Figure 1.--The caption for this press photo read, "Like a scene from the French Revolution: History repeats itself. After the French Revolution the people ran through the streets of Paris singing songs and waving banners. These children are doing the same in Spain after the fall of King Alfonso. They too sang the "Marseillaise", the national anthem of their neighboring country. Notice the joyous faces on the children as they swing the new flag of the Republica". The photograph was taken in Barcelona on April 23, 1931. I am not sure if the Republica changed the flag of Spain. That may be a bit of hyperbole by the newspaper. Also I am not sure about the color. It may be red which would have been used by socialists and communists. Or it could be black which was used by anarchists.

Spain in 1931 held its first truly democratic elections. Resentment toward the King's involvement in his dictatorship, Spain's wirkers and other urban population voted strongly for republican parties in the municipal elections (April 1931). These were Spain's first truly democratic elections. Feightened by the strength shown by the republicans, King Alfonso fled the country, but did not abdicate. A united front of socialists and liberals seized power. The new government declared Spain a Republic--Spin's Second Republic. The Republic launched a program of social reform designed to bring a still almost feudal society into the 20th century. Women were given the right to vore. Substantial autonomy was granted to the Basque Country and Catalonia. This put the Republic in conflict with the aristocracy that held large tracts of land and the conservative Catholic church. The Republic began seizing the large haciendas and destributing the land to the peasantry. The Republic also recognized labor unions agitating for better working conditions. Much of the Left including anarchists, socialists and some communists pushed for even more radical reform. Many liberal and moderate forces were concerned that social reforms were destabiling the political situation. The Church, the aristocrcy, and the military controled by the extreme right wing were increasingly alienated from the Republic. The Republic also faced other problems, including the Depression and very large debt contracted during the Primo de Rivera dictatorship.

Alfonso XIII (1886-1931)

Alfonso XIII was one of Spain's longest ruling monarchs. He was King of Spain from 1886-1931. Alfonso mairred Victoria-Eugenie (one of Queen Victoria's forty grandchildren, who died in 1969. She was also a Battenberg, her mother was Princess Beatrice and her father Price Henry of Battenberg. King Alfonso XIII had six children. One Prince Juan Carlos would eventually regain the Spanish crown for his son that his father lost. Alfonso XIII supported the military dictatorship (1923-30) of Miguel Primo de Rivera, but social unrest and a republican election victory led to his deposition and exile (1931).

Primo de Rivera Dictatorship (1923-30)

Miguel Primo de Rivera established a military dictatorship (1923). He cooperated with France to recover lost Moroccan territory. But the natinalist actions did not appeal workers demanding the rights to organize and strike to gain better wages.

Depression (1929)

The Stock Market Crash in America (1929) had ripples around the world. American companies stopped buying overseas, essentially exporting the financial crisis. Congress move to incrwase tariffs. One of those countries was Spain. The growing world-wide Depression affected Spanish companies and workers were laid off in large numbers.

Political Crisis (1930)

Unemployment fuel worker resentment at Primo de Rivera and his regime. King Alfonso forced him to resign (1930) and offered real elections. Even so, many workers connected the King with the dictatorship.

Elections (1931)

Spain in 1931 held its first truly democratic elections. Resentment toward the King's involvement in his dictatorship, Spain's wirkers and other urban population voted strongly for republican parties in the municipal elections (April 1931). These were Spain's first truly democratic elections. Feightened by the strength shown by the republicans, King Alfonso fled the country, but did not abdicate.

The Second Republic (1931)

A united front of socialists and liberals seized power. The new government declared Spain a Republic--Spin's Second Republic. The Republic launched a program of social reform designed to bring a still almost feudal society into the 20th century. Women were given the right to vore. Substantial autonomy was granted to the Basque Country and Catalonia. This put the Republic in conflict with the aristocracy that held large tracts of land and the conservative Catholic church. The Republic began seizing the large haciendas and destributing the land to the peasantry. The Republic also recognized labor unions agitating for better working conditions.

Radical Push for Greater Reform

Much of the Left including anarchists, socialists and some communists pushed for even more radical reform. Many liberal and moderate forces were concerned that social reforms were destabiling the political situation.

Conservative Opposition

The Church, the aristocrcy, and the military controled by the extreme right wing were increasingly alienated from the Republic.

Problems

The Republic also faced other problems, including the Depression and very large debt contracted during the Primo de Rivera dictatorship.

Political Developments

The first republican government was a moderate left government headed by Niceto Alcalá-Zamora, and Manuel Azaña. The economic situation in Spain aggrevated by the huge debt run up by Primo de Rivera dictatorship made it difficult for the governmrnt o address Spain;s deep-seated economic and social pronlems. The government was also unstable as a result of political infighting spurred on by fractious and rapidly changing coalitionst. The conservative CEDA won power (1933). Workers staged an armed uprising (1934). They werecparticularly strong in Asturias and Catalonia. CEDA ordered the army to supress the revolt. The result was radicalize Spanish politics, both on the left and right. The anarchist movement and new reactionary and fascist groups, including the Falange and a revived Carlist movement, gained strength. Many of these groups were not willing to settle the issues involved at the ballot box.

Revolt (1936)

Right-wing forces in the Spanish army for some time had been planning a coup d'etat against the reform-minded democratically elected Republican Government in Madrid. . Many Spanish officers had been awaiting Franco's decession. The death of Calvo Sotelo accelerated their plans and the first garrisons revolted. Fighting became widespread throughout Spain (July 18, 1936). This forced Franco's hand and he took command of the army in Morocco (July 19). The military staged well planned military uprisings in garrison towns throught Spain. This was the beginning ofthe Spanish Civil War.Franco appealed for help. Hitler immeduately ordered Luftwaffe transport plans to transport Franco's loyalist troops in Morroco to participate in the fighting in Spain. The military seized control of large sareas of Spain: Seville (General Queipo de Llano), the Balearic Islands (General Goded), the Canary Islands and Morocco (Franco), Navarra (Mola), Burgos and Saragossa. General Yague rapidly moved through Extremadura and Mola took Irun. Franco's Loyalist (Nationalist) forces by the end of 1936 had seized most of southern and central Spain (Andalucia, Extremadura, Toledo, Avila, Segovia, Valladolid, Burgos, Leon, Galicia, a part of Asturias, Vitoria, San Sebastian, Navarra and Aragon) in addition to the Canary and Balearic Islands with the exception of Menorca. The Republic held Madrid and much of northerm and northwestern Spain (Castilla la Nueva, Catalunya, Valencia, Murcia, Almeria, Gijon and Bilbao).

Created: 3:26 AM 4/12/2005
Last updated: 3:26 AM 4/12/2005