A new beggining for Spain: The II Republic

In this article I will talk about the II Republic, this political instability that really marked Spain and that, although it was started not only with good intentions because some of them wanted only the power but although all of them wanted a change for good, and finally this led Spain to a terrible civil war.

Background
Spain after the First World War was in a political crisis. The King, Alfonso XIII, was forced to abdicate because people wasn´t happy with his government anymore. So the II Republic appeared for the happiness of the majority of Spanish people, with a promise of modernization and democracy. After the elections for a provisional government, Niceto Alcalá-Zamora was named the first prime minister. But Spain at that time was still a subdesarrollated country with unemployment and poorness. The provisional government was also having a problem with the education and analphabetism was really common at that moment. There was a strong anti-clerical feeling and the Catholic Church and the government didn’t have a good relationship because the socialist group have a strong power and influence in people and some integrants of the church start supporting the monarchy, population gets angry , people burn churches and other religious buildings. People wanted a fast change, they aspire for a better life and in my opinion they were very confused because at that time many groups of different parties appear and the real reason why they wanted a republic is that they didn’t want a monarchy anymore but neither a republic, they only wanted to impose their point of view and that people could know it was “the best” for them.

Elections of 1931

In this year the government decided to make elections and much different party all around Spain got reunited from constitutionals to communists, all spreading their ideas. But the Socialist party, the one that was in the power in the provisional government, had the victory. The second most popular was the Radical one, led by Alejandro Lerroux and the right wing was reduced in the minority. Manuel Azaña was now the president and the new constitution proclaimed, among other things, the equal right for women, the determinate separation of the state with the church and also rights for the worker class.

The relationship between the church and the government tightened more because of the separation of powers of the church-state. In this moment the church loses all their privileges. Government permitted the divorce, banned the church to teach or show some catholic symbols and send Jesuits to the exile.


1931-1933 first Biennium

Government started making military reforms looking for the extreme fidelity of the army. The Socialist group entered in the government with three ministers and started making reforms, helping the working class. They started to provide upper wages, gave them pay vacations, health insurance, eight-hour workday, establishment of a minimum salary. The Republican government didn’t finish consolidating because people wanted fast reforms and in my opinion it was difficult to solve problems that have many years without a solution, it was a weak government. People were angry with this and Azaña was forced to abdicate and enters Martinez Blanco.

1933-1936 second Biennium

This period was also known as the Black Biennium because there was a big opposition against the government and it couldn’t continue with the reforms that they were doing to improves the stability and happiness of the people. This stopped the education and military reforms and that’s why they permitted the Catholic Church to teach again and help them doing the reforms. In an ideological way, because Mussolini and Hitler´s ideas advanced in Italy and Germany, the right wing started to gain more power and popularity in the right parties of Spain. And this is what brings the end of the Republic and a catastrophic event that takes place in the worst moment for Spain. They were tired and have been just emerging from another war, but without even thinking about it, a civil war started.

Mariana Flores