Those victorious at the election then declared Spain a republic and monarchy was abolished. King Alfonso XIII fled the country and the Second Spanish Republic was formed. The Constitution also separated the Church and State. It was led by Alejandro Lerroux. In 1931, Spanish King Alfonso XIII approved elections to decide the government of Spain, and voters overwhelmingly chose to abolish the monarchy in favor of a liberal republic. [6] The system favoured multi-party coalitions that could thus win a majority of votes. Bitter passions were aroused as reformers battled with conservatives to improve the … Many of Spain's regions, such as the Catalans, demanded more autonomy or even outright independence from Madrid, such as the Basques. 3. In April 1931, elections were held in Spain which resulted in republicans winning all the major cities in Spain. Under this … …politician and leader during the Second Spanish Republic (1931–36). Except during the First Republic (1873–74), the Second Republic (1931–36), and the Spanish Civil War (1936–39), Spain also always had a monarchy. Only in one area did the right manage to collectivise sufficiently: the Basque Country. The Senate was abolished and thus the government became unicameral. April 25 – The automobile manufacturer Porsche is founded by Ferdinand Porsche in Stuttgart. Beevor, Antony: THE BATTLE FOR SPAIN. Gen. Francisco Franco's military coup against the democratically elected Popular Front government in Spain took place 75 years ago this summer. Gen. Francisco Franco's military coup against the democratically elected Popular Front government in Spain took place 75 years ago this summer. On April 14, 1931 the Spanish monarchy was declared overthrown and a provisional government took power. The history of the Second Republic falls into four distinct phases: (1) the Provisional Government, which lasted until the religious issue forced its resignation in October 1931, (2) the governments of the Left Republicans and Socialists, which ruled from October 1931 and were… [7], Women were unable to vote in this election, but they could stand for and be elected to office. Portugal - Portugal - Government and society: Portugal has been a republic since the overthrow of King Manuel II and the house of Bragança in 1910. The US government started making some progress on the mob and a notable success was the conviction of Al Capone on tax fraud charges which got him an 11 year prison sentence in Alcatraz. Primo de Rivera claimed himself not as dictator but as supporter of constitutional Liberalism. In 1926 a bloodless military coup overthrew the republic, replacing it … The legislation adopted resembled that of France. In the elections of February 1936 the left won a clear majority. His next target was to invade mainland Spain, establish a military government there and rid the country of all those involved in left wing politics. The victors demanded the king’s abdication; when the army withdrew its support from Alfonso, he was forced to leave Spain (April 14, 1931), though he refused to abdicate the throne. A new constitution was introduced in 1931 ad it was a liberal document that guaranteed human rights and basic freedoms. The remainder would be passed to the second list if they received 20% of the vote. The tensions between the regions and the central government meant that the country was inherently unstable, as a compromise was impossible between the parties. Spanish Republicans form new government as King Alfonso flees into secret exile (0) MADRID, April 15, 1931 (UP) -- "Viva Espana!" [10] The Republican-Socialist coalition dominated the campaigning; the right, still reeling at the loss of the monarchy, remained disorganised. Agrarian reforms introduced early by the Second Spanish Republic were so contentious that for many historians they were –with religion, regional autonomy and military reform — among the most acrimonious issues leading to the Civil War of 1936-39.. …minister, and president of the Second Republic (1931–36), whose attempts to moderate the policies of the various factions led eventually to his deposition and exile. a) The Reformist Biennium (1931-1933) The government headed by Manuel Azaña undertook deep reforms to modernise Spain and stabilize the Republican regime. The left would have to fight for survival. Alfonso never returned to Spain. Included the ERC, ECRS and the Radical Republican Party. 7.3 The … It took place in several rounds. Since the previous elections of 1931, a new constitution had been ratified, and the franchise extended to more than six million women. [9], The official instructions were that civil authorities were not to interfere with the vote; however, in some areas ad hoc republican patrols were set up, undoubtedly deterring some conservatives from voting. "There is nothing to be conserved" Albornoz argued. The period 1931-1936 is divided into three stages: The Reformist Biennium (1931-1933) The Conservative Biennium (1933-Feb. 1936) The Popular Front (Feb.- July1936) 7.3 The Second Republic: governments and reforms. REFERENCE : Peter Pierson, A Troubled New Century, 1898-1931, in : P. Pierson, The History of Spain, London : Greenwood 1999 KMLA Lib. Call Sign 946.08 S182t Paul Preston, The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939, Chicago : Dorsey 1986 [G] … [9], Manuel Azaña Díaz lead the Republican Action Party. The right reacted with fervor. However, the people had turned against the king and a republic (Spain's second) was formed in 1931, the king heading for exile in Italy. General Primo de Rivera, who had run a military dictatorship in Spain since 1923, resigned as head of government in January 1930. In the ensuing years, the government became increasingly divided between the socialists of the extreme left and the monarchists of the extreme right. Dámaso Berenguer was ordered by the king to form a replacement government, but his dictablanda dictatorshipfailed to provide a viable alternative. For a complete list of the kings and queens regnant of Spain, see below. [6] Any electoral list gaining an outright majority of votes in a district would be guaranteed and simultaneously restricted to 80% of the seats. They achieved the vote in the Constitution of December 1931 and were able to vote for the first time in 1933, before women in France and other countries. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Second-Republic-Spanish-history. De Rivera was … [11] The Socialists won around 2,000,000 votes; Republicans 1,700,000, Radical Socialists 1,350,000 and the Liberal Republican Right 950,000. Call Sign 946 P624t Francisco J. Romero Salvado, Twentieth Century Spain, Politics and Society in Spain 1898-1998, NY : St. Martin's, 1999, 219 pp. [7], The Republic and Socialist coalition won a huge victory, helped by a public more liberally inclined than in 1933 or 1936. A constitutional draft prepared by a commission under a reformist Catholic lawyer Ángel Ossorio y Gallardo having been rejected, an amended draft was approved by the Constitue… Economic recovery was made difficult by the destruction during the Civil War … [1] There was little support for a return to the pre-1923 system, and the monarchy had lost credibility by backing the military government. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. From 1833 until 1939 Spain almost continually had a parliamentary system with a written constitution. From 1887 to 1931 Spain was a monarchy under the ruler Alfonso XIII, but it was held in place by the military dicatorship of Primo de Rivera from 1923 onwards. The Government of 1931 was provisionally established in April – and officially placed in power by the general election of June. [2][3], The Second Republic was a source of hope to the poorest in Spanish society and a threat to the richest, but had broad support from all segments of society. Included the Traditional (Carlist) Commune (. This was partly a result of the economic consequences caused by the Great Depression. Uniquely, it identified as Catholic and did the most to appeal to monarchists and those on the right. Spain - Spain - Franco’s Spain, 1939–75: Throughout Franco’s rule, his authoritarian regime was based on the emergency war powers granted him as head of state and of the government by his fellow generals in 1936. May. [8], The Liberal Republican Right (DLR) was led by Alcalá Zamora and Miguel Maura. [2] In the municipal elections of 12 April 1931, little support was shown for pro-monarchy parties in the major cities. In response to the anti-monarchical campaign, King Alfonso XIII decided to flee to Rome and a provisional government was established, headed by Niceto Alcalá-Zamora. Wide layers of the working population associate the toppling of the Spanish monarchy in 1931 and the establishment of the 1931-1939 Second Republic with an era of progress. From October 1931 the government, with Azaña as premier, was controlled by Left Republicans and Socialists, with the Catholic right, the Basque Catholics, the Navarrese Carlists, and Lerroux’s Radicals in opposition. The Republican-Socialist coalition government of 1931-1933 was unable to solve the problems facing the Spanish people because it was a government including representatives of the capitalists. The Second Spanish Republic was established on 14 April 1931, after the abdication of King Alfonso XIII. … Elections to Spain's legislature, the Cortes Generales, were held on 19 November 1933 for all 473 seats in the unicameral Cortes of the Second Spanish Republic. Such conservatism was at odds with most republicans, who believed greater reforms were necessary to bring about stability. The Association of Service to the Republic, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1931_Spanish_general_election&oldid=997784978, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Spanish Radical Republican Socialist Party (, Bloc Obrer i Camperol/Bloque Obrero y Campesino, Republicans of the Centre and of the Right, Regionalists and Nationalists of the Centre and of the Right, This page was last edited on 2 January 2021, at 06:10. April 22 – Austria, the UK, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the United States recognize the Spanish Republic. [7] Many members of the right switched to republicans, despite having little in common with them – one group in Asturias went under the contradictory name the "Monarchist-Republican Party". The Spanish Constitution of 1931 was approved by the Constituent Assembly on 9 December 1931. [9], The Radical Republican Party occupied most of the middle ground and was far more successful at winning conservative, moderate support. On December 9, 1931, a new Spanish constitution was adopted. The government was, however, unable to curb mob attacks on churches and monasteries, during which priests and nuns were slain. page 30. General Primo de Rivera, who had run a military dictatorship in Spain since 1923, resigned as head of government in January 1930. In response to the anti-monarchical campaign, King Alfonso XIII decided to flee to Rome and a provisional government was established, headed by Niceto Alcalá-Zamora. However, despite putting up 116 candidates across Spain, it led a poor campaign which was poorly organised. In Spain: The Second Republic. The proposed reform was blocked by the right and … [9], The Socialist Party stood to the left of the political spectrum, and was kept in line with the coalition by a majority of its leadership rather than unanimously. By the time elections were held for the Cortes on June 28, 1931, the provisional government had taken bold steps to carry out reforms to modernize Spanish society. Broadly speaking, turnout was higher in the north than the south. From 1910 to 1926, the era of Portugal’s First Republic, a parliamentary democracy was established, though monarchists attempted to overthrow it, and factions quickly arose among republicans. However, its decrees carried with them destabilising seeds of confrontation, centred on Church state relationship, agrarian reform, Catalan autonomy and the balance between state and military power. Stood only in coalition with other parties. There would be one seat for every 50,000 people, with a separate seat for any city with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Niceto Alcalá Zamora, (born July 6, 1877, Priego, Spain—died Feb. 18, 1949, Buenos Aires), Spanish statesman, prime minister, and president of the Second Republic (1931–36), whose attempts to moderate the policies of the various factions led eventually to his deposition and exile.. Elected to the Cortes (parliament) in 1905, Alcalá Zamora became minister of works in 1917 and minister of war in … Both the Catholics and the conservatives felt deprived of their traditional dominating role. [11][nb 1], Summary of the 28 June 1931 election results:[12], Party divisions at the start of the Cortes, after seats had been awarded between coalitions:[12]. Why did the Spanish Government fail in 1931? Despite the establishment of democracy, there was no stability. Catholics mustered their forces in opposition. It was the constitution of the Second Spanish Republic and was in force until 1 April 1939. Overall, turnout was around 70% which was considered high. Payne notes the difficulty in separating votes between parties because of the wide range of coalitions and other problems. [4] The wealthier landowners and the middle class accepted the Republic because of the lack of any suitable alternative. 2006. In the municipal elections of 12 April 1931, little support was shown for pro-monarchy partie… He had high regards for the Italian Dictator Mussolini and believed that Spain should follow in the footsteps of Italian Facism. The Autonomous Communities ..... 41 Part IX.the Constitutional Court ... Spain is hereby established as a social and democratic State, subject to the rule of law, which advocates as the highest values of its legal order, liberty, justice, equality and political pluralism. 1931 saw the doubling of unemployment to 16.3% , and everybody realized that the stock market crash of 1929 was having far reaching effects . This was the case with the Radical Socialist Party, led by Álvaro de Albornoz and Marcelino Domingo, which promulgated extremist views. It guaranteed the freedom of speech and freedom of association, gave women the right to vote, legalized divorce, and stripped Spanish nobility of their noble privileges. Local Government ..... 40 Chapter Three. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and the Ministers; the prime minister has the overall direction of the Ministers and can … The advent of the Spanish Republic in 1931 divided the political aspirations of the Basques: Guipúzcoa, Vizcaya, and, to a certain extent, Álava were prepared to work for a status of relative autonomy within the republic, and for this reason they remained loyal to it in spite of its…. The Spanish Right was demoralised and shocked by the fall of the Monarchy (King Alfonso XIII). Main articles: Dictablanda of Dámaso Berenguer and 1931 Spanish local elections Alfonso XIII, in an attempt to return gradually to the previous system and restore his prestige, called on General Dámaso Berenguer to form a government. A list winning a plurality of votes but that failed to win a majority would receive two thirds of the seats. In 1931, Spanish King Alfonso XIII authorized elections to decide the government of Spain, and voters overwhelmingly chose to abolish the monarchy in favor of a liberal republic. This was the second period of Spanish history in which both head of state and head of government were democratically elected.