THE SECOND SPANISH REPUBLIC
Proclamation and constitution
The Reformist Bienium (1931-1933)
The black bienium (1933-1936)
Victory of the popular front (1936)
NICO URRUTIA
The Second Spanish Republic was declared on 14 April 1931
Provisional republican government
improvements in working conditions and the hiring of day labourers
freedom of worship and secularisation measures
an agreement to draw up a statute of autonomy in Cataluña
modernisation of the army and total submission to civil power.
The clergy received the Republic with distrust
The regime's secular ideas harmed the Catholic Church
Previously enjoyed a very advantageous concordat
Important role in education
Social influence
Constitution of 1931
Social rule of law. Spain declared itself a ‘Republic of workers from all classes’.
Universal suffrage starting from the age of 23.
Extensive declaration of rights and freedoms. Civil rights which had previously been non-existent were recognised
Division of powers. Legislative power was in the hands of a single-chamber Cortes.
Right of the regions to establish statutes of autonomy. This happened for the first time in Spain’s history.
Separation between the Church and the state.
The Cortes selected
President: Niceto Alcalá-Zamora
Prime Minister: Manuel Azaña
The Statute of Autonomy of Cataluña.
Army.
Agricultural reform
Education. This was one of the Republic’s priorities.
Religion
Social reforms.
The government saw it as a way to improve the cultural level and opportunities of the lower classes, and to modernise the country.
Over 10,000 primary schools were built,
Teacher training and salaries were improved to recognise their social role.
Coalition government
Under Manuel Azaña
Reestablishment of an autonomous government, the Generalitat, which had been abolished in 1714.
Active military officers had to swear allegiance to the Republic. A police force called the Guardia de Asalto was created to maintain public order.
Land was redistributed, particularly in areas with large landowners. The aim was to provide day labourers and poor peasants with land.
There was intensive social legislation to improve working conditions, wages and social security for the working class. In addition, workers’ retirement insurance (which was a forerunner of today’s pensions) was increased, insurance against accidents at work was established, the right to strike was guaranteed, dismissal conditions were regulated and workers’ right to paid holidays was approved.
The separation between Church and state was addressed to establish a secular society.
Procedures began to approve statutes in the País Vasco and Galicia, although they were not finalised during the reformist biennium.
The first steps were also taken in Aragón, Andalucía, Valencia and the Islas Baleares.
The Casas Viejas incident
Founding of Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Rights(CEDA)
Catholic groups wich declared their shympaties with the fascist model
Anarchist demands did not cease
This lead to the Casas Viejas incident
Wich led to Azaña's resignation
In February 1936,the Popular Front won the elections and Manuel Azaña was appointed president
Amnesty for political prisoners, especially those imprisoned during the strikes in 1934.
Reintroduction of the Agricultural Reform of 1932, which had been abolished by the Radical-CEDA government.
Restoration of Catalan autonomy and its autonomous institutions, with Lluís Companys as president.
Strengthening the educational, social and religious reforms that began during the reformist biennium.
Disorder and violence spread thorughout Spain
Anarchists burned religious buildings
Causing fear and rejection among Catholics
Memebers of the Falange carried out terrorist attacks
And continued with their assaults to Basque and Catalan workers, who responded to their violence
Some members of the military and far-right organisations opposed to the Popular Front’s reforms, took advantage of the atmosphere of political violence and started conspiring
Supported by landowners and the economic oligarchy,
To a coup d'etat
Castillo, from PSOE, was killed, and the conservative leader Jose Calvo Sotelo was later killed as a form of retaliation
This was the prologue to a military uprising