Sp - Session 7 Republic

Session 7: Spain’s Second Republic ► Politics

in Spain: Processes and Institutions

► IES

Barcelona ► FALL 2007 PROGRAM

► Instructor:

Andrew Davis ► e-mail: [email protected]

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The Second Republic (1931-1936) ► The

Spanish Republic was established in 1931 when King Alfonso XIII decided to "suspend the use of (his) Royal Prerogatives" and leave the country. ► The new government declares a Spanish Federal Republic (1931-1936) ► Weakened and discredited by many years of colonial war against the Riffs in Morocco (costing over $800 million), and in the throes of the world economic depression, the monarchy had also discredited itself by supporting Primo’s coup.

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The Second Republic ► The

new regime introduced ‘real’ democracy. ► What did this mean? …. in a country governed by oligarchs, a privileged church & oppressive army. This represented the possibility of true change in power structure.

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Change in Expectations I ► Republic

promised modernity & social justice. High expectations and hopes. ► The farmers of the south expected a land redistribution in order to improve their life standards. ►For

the (industrial) working class it meant an improvement in life conditions through increment of wages, union rights and more bargaining ability.

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Change in Expectations II ► For

others, Republic implied social and cultural reform that would give rights to the minorities, recognize the minority rights of historical communities and would give power and education to regular people. ► For its supporters it implied a change, a historical movement (transformation) since power and wealth would be redistributed from the few to the many.

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Party System in Spain in the 1930s

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I.  FAR LEFT ►

    A.  COMMUNIST (Stalinist)           1.  PCE: Partido Comunista de España: founded in 1921 as a pro-Moscow party (hence, Stalinist).  It helped the Spanish Republic to control the violence against clerics and aristocrats undertaken by the anarchists.           2.  UJCE: Unión de Juventudes Comunistas de España: The youth organization of the PCE.            3.  PSUC:  (Catalan: Partit Socialista Unificat de Catalunya or Partido Socialista Unido Catalán: a regionalist Catalan Communist party, the only regionalist party affiliated to the KOMINTERN; hence, Stalinist)

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    B.  MARXIST (Trotskyst)           1.  POUM: Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista ( a small, independent revolutionary Trotskyist group in Catalonia [Catalan: Partit Obrer d'Unificació Marxista]).  It was anti-Moscow (anti-Stalinist).

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II.  LEFT ►

A.  SOCIALISTS:            1.  PSOE: Partido Socialista Obrero Español: a socialist worker’s party founded in 1879 by Pablo Iglesias; currently it is a social democratic party; it was banned from 1939 to 1977.            2.  JSU: Juventudes Socialistas Unificadas: this was a militant youth group composed of socialists and communists; it was founded in 1936 by Santiago Carrillo, a Communist.  The group was soon dominated by the PCE.  The JSU murdered José Calvo Sotelo; his murder was the last straw for the military, which then rebelled and initiated the Spanish Civil War.            3.  UGT: Unión General de Trabajadores: a socialist trade union party founded by Pablo Iglesias in 1888.

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     B.  ANARCHISTS:            1.  CNT: Confederación Nacional del Trabajo: an anarcho-syndicalist Catalan labor union, founded in Barcelona in 1910, in opposition to the UGT.            2.  FAI: Federación Anarquista Ibérica: an anarchosyndicalist militant group founded in Valencia in 1927; an offshoot of the CNT. 8

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III. LEFT REPUBLICAN PARTIES: AR: Acción Republicana: founded in 1926 by Manuel Azaña,

this was a VERY anticlerical liberal bourgeois party (for teachers, lawyers, shop owners)

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PRRS: Partido Republicano Radical Socialista: a radical (liberal) political party (an offshoot of the PRR) founded by Marcelino Domingo in 1929.

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ORGA: Organización Republicana Gallega Autónoma: a political party founded by Santiago Casares Quiroga; its aim was to establish an autonomous Galician state during the Spanish Republic. In 1934 it formed a coalition with the AC, and later with the PRRS, and now with the IR (Izquierda Republicana).

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EC: Estat Català: a nationalist Catalan party founded in 1922 by Francesc Maciá and which was instrumental eventually in declaring an autonomous Catalan state

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ERC: Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya: a bourgeois Catalan leftist party founded by Francesc Maciá and Lluís Companys in 1931, it declared an independent Catalan

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IV.  CENTER ►

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PRR: Partido Republicano Radical: a radical (liberal) party founded by Alejandro Lerroux in 1908.        PRP: Partido Republicano Progresista: Niceto Alcalá Zamora (first president of the Second Spanish Republic).  Not too radical, not anticlerical.         Partido Reformista: a liberal democratic party founded by Melquiades Álvarez in 1912.  This party attracted intellectuals. José Ortega y Gasset belonged to this republican party.  In 1923, this party supported Gen. Primo de Rivera’s Military Directory.  PRC: Partido Republicano Conservador: Miguel Maura. 10

V.  RIGHT OF CENTER ►

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EAJ-PNV: Euzko Alderdi Jeltzalea-Partido Nacionalista Vasco: founded in 1895 by Sabino Arana Goiri («God and the Old Laws»), this is a Christian Democratic party, originally with a racialist doctrine (Basques are considered an elected people [by God] superior to even the most abject of races). It wishes the Basque region to be a separate nation.  Originally it was anti-Republican and pro-Carlist. Lliga Regionalista de Catalunya: This is a Catalan regionalist bourgeois conservative party founded by Francesc Cambó i Batlle in 1901.  It was anti-agrarian and originally pro-Franco.  It was not as successful as the leftist Esquerra, which “restored” the medieval government of Catalonia— Generalitat de Catalunya—in  1932.  11

VI.  RIGHT  PA: Partido Agrario: The Spanish Agrarian Party, later called the PAE or Partido Agrario Español, was a Catholic party founded in 1934; it supported the rightist elements of the Republican party.  It later was integrated with CEDA. ► CEDA: Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas:  founded in 1933 by Prof. José María Gil Robles, this is an umbrella group for Catholic rightist organizations. ► AP: Acción Popular: a conservative Catholic party founded by Prof. José María Gil Robles; it changed its original name of Acción Nacional in 1932.  It was later integrated into CEDA. ► Bloque Nacional: founded by José Calvo Sotelo, a conservative republican (member of the PRC) who was later Secretary of the Treasury (Ministro de Hacienda) under the Civil Directory (Directorio Civil) of Gen. Primo de Rivera.  Being highly critical of the Republic, he 12 became a deputy for the Cortes in 1934, in the service of Renovación Española (a monarchist group) and tried to ►

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VII:  FAR RIGHT

        CTC: Comunión Tradicionalista Carlista: Don Alfonso de Borbón, a Carlist heir, and the Juventud Carlista support Gen. Sanjurjo in his 1932 revolt vs. the Republic; it later joins the army under Gen. Franco.  Its militia members are called requetés.  Carlists see their attack on the Second Republic as the Fourth Carlist War.

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        Renovación Española: a far right Carlist party formed in 1933 and led by Antonio Goicoechea.  It seeks the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy.  Italian Premier Benito Mussolini gave his support to this group.

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        FE: Falange Española: founded in 1933 by José Antonio Primo de Rivera, this group opposes the Republic.  It joins the Carlists, becoming FET (Falange Española Tradicionalista), and then the Juntas de Ofensiva Nacional-Sindicalista (JONS) founded by Onésimo Redondo and Ramiro Ledesma Ramos, thus becoming FET y de las JONS.  From 1945 to 1975, this group was also called Movimiento Nacional.  This is a non-party nationalist and authoritarian movement that supports a corporate state 13 where class struggles are superseded by a Vertical Trade

What does the party system show? ► Shows

the divisions in Spain, both along ideological as well as territorial (center/periphery) lines. ► These will be the major fault lines of the 2nd Republic, and the undoing of democracy.

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Institutions of 2

nd

Republic

Three main reforms: ► Transformation of a non representative corrupted political system to a pluralist democracy ► Decentralization ► Social/political reforms in order to modernize Spanish society. Let me give you some examples. 15

Institutions of 2

nd

Republic

On the political side: ► The new Constitution abolished the Senate, which was not representative and created a unicameral Parliament. ► At the same time, the electoral rules – the way to transform votes into seats- was reformed in order to guarantee the practice of the democracy. ► Women could be in the Parliament and also could vote (which for some was not the wisest decision. Debates by Clara

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Institutions of 2

nd

Republic

Decentralization: Seen as necessary to pacify Catalonia. ►

In 1931, after the elections that caused the exile of Alfonso XIII of Spain and gave the local majority to his party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC), Francesc Macià proclaimed the Free Catalan Republic in Barcelona.

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Members of the provisional Spanish government flew to Barcelona and assured Macià that as soon as the Constitution was passed, the Spanish Parliament would discuss an Statute of Autonomy for Catalonia.

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Macià agreed to later negotiate partial autonomy

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Institutions of 2

nd

Republic

► Estado

Integral – informal name of the 2nd Republic constitution. Establishes a state structure somewhere between unitary and federal models. ► It did not attempt another federal structure, not acceptable to the monarchists of varying stripes; nor did it attempt a unitary one, the uniformity of relations between center and periphery could not be acceptable

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The path to decentralization ►

In 1932 Catalonia receives the Statute of Autonomy granting some crucial powers to the regional government (ie. Education, cultural programs).

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The Basque Country receives its Statute of Autonomy, but only during the civil war (and only for Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa).

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Galicia could only pass the Statute in a referendum but it was never operative because of the war.

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Institutions of 2nd Republic ► Social/political

Reforms of 1st Gov’t of 2nd Republic 1931-33: ► Made up of Republican left and the Socialists, led by Manuel Azaña, first President of 2nd Republic. ► Their aim was not merely reform or establishment of a new democratic consensus, but rather paying off old scores and building a sectarian leftist regime. 20

Institutions of 2

nd

Republic

► The

coalition had four goals: ► a) reform and reduction of the army ► b) separation of church and state and sharp restriction of Catholic rights as well as privileges ► c) reform of the unitary structure of the Spanish state to permit Catalan regional autonomy ► d) broad social and economic reforms 21

Breaking the army ► Azaña

was determined to break the autonomy through reforms ► The officer corps was cut 50 percent by allowing all who desired to retire at full pay. ► The size of the army was reduced, some sections reorganized, and several kinds of privileges and special promotions abolished. ► Azaña's reforms amounted to something less than a total restructuring of the army, but they shook up the Spanish military, and the arbitrary, insulting manner of the defense minister aroused the permanent hostility of many officers.

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Breaking the army ► Politicians

knew that the army was majority conservative, Catholic and monarchic. ► In order to maintain loyalty, it is urgent to either retire or send its leaders to areas of lesser influence (like Franco to the Canaries), and fast-tracking promotions of army officials loyal to the Republic ► Government creates the Guardia de Asalto, ‘Republican cops’, in order to compensate for the power and influence of the Guardia Civil (traditional militarized police force in Spain).

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Restricting Catholic Rights ► the

Republican constitution provided for full civil liberties and representative rights, with the major exception of Catholic rights. ► This left hard-core Catholics at war with the Republic or at least the politicalconstitutional structure of it. ► This split made it impossible to unite a broad democratic majority and left the body politic divided almost from the start of the regime. 24

How were Catholic rights restricted? ►

The new Constitution separated church and state, prohibited public religious processions, and outlawed much of the work of Catholic orders.

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When mobs led by anarchists (and some Radical Socialists) sacked monarchist headquarters in Madrid and then proceeded to set fire or otherwise wreck more than a dozen churches in the capital (perpetrators not sufficiently punished)

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This set the tone for relations between the Republican left and Spanish Catholicism.

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Catalan autonomy ► The

army tried to prevent Catalan autonomy staged an abortive revolt in Madrid and Seville on August 10, 1932. This was easily suppressed. ► The Catalan Statute was passed in September 1932, providing for broad internal autonomy for a regional government (Generalitat) of Catalonia, with its own regional parliament, president, and prime minister. ► Francesc Macià became the first president of Catalonia, then died the following year, his 26

Economic Reforms ► These

reforms did not worked out immediately. Actually, there are some important obstacles to sort out. Which are those? ► The Republic ‘starts’ in 1931. What happened in 1929? The Great Depression of 1929. Obviously, those reforms needed a financial support that was hard to get in the context of a world recession. ► Why don’t reforms work out? 27

Why didn’t 2nd Republic reforms work out? ► 1)

No Money - The inherited budget by Primo, made it even harder to finance the reforms. If this was not enough, in 1931 did not rain much, hence difficulties arose for those poor in the rural areas. Redistribution was even more urgent. ► The little industry that Spain had was also hit by the Depression. Iron and steel were especially hit as no-one had the money to pay for the products. Iron production fell by 33% and steel by 50%.

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Why didn’t 2nd Republic reforms work out? ► Unemployment

in both agriculture and industry meant that the Republic faced losing the support of those whose support it desperately needed – the working class.

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Why didn’t 2nd Republic reforms work out? ► 2)

Weak state - Another important inherited problem (was not only from the Restoration) was the scarce penetration of the state in the society – contrary to Germany or France.

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Why didn’t 2nd Republic reforms work out? ► 3)

No conservative buy-in ► Bourgeoisie and land owners are also a problem: former caciques and industrial bourgeoisie don’t believe in the Republic as it allows the entrance of socialists in the government ► Working

class felt it was their moment and obviously business owners did not like that

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Conservatives feel increasingly marginalized ► Conservative

elements during the Second Republic understood that the unity of Spain as a nation was challenged by the Constitution and leftist politicians.

► Discontent

grew among conservatives, Carlists, Church, owners of land, bourgeoisie, and radical groups (fascism).

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Why didn’t 2nd Republic reforms work out? ►Even

on the left the social base support of the Republic was notably fragmented: (scarce urban middle classes), industry workers, small peasants, landless peasants … all of those had different interests and sometimes confronted.

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Why didn’t 2nd Republic reforms work out? ►Such

social division implied political division inside the Republic: from conservative republicans, pushing for a modernization of the system to the anarchists that wanted to subvert such a system. 34

Summary of short-lived reforms ► Catalonia

receives self-government. ► The historic privileges of the Roman Catholic Church were attacked. ► Priests were no longer paid by the state. Their salaries now came out of the Roman Catholic Church’s purse. ► Jesuits – seen as hard line Roman Catholics - were expelled from Spain – ironically the country that had founded the movement.

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Summary of short-lived reforms II ► Religious

education in schools was stopped. ► Many army officers were made to retire early ► The huge estates in Spain were nationalized (i.e. taken over by the government) which would control what was done on them etc. ► The wages of those who worked in industry were increased but they were to be paid by the owners of those industries not by the government. 36

Alienation caused by these reforms I ► The

government tried to attack those it deemed as having too many privileges in society. ► But by doing this it angered all those sectors in society that had the potential to fight back – the military, industrialists, land owners and the Roman Catholic Church. 37

Alienation caused by these reforms II ► These

four (potentially very powerful bodies) were unwilling to support the republican government in Madrid. ► They were also aware that there were countries in Europe that would support them. ► Fascist Italy under Mussolini would be an obvious ally as would Germany once Hitler had got power in January 1933. 38

Azaña loses left wing ► The

government of Azaña, having lost support from the right, also lost support from the left. Azaña pledged that his government would gradually introduce socialism through the democratic process.

►His

gradualism alienated the political left; his socialism, the right.

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The ‘Masses’ Organize I ► The

Left: ► Two powerful left wing political parties, the anarchists and syndicalists (powerful trade union groups), felt that Azaña’s government was too middle of the road. ► Both wanted a more ‘communistic’ state and the overthrow of capitalism. He was deemed to have betrayed the working class. The extreme left organized strikes and riots in an effort to destabilize the government of Azaña. 40

The ‘Masses’ Organize II ► Right: ► Right-wing

groups begin to organize against ‘radical’ policies. Acción Nacional (National Action, founded by Herrera Angel) and Acción Católica (Catholic Action) are formed.

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The Reactionaries

►

Jose Maria Gil Robles Antonio Primo de Rivera

General Sanjurjo

Jose

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The Reactionaries ► The

party - Gil Robles formed the rightist coalition CEDA (Confederación Española de Derechas Autónomas) which won the elections of November 1933 ► The ideological leader - Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera - in 1933, he founded Falange Española ("Spanish Phalanx"), a nationalist party inspired by Fascist ideology. ► Falange - traditionalistic, revolutionary and Catholic and chose to be called a movement instead of political party. It was anti-capitalist and anti-Marxist.  43

The Reactionaries ►In

1932, General Sanjurjo led a small group of monarchists, landowners, clericalists and army officers in a coup against the Republic, but lacking support from the major forces of the ruling class, it failed.

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Conservative stage 1933-6

► Elections

were held in November, 1933. ► Right Wing wins, led by Gil Robles halted or reversed many of the earlier reforms and amnestied Sanjurjo. ► This

right-wing coalition (formed after 1933 elections) did not hide its desire for an authoritarian & corporatist approach to end the crisis in Spain, and created a mass party in order to win the elections in defense of the ‘prosecuted’ church.

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Conservative stage 1933-6 ►The

new right wing government immediately over-turned all of the changes brought in by the Azaña government. This angered many but especially the Catalans who had their privileges withdrawn. ►GENERALITAT SUSPENDED. 46

Revolt in Asturias ► Left

wing responds to defeat with strikes and acts of sabotage and terrorism against the government. ► In Asturias - full-scale insurrection--in one place, declaring a Soviet Republic. The government called in the Foreign Legion and Moorish Regulares, commanded by Generals Goded and Franco. 47

Revolt in Asturias ► After

bitter fighting, the rising was ruthlessly suppressed. As many as 3,000 workers were killed, mostly slaughtered after they surrendered. 30,000 prisoners were taken.

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Revolt in Asturias ► The

Rebellion in Asturias was a turning point in Spanish politics. Unlike the periodic rebellions of the Anarchists, it was sufficiently extensive and well-organized to show that working class revolution in Spain was a possibility to be reckoned with.

► The

strike confirmed to the right that the left could not be trusted to abide by constitutional processes, and the suppression of the strike proved to the left that the right was "fascist." 49

Conservative stage 19336 ► Law

of Defense – Conservative law which allowed the government to defend itself against any opposition to the regime.

► Socially,

the conservative coalition turned increasingly to repression as its only tool against the left, and it likewise proved incapable of improving the situation economically either. 50

Last stage of the Republic 1936 -1939 ► Spain

appeared to be heading for all out chaos. In a last minute attempt to avoid serious trouble, a general election was called for February 1936. In this election, the Popular Front won and Azaña, once again became prime minister. ► Popular Front – broad coalition of several left-wing parties which presented a joint slate in 1936

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Last stage of Republic 1936 -39 ► The

rhetoric during the campaign in ‘36 promoted the vision that Spain was divided into two blocks. The two Spains? ► The propaganda from Gil Robles was: For God and for the fatherland, Conquest or death. ► Left is based in big cities, industrial areas and the south and southwest, where the agrarian unemployment and the demand for a best partition of land. ► The Popular Front (left wing coalition) won the election with a known picture …WHICH PICTURE IS THAT?

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Primo de Rivera clip ► Take

a look at the clip of Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera:

► http://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=Z-979vsPYZk

► What

three divisions does he speak of? ► What do you think is the best way to solve them? 57

Last stage of Republic 1936 -39 ► The

1936 elections return the left to power (Popular Front), and immediately annulled most of the laws produced in previous years. ► Increased tension between political factions. 58

Slide to War ► The

Spanish Popular Front was only an electoral coalition. Its goal was not to form a government but to defeat the right. ► Socialists would not cooperate in any government that did not adopt their program for nationalization, a policy as which threatened to break Spain in two and to provoke a civil war. 59

Slide to War II ► Azaña

formed his minority government, but the front's victory was taken as the signal for the start of the left's long-awaited revolution, already anticipated by street riots, church burnings, and strikes. ► Workers' councils, which undertook to circumvent the slow-grinding wheels of the constitutional process, set up governments parallel to the traditional bodies. 60

Slide to War III ► On

July 12 1936, José Castillo, a member of the Socialist Party and lieutenant in the Assault Guards, a special police corps created to deal with urban violence, was murdered by a 'far right' group in Madrid. ► The following day José Calvo Sotelo, the leader of the conservative opposition in the Cortes (Spanish parliament), was killed in revenge 61

Slide to War IV ► Calvo

Sotelo's death was a signal to the army to act on the pretext that the civilian government had allowed the country to fall into disorder. ► July 18th 1936, the army, the Civil Guard, Carlists, Phalange, republican JONS declared in revolt opened against the government of the Republic. ► The army issued a pronunciamiento. 62

Slide to War V ► General

Franco assumed control of the military. He took control of Spanish Morocco after overthrowing the civilian government there. ► 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 left would have to fight for survival. The civil war started in July 1936.

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Slide to War V ►A

coup was expected, however, and the urban police and the workers' militia loyal to the government put down revolts by army garrisons in Madrid and Barcelona. Navy crews spontaneously purged their ships of officers.

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