2. INDEX
1.- Introduction and historical context.
2.- Republic Proclamation :
The Constitution of 1931.
Symbols of the New State.
The elections and the provisional government.
Parties and political organizations.
3.- Republican-Azañista Biennium(1931-1933) :
The reforms.
The Opposition and the reorganization of the right-wing
parties.
4.-Radical-CEDA Biennium (1934-1936):
The Radical-CEDA Government.
The Revolution of October 1934.
5.- February Elections. 1936: the government of the Frente Popular.
6.- Cultural Activity in the Second Republic.

3. ECONOMY, SOCIETY AND
MENTALITY

4. CONTEXT
 DEMOGRAPHY: during 1931-1935 mortality and birth rate came dow
down.
 ECONOMY: period of crisis in the 1930´s based on 1929 depression
o on the United States of America.
Laboral conflicts caused by the return of emigrants.
 SOCIATY: unbalanced distribution of incomes.
Big grade of illiteracy.
 MENTALITY: two different groups:
- People who wanted a change
- People that did not want a change and believed in
t traditional customs.

5. FROM THE DICTATORSHIP TO THE
REPUBLIC
 Resignation of Primo De Rivera on January 28, 1930.
 A return to the last political government was impossible because
of:
1.- The dynastic parties (conservatives and liberals)
were r were run down.
2.- The monarch was thought to be the responsible of the
situ the situation.
3.- The “Pacto De San Sebastian” made by antidynastic
fores forces.
 February 14,1931 the general Dámaso Berenguer resigned.
 Elections on the 12,1931 which had as a result the
proclamation of the II Republic.
 Alfonso XIII went to exile.

6. REPUBLIC
PROCLAMATION

7. REPUBLICAN PROCLAMATION. THE ELECTIONS
AND PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
 The initial government was composed of left-Republicans,
right-Republicans, Socialists and the Regionalists. Niceto
Alcalá Zamora was elected as the Prime Minister.
 The provisional government called a general election for June
1931. The socialist Party (PSOE) and other left parties won
an overwhelming victory. Niceto Alcala Zamora, a moderate
Republican, became prime minister but included in his cabinet
several radical figures such us Manuel Azaña, Francisco
Largo Caballero and Indalecio Prieto.
 On 16th October 1931, Azaña replaced Niceto Alcala Zamora
as prime minister.

8. THE CONSTITUTION OF 1931
 The constitution approved in December of 1931 reflected the
ideas of the majority.
 These are the main characteristics:
 - Popular sovereignty.
 - Masculine and universal female suffrage.
 - Extensive declarations of rights and liberties:
- civil divorce
- right to education
 Powers of the state:
 - executive authority
 - president of the Republic with little powers.
 - head of government appointed by the president.
 -to be able judicial into the hands of the justice courts.

9.  For the first time in our history, the right of the regions
established statutes of Autonomy.
Respect to the religious question, a secular state
settles down:
 -separation of the Church and the State
 -the budget of cult and clergy disappears
 -prohibition to exert the education
 -freedom of brings: back to consciousness and cults

10. SYMBOLS OF THE STATE
 Flag of the Second Republic :
The Flag of the Second Spanish Republic, also known as
Spanish: la tricolor, was the official flag of Spain between
1931 and 1939.
Adopted: adopted :27 April 1931
 Colors :
 The flag had three colors : red, yellow and purple. The
purpose of the third color was to represent Castile and
León, the proverbial “ Pendón Morado ”

11. HYM OF THE SECOND REPUBLIC
 El Himno de Riego is a song dating from the liberal
trienium and named in honor of Colonel Rafael
Riego. It was the national anthem of Spain during
the Second Spanish Republic.(1931–1939).

12. LYRICS
 Spanish lyrics
Serenos y alegres, valientes y osados,
Cantemos, soldados, el himno a la lid.
De nuestros acentos el orbe se admire
Y en nosotros mire los hijos del Cid.
Soldados, la patria nos llama a la lid.
Juremos por ella vencer o morir.
El mundo vio nunca, más noble osadía,
Ni vio nunca un día más grande el valor,
Que aquel, inflamados, nos vimos del fuego,
Excitar a Riego de Patria el amor.
Soldados, la patria nos llama a la lid.
Juremos por ella vencer o morir.
La trompa guerrera sus ecos al viento,
Horror al sediento, ya ruge el cañón.
A Marte sañudo la audacia provoca
Y el ingenio invoca de nuestra nación.
Soldados, la patria nos llama a la lid.
Juremos por ella vencer o morir.

13. 4 PARTIES AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATIONS
 On the left, the parties and organizations can be considered the ones which reunite
the following characteristics: Manifest adhesion to the Republic. The characteristics
of the parties and groups that we classified as on the right can be defined as the
clear or guarded antagonism to the republican form of State .
Regional
Autonomous
Parties1
Partido Esquerra PSOE
Republicano Republicana PCE
Acción Radical de POUM
Republicana socialista Cataluña. CNT

14. Right wing
Republican parties Autonomous Monarchic Authoritarian
paties parties parties
Partido Renovación
Radical Española.
Republicano -La Lliga Comunión
(CEDA) Tradicionalista Falange
- PNV
Española

15. BIENIO REPUBLICANO-
AZAÑISTA

16.  New period presided by Manuel Azaña
 Niceto Alcalá Zamora was elected President of the
Republic.
 The new democracy did not enjoy social and economic
tranquility.
 The crisis of 1929 is characterized by its
unemployment, decrease of the exterior trade …
The agrarian reform ( 1932)
The socio-labor reforms
Its principal measures were
Military
Religious
Autonomous field

17. The agrarian reform ( 1932) :
 Mechanism of action : the expropriated or confiscated
lands passed to be a property of the Institute and
transferred them to the provincial meetings. Later, they
passed to the peasants' communities.
 Nobody remains satisfied.
 The consequences: the only solution the peasants still
had was the revolution.

18. The socio-labor reforms:
 Promoted by Largo Caballero :
- Law of Contracts of Work
 - Law of Mixed Jurors
 - Law of Municipal areas
 - Law of the Necessary Working
 Procedure of work accidents and imposition of Labor
Day of eight hours

19. Military:
 The Manuel Azaña's first military reforms were directed
to adapt the quantity of military workforce to the real
needs of the country.
 “Ley de Azaña”
 The Consejo Supremo de Justicia Militar was abolished
 The military education linked itself to the University and
the Academy of Zaragoza was removed.

20. Religious:
 Basic problem: high index of illiteracy (superior to 30 %), and the lack
of education of almost the half of the infantile population.
 Search of the Secular State independent from the church
Re Religious centers were closed.
 Co-education
 Search of a lay, public and free education.
 The education was seeking to take to the rural way by means of the
Pedagogical Missions
 Expulsion of the country of the Cardinal Segura

21. Autonomous field:
 In Cataluña, in 1931, the president of Esquerra Republicana
proclaimed the Catalan Republic.
 Formation of an autonomous government, Generalitat, whose
first task would be to write a State of Autonomy : ->
Nuria's Statute.
 The constitution which was approved in
December, offered a legal frame to the
Estatuto de Autonomía de Cataluña.
thanks to, Manuel Azaña, it was
approved in 1932.
( Manuel Azaña )

22.  In the País Vasco, they approved in 1931 a project of
statute opposition to the left republicanism and the
Socialists.
 After the victory of the conservatives in 1933, some
reforms took place :
 - Alejandro stopped the agrarian reform.
 - The agricultural question confronted also the central
government with the Generalitat of Cataluña.
 - Finally, the government of the Generalitat of Cataluña
approved a new law very similar to the other one.
 On the other hand, the central government became
enemies with the Basque nationalists.

23.  Luis Companys, proclaimed, on October 6, the
Catalan Republic inside the Federal Spanish
Republic. At the same time, a left-wing parties'
alliance was organizing a general strike.
 The insurrection failed.
 The Revolution of October´s consequences
were notable. In relation with Cataluña,
the CEDA abolished the Generalitat and
the “ Ley de Contratos de Cultivo ” was
definitively annulled.
( Luis Companys )

24. SOCIAL DISPUTES
 The change of the regime coincided with the most
serious phase of the economic world depression.
 In 1932 the anarchists propitiated a miners' revolt in
Catalonia and in 1933, a peasants´ revolt in Andalucía
called “Sucesos de las Casas Viejas”.
 The conflicts increased worse economic
situation.
 All the sectors opposite to
the Republic to try to finish
with the coalition
republican - socialist.

25. THE RIGHTS REORGANIZATION. CRISIS OF
THE GOVERNMENT
 The republican reforms and the social conflict
disliked to the economic, social and ideological
elites (Church, big owners of lands, …).
 The center - right was restructured about Lerroux's
Radical party.
 The CEDA possessed a great number of members
and an indisputable leader: Jose Maria Gil Robles.

26.  Spanish renovation (Jose Calvo Sotelo), the
Traditionalist Communion (Carlist) and in a special way
the fascist groups of Falange and of the J.O.N.S.
managed to create a dread´s climate that ended up by
dragging to the set of the right.
 The general Sanjurjo realized a “golpe de estado” in
1932, in order to force the turn of the Republic to the
right, but he failed. In 1933 the Military Spanish Union
(UME) was created. It will have active participation in
the “golpe de estado” of July, 1936.

27. BIENIO
RADICAL – CEDISTA
RI GHT S I DE
L EF T SI DE

28.  After the elections, Lerroux formed a cabinet shaped
exclusively by members of his party.
 Política de rectificación of the reforms of the previous
biennium :
 - Paralyzation of the agrarian reform.
 - Paralyzation of the military reform and designation of
important military positions to anti-republicans .
 - Conciliation with the Catholic Church.
 - Paralyzation of the educational reforms.
 - Clash with the peripheral nationalism.

29. RADICALIZATION OF THE POLITICAL CLASH: THE
RADICAL GOVERNMENTS
 In a context of economic international crisis and the
victory of radical parties in Europe . Spain was separated
between the "right" and the "left“ sides.
 Right:
 CEDA ( Confederación Española de Derechas
Autónomas ) Gil Robles
 Renovación Española Calvo Sotelo
 Falange Española Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera.
Fused in 1934 with the (J.O.N.S) Lesdema

30.  LEFT:
 Izquierda Republicana Manuel Azaña
 PSOE ( Partido Socialista Obrero Español ) . ..
Indalecio Prieto and Largo Caballero
 PCE ( Partido Comunista de España ) Dolores
Ibárruri Gómez ( Pasionaria )
 CNT ( Confederación Nacional del Trabajo ) Ángel
Pestaña .Was linked to acción revolucionaria
 Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya Lluis
Companys

31. REVOLUTION OF OCTOBER 1934
 The increasing tension between both political sides
culminated with the entry of three secretaries of CEDA in
the government in October, 1934.
 The government of left interpreted it as a warned of the
imminent victory of fascism in Spain.
 This make the left side to proclaimed a general strike
against the government.

32.  The movement failed in Madrid and Barcelona.
 But in Asturias the general strike triumphed and
degenerated into a real revolution organized by
t the UGT (Unión General de Trabajadores) and the .
CNT.
 The repression was terrible : thousands of men died,
were injured and arrested.
 Besides the government of right:
 - suspended the “Estatuto de Cataluña”
 - created a new agrarian reform law

33.  However the conflicts in the government
increased
 The definitive crisis came with the scandal of
“Estraperlo”.
 This propitiated the end of the legislature and
a call for new elections in February, 1936.

34. FEBRUARY ELECTIONS. 1936: THE
GOVERMENT OF THE FRENTE
POPULAR

35. THE ELECTIONS OF 1936 AND THE
FRENTE POPULAR
 February 16,1936 were celebrated de last elections of the II Republic.
 There were two parties:
1.-Frente Popular: composed by left parties.
2.-Frente Antirrevolucionario: formed by the CEDA.
 The result of the elections was the victory of the Frente Popular.
 February 18, the Republic President, Niceto Alcalá Zamora ordered
Manuel Azaña to form a new government based in 4 fundamental
aspects:
1.-The continuation of the agrarian reform.
2.-Intensify the development of education.
3.-Amnesty of political prisoners.
4.-reestablishment of the Generalitat of Cataluña and the approval
of the Autonomous Statutes of Pais Vasco and Galicia.

36.  The government was assumed by Santiago
Casaresde Quiroga.
 There was a deterioration of the public services
expressed by:
1.-Violence in the countryside with strikes and
la land occupation.
2.- Attacks to ecclesiastical buildings.
3.- Political crimes made by extreme groups such
as Phalangists and Monarchists, in one hand and
Communists and Anarchists in the other one.
 Murder José Calvo Sotelo on july the13th.

37. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL
RADICALIZATION
 Arrest of José Antonio Primo De Rivera.
 Division in the PSOE´s party:
1.-Partisans of the social revolution led by
Francisco Largo Caballero.
2.-A more moderate group led by Idalecio
Prieto.

38. MILITAR CONSPIRACY
 The fail of the coup d'état of the general José Sanjurjo in 1932.
 The general Francisco Franco (head of state) suggested to declare
the war but it was not accepted by republican politics.
 The general Emilio Mola prepared a new coup d'état more
conscientious. This one should be fast and with a high level of
violence.
 It was expected to happen at the end of July but was advanced to
the 18 of that month because of the emotional impact that the crime
to Calvo Sotelo caused.
 The Spanish Civil War started.

39. ( 1931 – 1933 ) ( 1933 – 1936 ) ( February – July 1936 )
BIENIO BIENIO FRENTE
REPUBLICANO - RADICAL - CEDISTA POPULAR
AZAÑISTA
Reforms: • Paralyzation of the reforms • Resumption of the
• Agrarian • This provoked the reforms
• Socio – labor indignation of: • Amnesty
• Military  Socialists (Asturias 1934 ) • Reinstatement of th
• Religious  Catalans (proclamation Estatuto Catalán
• Autonomous Field of the Estatuto Catalán)
Manuel Azaña Lerroux Casares Quiroga

40. CULTURAL ACTIVITY IN THE II
REPUBLIC

41.  IIRepublic ideals: freedom, education and
progress.
 Supported by intellectuals:
 Manuel Azaña
 Group at the Service of the Republic: Antonio
Machado, Gregorio Marañón, Ortega y Gasset.
 “Generación del 27” -> Literature
 Federico García Lorca -> “La Barraca”

42. LA BARRACA

43.  Pedagogical Missions:
 Promote Culture in rural areas (libraries, art
expositions, concerts, films…).
 Analyze schools and courses for teachers.
 Celebrate meetings: review the political structure
CULTURAL AND POLITICAL AIM
Pedagogical Missions patronage: Pedro Salinas,
Jorge Guillén or Gerardo Diego.

44. Other cultural fields:
 Paintings and sculptures: Pablo Picasso /Joan Miró,
Salvador Dalí (Surrealism).
 Films: Luis Buñuel (“Un perro andaluz”).
 Architecture: Fernando García Mercadal (“Jardines de
Sabatini”)

45. CONSTRUCCIÓN BLANDA CON JUDÍAS HERVIDAS
(PREMONICIÓN DE LA GUERRA CIVIL) (1936)

46. JARDINES DE SABATINI, FERNANDO
GARCÍA MERCADAL (1933)

47. Active role of women (Constitution 1931) :
 María Moliner: librarianship, philologist and
lexicographer. (Library Service Coordinator).
 María Zambrano: philosopher disciple of Ortega y
Gasset. (Missionary).
 Carmen Conde Abellán: poet, writer and teacher.
( María Zambrano )
( María Moliner ) ( Carmen
Conde Abellán )

49. PROJECT REALIZED BY:
-ALICIA CEDILLO CARRERA
-IRENE CUENCA GARCÍA
-RAQUEL MARCOS DELGADO
-ANA SÁNCHEZ MARTÍN
-SORAYA ROMERO MORENO