.
March to Madrid
tionalists, led by General Franco, tried to occupy Madrid, but they were defeated
consequences of the civil war
Political
authoritarian regime was set up (a dictatorship)
Economic
economic losses were high due to the destruction of infrastructure, transport systems , industrial areas and houses
Demographic
half a million Spanish people died during the civil war, reducing the population drastically
Cultural
ideological repression was implemented through education and culture
Ended in a dictatorship led by General Francisco Franco